SACRAMENTO, CA –Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) released a statement today congratulating Fresno Freedom School as the Senate District 14 Nonprofit organization of the year:

“I am honored to recognize the Fresno Freedom School for their hard work and service to youth in Fresno,” said Senator Hurtado. “Agriculture is often misunderstood. This is a lesson I learned from students at the Fresno Freedom School in the summer of 2019. I learned from them that food means much more than food. It means history, science, peace and so much more. Fresno Freedom School students value and embrace the ability to not only grow food, but then use it to cook and bring families together. From safe ways to control disease on plants to water efficiency, students learn and teach others the importance of growing food has for us all. The Freedom school provides hands on training, activities and programs that help Fresno youth find their sense of self belonging, and work to combat food insecurity.”

 “We would like to thank Senator Hurtado for recognizing the hard work of our students, volunteers and board members,” said founder Rev. Dr. Floyd D. Harris Jr. and Chairwoman Aline Reed. “We are humbled by this honor and will continue to work hard for both our children and our community.”

Last year, Senator Hurtado named the California Farmworker Foundation as the Senate District 14 Nonprofit of the Year. In 2019, the Senator named Valley Public radio (KVPR) as Senate District 14’s Nonprofit of the Year.

The Fresno Freedom School Demonstration Farm is a nonprofit organization that offers a six-week program of activities and courses that students can attend covering topics such as journalism, farming techniques, automotive maintenance, sewing, janitorial and maintenance training, and culinary arts. Their goal is to take youth to a higher level by providing real world skills that empower Fresno’s youth.

This is the sixth year of the California Nonprofit of the Year initiative. During the COVID-19 crisis, many nonprofits went above and beyond their normal work to fill the gaps in community services. The Senate has filed a resolution this year to proclaim June 23, 2021 as California Nonprofits Day. All of the Nonprofits of the year will be announced today by the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits.)

Media Contact: Michelle.Sherwood@sen.ca.gov

About Senator Melissa Hurtado

Senator Melissa Hurtado represents a new generation of Latina leaders as the youngest woman ever elected to the California State Senate and a product of immigrant parents. Senator Hurtado represents the 14th Senate District and focuses on rural community issues that often go unheard — access to clean air and water, food insecurity and poverty, inequities in environmental policies, agriculture and access to health care. In July 2020, she was appointed to the national Biden Latino Leadership Committee alongside former Labor Secretary and current Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis – the only two California Latinas on the Committee.

For more information, visit Senator Hurtado’s Website here or find her on Twitter at @Senator_Hurtado

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