Seasonal Program – No Longer Active

Madera Coalition previously partnered with United Way Fresno and Madera Counties to offer free tax preparation services through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. This seasonal program supported low- to moderate-income individuals, families, and seniors by connecting them with IRS-certified volunteers for accurate, no-cost tax filing.

During its last active season, the VITA program helped return over $11.5 million to hardworking Valley residents and also assisted many in accessing valuable tax credits like the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC).

While this program is no longer active, we remain committed to connecting our community to helpful resources and services.

Learn More

Community-Based Public Art – No Longer Active

This creative initiative engaged local youth in designing and producing public street art that reflected their voices, identities, and community pride. Through mentorship and hands-on experience, participants explored how art can be a powerful tool for self-expression and neighborhood transformation.

The project celebrated the stories, culture, and connections within our community—demonstrating how public art can bring people together and inspire lasting impact.

Learn More

Environmental Justice & Community Advocacy – No Longer Active

Through a two-year grant, Madera Coalition for Community Justice launched the Madera Water Stewardship Program to address the need for safe, clean, and affordable drinking water in Madera County. This program combined environmental education with hands-on advocacy, empowering both youth and adults—particularly from low-income, minority, and farmworker communities—to take action on local water issues.

Participants were trained on topics such as water contamination, well rehabilitation, infrastructure, and community water rights. The program promoted social awareness, collaboration, and real-life problem-solving, while increasing community knowledge through environmental justice education, community mapping, and expert-led presentations.

Learn More

Health Equity & Community Outreach – No Longer Active

The Órale project was a collaborative public health effort aimed at increasing COVID-19 testing and reducing infection rates in vulnerable communities. In partnership with local organizations, the program identified barriers to testing and safety compliance, then developed and implemented culturally responsive solutions.

This included creating a comprehensive toolkit with public health messaging, access to testing, and targeted interventions. These strategies were applied through an adaptive community trial model to support health equity and protect high-risk populations.

Learn More

Emergency Support – No Longer Providing Financial Aid

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Madera Coalition for Community Justice provided rent, mortgage, and utility assistance to Madera County residents impacted by job loss, reduced hours, illness, or lack of childcare due to COVID-19. Funded through the ARPA Program, this initiative supported income-eligible families behind on rent and utility bills.

Please note: While we no longer provide direct financial assistance for past-due bills, we continue to assist community members by reviewing their utility bills and helping explore available resources and options.

If you need support understanding your bill or identifying next steps, please contact us at (559) 661-1879.

Learn More

Education & Advocacy – No Longer Active

This program focused on strengthening the relationship between parents and the school system to improve student success and community engagement. Through hands-on learning, workshops, and leadership training, parents gained tools to support their children’s academic performance, promote higher education, and advocate for quality education in their schools.

Participants built knowledge in both educational and community issues, including how local schools and government systems function. The program empowered parents—especially from underserved communities—to become confident leaders and active participants in their children’s education and broader community.

Learn More

Civic Engagement – Past Program

Every 10 years, district maps are redrawn to ensure fair and equal representation in government. In 2021–2022, Madera Coalition for Community Justice conducted a Redistricting Education & Engagement campaign to inform residents about this important process and encourage community participation.

The program aimed to:

• Educate the public on what redistricting is and why it matters

• Highlight how redistricting can affect representation, policies, and elections for the next decade

• Encourage residents to attend community workshops and public hearings to make their voices heard

Through workshops, hearings, and outreach, this initiative empowered residents to engage in local government and advocate for fair representation in Madera. description

This program is no longer active.

This program was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and administered through United Way, with whom we partnered to provide relief funds. The funding supported agricultural workers who continued working during the pandemic. While our primary focus was on farm workers, many others also qualified, including dairy workers and those maintaining irrigation systems. Eligibility was determined on a case-by-case basis, and as long as employment could be verified, individuals were able to receive assistance.

Madera Community Hospital (MCH) was barely on life support. The bankruptcy court was ready to drop the hammer and liquidate the hospital. The judge had given MCH a tight timeline to demonstrate that it had secured a buyer or management service to take over operations. Adventist Health had signed a letter of intent to reopen the hospital, but only if there was a guaranteed commitment of $85 million for operating expenses for the next 2 years. MCH had applied for $80 million from the State’s Distressed Hospital Loan Fund. The award and the amount granted determined whether MCH would reopen. The State had indicated that it would announce its decisions by mid-month.

TIME WAS OF THE ESSENCE. People were urged to sign the petition and get family, relatives, neighbors, friends, colleagues, etc., to also sign the petition urging the Governor and legislature to do everything within their power to ensure that Madera Community Hospital reopened. It was a matter of life and death. Check out the past survey here.

The state grant empowered MCCJ to provide the community with information and resources for a variety of challenges that impact our California Communities. Through outreach efforts at community events, neighborhood visits, resource fairs, and community hubs, MCCJ was able to distribute resources such as face masks, sanitizer, Extreme Heat Protection Kits, work gloves, water jugs, and much more. MCCJ also conducted informational campaigns related to Protection from Heat Exposure, COVID, ITIN, and mental and family health apps designed to help parents and their children navigate adolescence and young adulthood.  

The CERF grant was a state effort to understand job conditions throughout the state, gather worker feedback, and coalesce that information into workable action plans to bolster employment throughout the state. CERF conducted widespread surveys from workers, held forums, analyzed data, and formed community tables to share information and formulate and fund projects that would support community needs.