Pilgrimage across Central Valley stops in Modesto, championing most vulnerable
Community members and faith leaders hopped on a bus in Modesto on Saturday morning to pilgrimage across the Central Valley.
The bus drove from Stockton to Bakersfield in solidarity with families facing housing instability, healthcare cuts, food insecurity, threats to public safety, cuts to the social safety net and threats of immigration enforcement.
Called Seeds of Hope, the pilgrimage was organized by Faith in the Valley, a multi-faith, multi-racial grassroots organization based in the Central Valley.
“We carry not only our hearts but the hope, struggles and voices of those we are standing with today,” said Faith in the Valley community organizer Latricia Beasley-Day, to the small crowd. “We are going forth, planting seeds of hope throughout the Central Valley, not just for today. Today is just a start, but it’s not our finish.”
It began at Stockton at 9 a.m. before stopping at the Church of the Brethren in Modesto an hour later. Ahead of the bus arrival, two individuals came from Stockton after missing the first stop there.
A handful of people arrived outside the church, where a food bank and memorial service were also being held. Saturday also aligned with the annual Love Modesto event, where residents spend the day volunteering across the city.
Beasley-Day and pastor Andrew Sampson of the Church of the Brethren-Modesto led the group in a prayer.
Sampson said immigration, affordability and housing reform are at the top of his list for concerns of the Central Valley.
“It’s a really great feeling to see different people that don’t know each other coming together, getting to know one another, and also working together,” Sampson said.
At around 10:30 a.m., the bus arrived, carrying about 20 participants.
Because of Love Modesto, Griselda Rojas, community organizer with Faith in the Valley, said the group plans to schedule a day of action likely at the end of May or in June. She said this pilgrimage is the first time the organization has done something truly regionally, and she hopes it becomes an annual event.
The bus left at around 11 a.m., with the next stops set for Merced and Fresno before reaching its final destination in Bakersfield. Some, like Beasley-Day, chose to caravan with the bus in their own cars.
According to a press release, local and state officials participating include Delano Mayor Salvador Solorio Ruiz, Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco and representatives from the offices of Assemblymember Jasmeet Baines and Sen. Melissa Hurtado.
