After the tragic event this past Sunday, I was sad and angry, but most of all I was inspired. Chardi kalaa, is a phrase that is often used during times like these, but Piara Singh displayed a perfect example of high-soaring spirits, and his attitude shaped mine. It’s easy to play the victim in any situation but it takes dedication to actually do something about it. The “Know Your Neighbor” Initiative consists of four main steps. Our first step was the town hall meeting to get our community on the same page and to also hear their voices. The next step was passing out flyers on Monday, May 13th to inform the community that we will be delivering pizzas on Thursday.
Passing out flyers was a definite step out of my comfort zone. After a couple of houses I realized that almost every house on the block had a dog, a guard dog. These dogs were protecting their houses, while my dog plays in my backyard. Walking on dead grass, stepping over clutter in front of the doors, and knocking on broken doors made me realize that this is the side of Fresno that needs help. I went up to each door with a sense of fear, not knowing what to expect but the people I spoke to were very kind and receptive, saying “sorry” and “thank you” multiple times, as most of them had Sikh friends. We can do multiple community outreach programs but it’s time for us to reach out to the communities ourselves.
We’ve opened a new book with this community, they’ve given us their trust and it’s our job to protect it. The third step to this initiative is taking place on Thursday as we deliver the pizzas, we will also invite them to an open house, which is the fourth step.
Get to Know Your Neighbors, join us on Thursday May 16th!
In Chardi Kalaa,
Haneet Kaur.