As the world continues to grapple with the most devastating public health crises in modern history, the San Joaquin Valley has been hit particularly hard, resulting in mass disarray. Small rural regions and underserved communities are now experiencing threefold the challenges that existed prior to the pandemic.

Pre-pandemic life for the average family in the Valley was already marred with an unemployment rate above the national average, inadequate access to clean water as well as limited health-care services.

Fast forward to 2020: 4.5 million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits since mid-March. So you may ask, how’s the Valley doing? Unfortunately, all the pre-pandemic challenges still apply with regard to clean water and jobs, and now our most basic human needs are undergoing additional threats.