One Stride at a Time

Many of us (activists, thinkers, or students) whom thirst for a positive change for our communities, at times get discouraged by the many obstacles life presents. As much as we try to help in whatever we are most passionate towards, a negative backlash or situation may occur, leading people to feel hopeless and give up. For the past year I have been working on a campaign that I founded based on the need of my neighbors and friends. At the moment I decided to do something about the kind of global issue we were facing, I knew immediately it will take a lot of commitment from my part. With deep faith and willingness to bring honor to my sister and her baby (who were victims of this global issue) I decided to act and be that one individual to say “#iam4 change” regardless of the kind of obstacles life will present.

Today, I will not only #write4good for the sake of the competition, but to also bring awareness. In 2013, my home became a crime scene to a horrific murder. Two men broke into our home, where at the time my sister, who was 3 months pregnant, was the only family member inside. They did unimaginable things to her and then strangulated her to death. In order to cover the evidence, my sister and her unborn child were left to burn that night. I received support from the RGVEZ Victims of Crime Program and with many months of counseling, I slowly began my journey of personal healing. One year later, since that tragic day, I got the courage to stand up against the violence piercing my neighborhood by forming the “Strides for Fany / Ascensos por Fany” campaign to give voice and strength to my colonia. This campaign was a response to the high levels of crime activity that kept happening in colonia, San Cristobal. I learned that the tragedy that my family and I faced not only impacted us, but also the people around us, for this reason I started this campaign, to honor my sister Stephanie “Fany” Gonzalez. I want people to remember her as an independent and strong person and I hope that my colonia will be inspired by her character and stand up against the existing violence that upholds our colonia.

Since the initiation of the campaign, a small dedicated team from my university and I, have brought forth the crime issues to Commissioners Court, hosted monthly meetings with residents, launched a Facebook page for the campaign and are already beginning the implementation process of a Neighborhood Watch Program in collaboration with the Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers and the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department. Despite all the incredible work, we understand that in moving forward with the direction of the campaign, it is a necessity to sustain it both programmatic and financially in order to create effective change in the long term. That is a kind of obstacle of course I was aware of at the beginning but will not permit it to be the reason we stop moving forward in the future. The mission is to decrease the crime activity in Colonia San Cristobal by building a cohesive and trustful relationship with residents and reclaiming respect and dignity in our neighborhood. Once successful, we want to become a model and resource to help other colonias in the Lower Rio Grande Valley who are experiencing high levels of crime activities in their colonias.

In late 2014, with the assistance of Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, the University of Texas Pan-American and 4 classmates, a short survey was designed and conducted to understand how residents felt about living in their colonia and what type of safety concerns and issues they were confronting. The results are as follows:

1. 64% of residents did not feel safe in the colonia.

2. 57% said they were victimized regularly.

3. 85% stated that there was lack of correspondence from local law enforcement.

Residents from San Cristobal also stated that the primary reason why they would not report these crimes was because they feared the “retaliation” or worst that a similar incident as the one that my sister endured, would happen to them. Therefore, to reduce the crime activity and elevate the fear that residents live in, the primary objectives of the campaign are:

1. Create a Neighborhood Watch Program to rebuild trust in the neighborhood.

2. Strengthen the dialogue and relationship between colonia residents, law enforcement and local government officials.

3. Involved youth through the establishment of youth programs and services. 4. Provide a leadership development platform for residents to rise and led the pathway for effective policy change through outreach and advocacy in their colonia.

5. Network and collaborate with other non-profits, government agencies and private entities to revitalize the colonia into a safer neighborhood and become a model for other colonias in similar circumstances.

Ultimately, the goal is to empower residents to take back their colonia and build a united front to combat the crime activity that penetrates their community. Since vandalism and theft happens anywhere and anytime, we encourage everyone that feels their neighborhood faces this kind of crimes in a regular basis, to reach out for help to their local law enforcement. But also, and most importantly, build a relationship with their neighbors (like us) you can create a positive change ONE STRIDE AT A TIME.

At this time, I would like to thank the time took to read my humble story and goals. As in for me, I will continue to pursue my degree in Criminal Justice to better understand the law and improve my campaign and neighborhood. I will continue to work hard to pay for college and give back to my community. This type of movement I decided to create can be yours too. You can help end this global issue! I look forward to learn about any feedback and collaboration , thank you.

P.S. If you would like to contribute or learn more on how to create your own campaign, please contact us!

Email: stridesforfany@gmail.com

Facebook: “Strides for Fany / Ascensos por Fany”