Doing the work few can do.Read more »
Doing the work few can do.Read Less
Lisa Casarez and Vikki Luna talk with Cruz Avila, executive director of the Poverello House in Fresno. The Poverello House is a non-profit organization which has helped the homeless in Fresno for over 45 years. It was founded by Mike McGarvin, who as a young man received much needed help from a priest who ran a coffee house in San Francisco also called Poverello. Years later, Mike, who everyone affectionally called “papa Mike”, moved to Fresno with his wife Mary and started the non-profit organization as a way to help the homeless in the community. His philosophy: “Listen with compassion; give with a warm heart and a smile“.
Cruz Avila follows this philosophy and shares with us his hope that one day everyone sees the homeless without any judgement. He would like people to stop believing the homeless are in the streets because they want to be there and instead listen to their story and find out how they got there.
If you want information, volunteer or donate to the Poverello House, you can do so by calling: (559) 498-6988 or go to https://poverellohouse.org