Hanford Insider
Welcome the Hanford Insider, I’m your host Rob Bentley. I’m a lifelong resident of Hanford and I’m very involved in the local history scene and podcasting so I decided to start this show as a resource to Hanford area residents for covering issues, promoting events, sports, and reflecting on some local history.
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Hanford Insider
Hanford Insider: Kings Partnership's Community Services
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Kings Partnership serves as a vital lifeline for Kings County residents, offering an impressive array of free services designed to strengthen families and build community resilience. Program coordinator Jennifer Quinones brings enthusiasm and expertise to her role, detailing how this preventative nonprofit organizes its work into focused "buckets" addressing mental health, trauma-informed care, and substance abuse prevention.
The organization's child abuse prevention efforts stand out as particularly impactful. Working alongside Kings County Human Services, Kings Partnership delivers workshops promoting parent-child bonding while raising awareness about this critical issue. The Lisa Project, a powerful multi-sensory exhibit in Hanford, allows visitors to experience firsthand what child abuse looks like and sounds like through real stories and recordings. This immersive educational tool helps teachers, law enforcement officers, healthcare providers, and concerned citizens recognize warning signs and respond appropriately. Their specialized mandated reporter training incorporates Kings County-specific data, providing a more relevant and interactive experience than standard online courses.
Quinones also highlighted their newest initiative addressing extreme heat vulnerability in the community. This collaborative effort with Kings County Office of Emergency Services aims to identify gaps in service for vulnerable populations during increasingly severe heat events. By gathering community input about cooling resources, accessible relief locations, and utility bill management, they're developing a comprehensive plan to enhance community resilience. The project exemplifies Kings Partnership's commitment to addressing emerging challenges through strategic planning and community engagement. To learn more about these valuable resources or to schedule a tour of the Lisa Project, listeners can visit kpfp.org or email Jennifer directly.
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On this episode of the Hanford Insider, jennifer Quinones from King's Partnership stops by to tell us about some great services they offer to Kings County residents in need. We'll get a review of the upcoming calendar of events then. Later I'll be back with your sports report. This is the Hanford Insider for Monday, september 22nd.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Hanford Insider podcast, where we bring you closer to the heart of our community. I'm your host, rob Bentley. Each episode, we highlight the stories, events and people that make Hanford such a unique place to call home, from local history and culture to what's happening around town today. We're here to keep you connected and in the know Before we begin. I wanted to give keep you connected and in the know Before we begin. I wanted to give you some important information about the show. At the end of each episode, I share some information about how you can engage with the show. Things like how you can send me show ideas, how to get your events on the community calendar, how you can sign up for my email list. You know stuff like that. One of the things that I stress each week is that this is a community service hobby for me. I don't have any sponsors and I don't have a budget for advertising.
Speaker 2:Shows like this depend on listeners telling their friends about the show and how good it is for the community. Just this morning, I was sharing with a good friend that it's crazy how our methods of getting the word out to the community has changed. We don't have a regular newspaper. We don't have a local television station or radio station. Some people get their news strictly off of Facebook and other forms of social media, and that's not always the most reliable source, or is it accurate, and that's why I created this show. I'm asking for all of you this week to tell a friend about the show. You can do it in person or maybe even share the show link from my Hanford Insider Facebook page on your own social media. You can also just send them directly to my website at wwwhanfordinsidercom. Over 100 past episodes are all available. Thanks for helping me out. This is just one way we can make Hanford a better community. Thanks for your support.
Speaker 2:Now let's jump into some exciting community news. If you haven't listened to Mayor Travis Payton's Wednesday wrap-up yet, I encourage you to go to my website or YouTube channel to listen. He gave a very detailed summary of the meeting in about six minutes. That's pretty incredible, being that the meeting lasted nearly five hours. One of the really big announcements at the meeting was a zoning change that would allow for the development of the property from 11th Avenue to 12th Avenue, along the north side of Highway 198, for construction of 15 buildings consisting of medical outpatient clinic services, a hotel and conference center, specialized education, retail, medical office, skilled nursing and assisted living and multifamily residential uses, as well as a drainage basin, associated space. This is a huge win for the city of Hanford on this vacant and, frankly, unattractive land that will now be activated. Local artist Jennifer Butts has added again. Her mural on the wall of the King's Art Center turned out magnificent. She has now been commissioned by Main Street Hanford to complete a downtown Hanford-themed mural on the wall of the building at 6th and Irwin Streets, adjacent to the parking lot. She's still working on it so it's not quite done yet, but if you drive by, make sure you give her a shout-out and tell her what a great job she's doing.
Speaker 2:Now let's take a look at this week's community calendar. Last week's Thursday Night Marketplace was canceled due to rain, but this week it's throwback Thursday and the weather looks to be great. Coming up on October 4th and 5th is the annual Renaissance Fair that will be held in the Civic Auditorium Park. Also on October 4th, the Carnegie Museum of Kings County will be holding the annual tribute to the China Alley Moon Festival at the museum at 8th and Dowdy Street. Hanford's inaugural night out will be held on October 7th at 4 pm in the Civic Park there will be fun provided by the Hanford Fire Department, hanford Police Department and the Public Works Department. There will be food vendors, boutique vendors, information booths, music and a lot more. This family-friendly event will connect the community to public safety personnel in a fun and welcoming environment.
Speaker 2:If you have an event coming up and you'd like some help getting the word out, let's work together. Send your information to hanfordinsider at gmailcom. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a complete calendar of events. It's the most comprehensive community calendar available. Well, doing this podcast, I have met so many wonderful people doing so many wonderful things for the community and I am delighted to have on the show today Jennifer Quinones, who is a program coordinator for King's Partnership. Welcome to the show, jennifer. It's nice to have you.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having me. Yeah, I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 2:So, jennifer, tell us a little bit about King's Partnership and the role in the community, and then we'll maybe focus on some areas that you work specifically with.
Speaker 3:Yeah, king's Partnership is a preventative nonprofit where we have many different preventative classes, workshops, trainings for the community and all of what we offer is for free to the community. So we like to call them different buckets, where we have focus on mental health, trauma-informed substance abuse and yeah, so those are some of the main buckets and where I one of the ones that I fall under, is our trauma informed communities. So that's just a little bit about King's Partnership. I've been on staff for nine months now so I feel like I've gotten a good groove on things now, a good understanding. So I especially being new to Kings County so I'm originally from Fresno County and then a lot of nonprofit work out there so it's been. It's been quite an interesting ride, like you know, getting to know the community here in Kings County.
Speaker 2:Well, that's great. Welcome to Kings County. Thank you. Before we get into the specifics of your role, I know that Kings Partnership. Some people might think it's some kind of county agency. It's not a county agency, is it?
Speaker 3:No, it's not. No, we are definitely. You know, our funding is from different grants, donations, so it's definitely yeah, it is a nonprofit donations.
Speaker 2:So it's definitely yeah, it is a nonprofit. One of the areas that I think is important for us to focus on is the Kings County Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council and, as I was looking through your website, just a tremendous resource for data on how children are being affected by the terrible crime of child abuse, and I'd like for you to kind of give us an overview of the program and what services you offer.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so that we are in partnership to with Kings County Human Services. So child welfare is the one who basically they are the ones who oversees all of that area, and then King's Partnership comes in and we help deliver the activities and spread the awareness. So that's our role in that piece and with that we typically we offer a variety of workshops and just fun events for families and kids. So basically we're trying to promote a parent and child bonding as well, while we're still spreading the awareness of child abuse. So that's one of the pieces of that of child abuse. So that's one of the pieces of that. And then also we have the Lisa Project which is in Hanford and that is also a free exhibit to community and you'll be able to experience. It's a multi-sensory exhibit where you can experience firsthand what child abuse looks like, even what it sounds like. You know there's a recording, a 911 recording when you go in, uh, and then there's different stories of different types of child abuse. Um, by that you know there is real life stories from that kids have been through. So we want to target, like I, everyone who even wants to learn, of course, but also like those who work with kids, of course, you know the law enforcement, teachers, you know nurses, all those who are there with kids and firsthand can see and you know and recognize signs of child abuse. See and you know and recognize signs of child abuse, yeah, and so it's a pretty intense tour but definitely brings a lot of awareness.
Speaker 3:So that again, like I said, you just offer that for free, you email me and we coordinate a time to do the walkthrough and it's about 20 minutes long. So that's another piece. And then we have our mandated reporter training that we also provide for free, which was also developed by the Child Welfare and Human Services. It's in person. We like for people to be in person and have more engagement that way, and this one's a little bit different than the regular. You know you can go online and do a mandated reporter training, right, but this one has specific Kings County stats. You know that. We highlight so and like, yeah, it's in person, so it's a little more interactive. So those are some of the main pieces that we offer through the CAPC the CAPC.
Speaker 2:So as an educator, every year we're required to take these mandated reporter tests and information, just kind of bringing awareness to the issue. But I really you mentioned that you have data specific to Kings County.
Speaker 3:Yeah, amazing how involved the Kings County Human Services is in this process, because they not only want they designed this not only to for Kings County to be informed of those stats in their own community, but also to be informed of, like, what not to call for, right, because oftentimes, like it's hard, sometimes, you know, call, do we not?
Speaker 3:But like, and of course, if you get that, um, you know you have that feeling, you, you, you're gonna call, you, you should call, but also you know that we also come in with our own biases sometimes, so we also do highlight that as well. Um, and it's, just, like I said, amazing that human services is this involved because they they want to protect the kids and also, like you know, they want to make sure that we know, yeah, when to call and and when to you know, be sure that it's it's for the right reason too, you know, because they're the ones on the other side too, that gets all the calls and and you know, so that's definitely the goal, um, so this is great yeah, it sounds like a future partnership, potentially with the County Office of Education, as I watch those videos each year and you mentioned the local statistics.
Speaker 2:I think that would be a great teamwork to be able to have that resource available to educators. Jennifer, you've been here for nine months, you say, and one of the projects that you've been tasked with, I understand, is dealing with the area of extreme heat and how we take care of our citizens.
Speaker 3:Yes, so this is a new initiative for King's Partnership. The first time that we're doing this it's Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Initiative, which we are in partnership with Kings County Office of Emergency Services and right now it's a planning phase, right. So we are definitely focused on hearing from the community and reaching those who are vulnerable, know are vulnerable population, and hear, just hearing from them. How, like, first of all, are they aware of what the the effects of extreme heat? Do they have the proper like cooling system or know where to go during those times? Yeah, do they? How? How are they managing even their their electric bill? You know cause?
Speaker 3:I know that's, that's a big area where many of us still, you know, have trouble because if it gets too high, but some of those and just seeing where the gaps are at in that area, and so then we're implementing a survey to hear from the community and then with that we'll draft a plan um by the end of this, the grant cycle, and then hopefully, after that um get to do an implementation, you know um initiative. So, yeah, it's just really important to us that we're able to um see these, these disparities, and doing something about it.
Speaker 2:So the website is kpfporg and that's the King's Partnership website, and, as I'll be scrolling through it, there are tremendous resources available for people to find out more about their programs. And, jennifer, I'd like to give you this opportunity maybe to thank some of the people that you work with and promote the work that you do promote the work that you do.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we again with the Kings County Human Services, behavioral Health there's right now, even with the Extreme Heats initiative we are working. Our partners are definitely a big part of this initiative. So we have our work group with many different other organizations, like KCAO, which is also a big part of King's Partnership for many years. Valley Voices, I mean, there's so many. I'm trying to think at the top of my head right now yeah, that's a problem when we make these lists.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so pretty much since I've been here, I've seen all of the nonprofits work together, a lot of the institutions supporting King's Partnership and other you know nonprofits. So I definitely have seen that collaboration. We have general meetings once a month which brings all of these organizations together and institutions together where we just we share out what we're doing and how we can collaborate. So that's definitely been a big thing that I've, you know, I've seen since I've been here the last nine months.
Speaker 2:Well, it's been wonderful having you on the show, Jennifer, and I'd like to thank you for sharing this great information about King's Partnership, and we want to wish you all the best.
Speaker 3:Thank you, you too, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:And now it's time for Hanford Insider Sports with Eric Bentley. Time for Hanford Insider Sports with Eric Bentley. We'll start with football, where Hanford High traveled for the first time this season, heading over to Redwood for a game that not only was the Rangers' homecoming but also broadcast on ESPN Radio as their game of the week. Unfortunately for Hanford High, the offense struggled to find consistency, trailing 21-8 through three quarters. A blocked punt set the Bullpups up with great field position to start the fourth and Jaron Mao connected with Caden Williams to bring Hanford High within one score 21-15. But Redwood would add another touchdown late to take the 28-15 win over the Bullpups. Hanford High sits at 2-3 heading into their bye and will get some rest this week before starting league play next week at Dinuba. And Hanford West was shut out at home by Menache last week to fall to 0-5 on the season. The Huskies will also be on bye this week, which means Sierra Pacific will be the lone Hanford football team in action this week as they come off of their bye to host Tukorothers on Friday at 7.30. Out to the pool for water polo, where the Sierra Pacific boys picked up a 20-11 victory over Tulare Union last Tuesday to improve to 10-3 overall on the year. Goalkeeper William Griffith has been stellar in goal for the Golden Bears as the senior ranked 10th in the state in total saves, with sophomore Landon Jones ranked second in his class in the state in goals scored. And the Sierra Pacific girls were able to take down Tulare Union 14-7 last Tuesday and picked up a couple of non-varsity contest wins on Friday before falling to Bullard and Tulare Western on Saturday. In other water polo action, the Hanford High boys water polo team split their two games last week, falling to El Diamante before taking down Selma 12-10 to improve to 5-7 overall.
Speaker 1:Into the gym for volleyball. And it was a busy week for Hanford West as they fell to Carruthers on Tuesday before taking down Washington Union in five sets on Thursday. Then on Saturday it was an all-day affair against tough competition. At the Sunnyside Tournament in Fresno the Huskies played Yosemite, sunnyside and Wonderful College Prep to a tie, beat Dos Palos and fell to Kerman and Atwater. Hanford West now sits at 9-5-3 on the season, with matches against Emanuel and Exeter on the schedule this week. We also had a crosstown showdown last week in volleyball as Hanford High took down Sierra Pacific in straight sets, as the 11-9 Bullpups have now won four of their last five and will get league play started this week against Dinuba and Tulare Union. As always, we like to cover as many sports as we can, but we can only do so much without you. Any sport, any team, any level. If you have a score report or a story idea, please let us know at hanfordinsider at gmailcom. I'm Eric Bentley and this has been your Hanford Insider Sports Report.
Speaker 2:Well, that's all the time we have for this week's show. If you enjoyed this podcast and you'd like to show your support, you can go to buymeacoffeecom forward slash Hanford Insider to make a donation. If you'd like to join the Hanford Insider email list, stop by my website at hanfordinsidercom to sign up for updates. You'll also get an exclusive copy of my newsletter in your inbox each week. I also need your help getting the word out about the show by liking and sharing on social media or telling a friend For more information about the show. You can find this podcast on Facebook, instagram, threads X and YouTube at Hanford Insider. If you have a show idea, be sure to email me at hanfordinsidergmailcom and I'll look into it. Thanks for listening. Have a great week.
