Health & Wellness needs are being met in our community through vast collaborative partnerships. Currently our community area of over 50,000 residents has 1 physician facility. The continuum of care as stated by Dr. Jolie Limon, previous Medical Director of Valley Children’s, “There should be 30-40 doctors for every 50,000 people. Everyone should have access to healthcare”. So, until the day arrives where our community has physicians, chiropractors, dentists, optometrists and more – we will be care coordinators for our community by partnering with UCSF Mobile Health, Fresno Country Office of Ed Mobile Health, Valley Children’s Hospital, Anthem, Healthy Smiles Dental, WIC, Project Food Box and more.
We recognize that access to quality healthcare is essential to living well, and we work to ensure that everyone in the community has access to prevention, intervention, and treatment options.
Providing monthly access to health and wellness services plus seasonal health tools like school ready immunization clinics and sports physicals adds another level to childhood success.
-CalHOPE: 1-833-317-HOPE Live Chat/Warm Line www.calhope.org
-Suicide Hotline: 988
-Student Depression - All 4 Youth 559-443-4800
-Marjaree Mason Center: 559-233-4357 Click Here
-Fresno Rescue Mission: 559-268-0839 Click Here
-Find More Resources:Click Here
-Department of Social Services (Cal-Fresh, Medi-Cal, CalWorks) Monday-Friday 7:30-4:30 1-855-832-8082
Applying www.mybenefitscalwin.org
New Medi-Cal BIC 1-877-600-1377
Report Child Abuse & Neglect 24hr: 559-600-8320
Report Elder Abuse & neglect 24 hr: 559-600-3383
Children and Youth are our future, realizing they need to be empowered and encouraged, as they are our tomorrow. Mentoring, youth leadership, and development are key to giving them a safe place: group meets and chats, volunteer opportunities, and soft skills building.
Inside Out Mentors
Run by a community member, board consultant, and the district athletic director Ray Hightower, offers youth a place to be seen and heard in a safe space. It offers group hangouts, one-on-one sessions, vision casting for their future, and more. The program is open to students from 7 years to 12th grade.
Youth Volunteers
Volunteers are the heart of our organization, and our student volunteers play a vital role in driving our mission forward. These dedicated young individuals commit their time and energy to a wide range of projects,including community outreaches, educational camps, hands-on workshops, and neighborhood beautification efforts. Their contributions not only enhance the services we provide but also create meaningful connections between peers, families, and the broader community.Each year, more than 260 youth actively engage with our programs,collectively giving over 1,400 hours of service. Through their involvement, they develop essential leadership and soft skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and project management.Whether mentoring younger students, assisting with event logistics,or leading creative initiatives, these young volunteers gain valuable real-world experience that empowers them to become future leaders and change makers. Beyond skill-building, their efforts foster a sense of civic responsibility and pride in their community. By investing their time in initiatives that uplift others, they help create a stronger, more connected, and more resilient neighborhood. Our student volunteers are not just giving back—they are shaping the future of our community, one project at a time.
Youth Engagement and Ecology
It starts with the planting of a seed. In a great partnership with the Fresno State Environmental Sciences Department and a resident youth leader, we were able to add a green space with pollinators, native plants, and trees to our center space. Future plans include seasonal community garden elements and workshops about urban greening, recycling art, and more. (Additional partnerships in this continued project are with Kaiser Permanente and Lotus Gardens). A 2025 initiative includes student built benches so families can enjoy our greenspace with books and activities, or while waiting for their children to finish their school day.
Art & Culture
Our community is a vibrant tapestry of diverse cultural backgrounds, and we believe that the arts have a unique power to bridge differences, foster understanding, and create a shared sense of belonging. Through creative expression, we provide opportunities for youth and children to explore their talents, celebrate their heritage, and experience the richness of cultures around them.A tour center, the walls tell a story—adorned with student artwork from our many youth art contests, including our annual “What Community Means to Me” competition and scholarship-based art programs for middle and high school students. These initiatives not only encourage young artists to develop their skills but also showcase their voices in a meaningful way, turning our space into a living gallery of community pride and creativity.Music and performance arts are also integral to our cultural outreach. We have hosted youth music recitals on-site, giving young musicians a platform to share their talents with the community. Our events bring in interactive and immersive experiences, such as an African Drumming group at our Fall Fest, where children and families engage in the rhythmic storytelling of West African traditions. Dance is another powerful medium of expression, and we have proudly featured Folklorico, Polynesian dance, and Stomp performances at various community gatherings, celebrating movement as a form of cultural storytelling and artistic unity. Beyond performances and visual arts, we are committed to expanding hands-on arts education through STEAM workshops, public art installations, and interactive cultural experiences. This year, we are launching a youth-led bike rack design contest, where winning designs will be turned into functional public art, encouraging biking while enhancing our streets with creativity.By embedding arts and culture into our youth programming, we are not just providing entertainment—we are nurturing young minds, building confidence, and strengthening community ties. Our goal is to continue expanding access to these transformative experiences, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to explore their artistic potential and connect with the world through creative expression.
Advocacy in our organization is committed to revitalizing neighborhoods, developing community, and building relationships in West Central Fresno through a comprehensive approach that addresses critical community needs. We collaborate with partners, engage resident leaders, and focus on resident-led initiatives, so together, we thrive.
As a community, we are incredibly diverse: 61% Hispanic, 16% Asian, 13% White, 8% Black, 3% Mixed
Key languages in our community include English, Spanish, Punjabi, Hmong and Arabic + 24 more dialects.
There are over 16,500 students in our school district, Central Unified.
Like many communities, each area is different. There are neighborhoods where over 50% of the children are in poverty, but other areas that flourish, yet again, all our areas are lacking infrastructure, businesses and resources.
Community voice says we are going to stand together, until we are no longer called “Forgotten Fresno”. We realize our neighbors work hard every day. Some have multiple jobs, and then spend their spare time with family, so we actively engage in many partnerships in the community to bring voice to our community, and then teach our residents about to use their limited time to be engaged citizens. Citizens who are involved in the school district and/or the community.
Highway City Community Development is an active participant in the Fresno Community Economic Development Partnership (CEDP). It was formed in 2017 by 7 individual yet like-minded place-based 501c3 organizations. HCCD has been part of the group since its inception. It was founded to help build each other’s capacity, break down silos, and now has 16 members. Learn more at fresnocedp.org
That partnership has a sub-group of the Fresno Housing Advocacy group, that we are key members of as well, as we work to advance affordable housing for all through policy change and text amendments to code.
Whole family well-being matters! We are also part of The Children’s Movement (TCM), integral in their initial campaign of Talk, Read, Sing and other educational initiatives. Fresno Community Health Improvement Partnership (FCHIP) is also an important group we work with, making sure we know the key initiatives that our area is focused on with families, children and health. We work with Safe Kids who are an integral part of our outreach events. This next year we are the community liaison with Central Unified and Cradle to Career Fresno County, combatting student absenteeism and its root causes. We are community partners with Central Unified on its new Community Schools concept, of it takes a village to raise a family (and healthy, thriving communities).
We work on air and climate initiatives, adding a community greenspace to our center for and with our neighbors, and are pursuing micro-transit options for an area with few alternate transportation modes. Infrastructure is important and necessary for our community, so we will focus on our sidewalk and bike needs in 2024-25 gathering community input to a crucial plan of development.
In 2025 we start on a journey together with our community. To get the community's opinion on the most needed locations for sidewalks, bike racks, bike lanes and HAWK safety systems. But your opinion will lead to action with implementation of your choices. Looking forward to working with community partners, CARB, FAX, the city & county. Be ready to join us!
Being community advocates, we always suggest to the families in our community to be pro-active in all aspects, including, if needed, immigration services. Centro La Familia in our center, is DOJ approved for many immigration services and is a trusted resource. For additional information on how to pursue ViSA, citizenship and other services, and knowing your rights, see this link:https://cviic.org/guides-for-immigrants/
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We advocate for policy/systems reform and changes that support affordable housing development and offer educational resources for renters and homebuyers.
We prioritize infrastructure development and work with community members to ensure efforts align with needs. Those community members are the leaders in their neighborhoods, and together, we rise up to put a voice to the change our area needs.
We are currently working on changing ordinances to build different housing options. Affordable housing means everyone at every level has a housing option available to them.
Community Meetings
We use the center as our gathering location for residents to voice their concerns and needs and then work together so they can feel heard. For many years, the common sentiment has been, “My opinion doesn’t matter anyway, so why bother?” This sentiment is being changed one person, one group, one neighborhood at a time into people who feel empowered to speak up. Your voice does matter.
Catalyzing economic growth is a focus for us. We provide startup support to entrepreneurs, creating opportunities and stimulating the local economy. Each year, we help 2-3 businesses get fully launched as new start-ups, from eggs and microgreens to music production and a nonprofit focused on feral cats.
Family Support Services at the Teague Center are dedicated to walking alongside our community’s families during times of need and crisis. In these moments, the center serves as a care navigator, linking you to essential resources to help your family thrive once more.
Working with trusted partners and local agencies, we will help get you connected to the resources you need, without the often times frustrating process of trying to find the right help at the right time.
This service uses trained staff who can link you to Emergency food assistance, adult education, ESL, job upskilling, medical/health benefits, clothing/household goods, immigration, domestic violence, emergency utility help, and programs to lower rates.
Get Support
Highway City Community Development, Inc.
4718 N. Polk Ave.
Fresno Ca. 93722
Community Resource Center
4718 N. Polk Ave.
Fresno CA 93722
559-578-8991
