Delano has long recorded some of the highest gun violence rates in the state. Mercedies Escalante is trying to change that
This is the third of three stories on gun violence in Delano. You’ll find the first and second storiesMercedies Escalante has had a lot of jobs over the years. She has been a grape picker and packer, an elementary school aide, a barber, a cashier at the 99-cent store, and a postal worker.
Kern county, the rural county north of Los Angeles which encompasses Delano, had the highest gun homicide rate in California 2016 and 2021, according to the California department of public Health – double the statewide average. Overall, the state’s agricultural central valley and central coast regions had much higher gun homicide rates than the rest of the state – echoing trendlines from across the US.
Her colleague and friend Kathleen Viramontes, who is the group’s program coordinator in Delano, might visit with survivors of gun violence as they recover in hospital, help them look for safer housing, enroll in school, find health insurance and, ultimately, rebuild their lives.However, when Escalante is out promoting the program, she usually pitches the organisation’s other initiatives – which are designed not to respond in a moment of crisis, but to address the root causes of violence.
Many blamed the town itself. Delano has been shaped by deep inequities and cycles of poverty. It was one of the California communitiesparaquat – a toxic weedkiller linked to an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Many households struggle to afford water here – in a dry region where groundwater supplies are periodically under threat.
She is one of the few people in Delano who was already familiar with Garden Pathways. She had discovered the non-profit in 2016 when she briefly moved to Bakersfield after her best friend’s death. In 2021, the US Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act, which included funding that many cities are using for a range of “community violence intervention” programs. Some of these programs focus solely on violence interruption – sending out teams to defuse tensions and keep peace in the community. Others provide resources – counselling, job training, mentorship – for those most at risk for becoming involved in violence. Some, like Garden Pathways, offer a bit of everything.
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