Local groups jazzed about electric car donations

The recent delivery of 20, slightly used Volkswagen e-Golfs to various non-profit organizations in the San Joaquín Valley is expected to pay numerous benefits beyond a new set of wheels.

The payoffs, said José Marín of Valley Clean Air Now, will be in more dependable transportation, cleaner air and educational outreach.

“Today is about electrifying their transportation that will allow and enable these organizations to educate their constituents, educate their members on what electric vehicles are doing for our daily lives,” said Marín, whose organization teamed up with Electrify America in providing the electric cars.

Irene de Barraicua of Líderes Campesinas likes the idea that the statewide organization – with operations in Fresno, Huron, Madera, Merced, Kern County and seven other locations – will save on gasoline expenses.

“Our staff use their own vehicles,” said de Barraicua, the organization’s public relations director. “The amount of mileage that we spend is a huge expense. These electric vehicles will save us a lot of money.”

Líderes Campesinas focuses on farmworker women to educate them about issues like domestic abuse, pesticide exposure and civil rights while training them to become leaders in their communities.

De Barraicua called the donation of electric cars “a beautiful gift.” She said the organization will “educate and inform” its communities about sustainable and clean energy.

“We’re going to be able to reach out to the rural communities, who only represent about 6% of electric vehicle use,” said de Barraicua.

She noted that Gov. Gavin Newsom has mandated that all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the state be zero-emission by 2035.

Emilia Reyes, executive director of the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, underscored the benefits of the electric cars during a July 16 press conference to announce the donations.

“We can’t afford to always have our staff using their own vehicles,” said Reyes, whose organization is the largest community action agency in the state and among the largest in the country. It has more than 1,200 full- and part-time employees.

Fresno EOC workers, she said, have gotten up in the middle of the night to make sure a student got his iPad repair back in time to remain enrolled in college.

“She used her own vehicle,” said Reyes.

Another Fresno EOC worker who works with former gang members to reduce gun violence “went to a shooting at 1 in the morning at the scene,” said Reyes.

Those acts of kindness, however, presented a problem.

“I’m committed to figuring out how to get the money to get vehicles,” said Reyes. “Lo and behold, a couple of weeks later, the universe heard me and sent me Valley CAN to give us the five vehicles for these programs.”

Other non-profit organizations getting the electric cars included Centro La Familia and Inspiration Transportation, which provides transportation to underserved communities that lack adequate public transportation.

“Bringing clean transportation to Fresno County is influential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which we’re all being burdened by” said Marín. “Every day we hear about new patients being admitted to the emergency room for respiratory illnesses.”

According to the California Health Interview Survey, almost 1 of every 5 Fresno County residents have been diagnosed with asthma; and, 17% of residents visited the emergency room or urgent care for asthma.

A recent UCLA study gave high marks to an effort to retire high-emission cars with low-emission vehicles to underserved communities in the Central Valley. The Clean Cars 4 All campaign provides up to $9,500 for a down payment on a cleaner burning vehicle.

“Breathing should not be listed as a bonus when looking for a residence,” said Reyes during a virtual conference last week on the UCLA study.