Fresno and Madera counties face a severe homelessness crisis, with 4,493 people officially unhoused as of January 2023.
Dakota EcoGarden, also known as the Eco Village Project of Fresno, is committed to providing sustainable transitional housing for Fresno’s homeless population.
Through Fresno State’s Community Service Opportunities Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 28, the team promoted the project as well as recruited volunteers to help their growing nonprofit.
Founded 11 years ago, EcoGarden is a nonprofit organization that combines practical support with eco-friendly practices. It provides residents with the tools, support and training needed to break the cycle of homelessness.
“I have gone out and volunteered my time at other facilities here in Fresno, and I feel like they have no connection with the homeless people,” said Caryn Kochergen, the volunteer coordinator for Dakota EcoGarden. “Our facility truly helps and gives them a place to stay where they can get their dignity, and not because they’re just another number off a list.”
Kochergen’s personal connection to Dakota EcoGarden began in 2020, when soaring rent prices and jobs became much more difficult to obtain and keep during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the growing homelessness crisis in Fresno.
As the amount of homeless people in Fresno skyrocketed, including nearly 2 million college students, Kochergen, alongside her teenage children, made a point to engage with those living on the streets.
“I walked out of my house and I was shocked by how many homeless people we had in Fresno,” Kochergen said. “Me and my kids, we’d actually just go out and talk to them on the street, and find out why they were on the street, kind of interview them, and start relationships with them.”
This led to her reconnecting with Gerry Bill, vice president and treasurer of Dakota EcoGarden and her former instructor at Fresno City College, who inspired her to take up volunteering with the nonprofit.
Kochergen has worked to understand Fresno’s homeless population, which aligns with Dakota EcoGarden’s mission focusing on providing services to help individuals achieve self-sufficiency through substance abuse counseling, social services, health care, job assistance and other external support.
“When [residents] come in, they get a year,” Kochergen said. “[Most] other facilities only give them 90 days. So they have a year to get their life together, get a job and work their way back into society. What Dakota EcoGarden does is just amazing.”
Located at 2231 W. Dakota Ave in Fresno, the nonprofit’s lot features small, independent living spaces designed by Art Dyson, known for his work on University High School and Fresno’s Woodward Park.
These homes offer private living spaces along with communal areas for food preparation and personal hygiene needs. Residents of the nonprofit share responsibilities for maintaining and operating their shared space.
“I think that we need to influence other people in the community to start something like this,” Kochergen said. “It’s a model that other people need to get the word out about…and having people donate — if they can’t donate their time, they can donate to have the houses built. Or they can come by and bring leftover food that you don’t eat. There’s not a bunch of strings attached where they have to go through a long process.”
