Back in time: Children's Nutritional School

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Ersauceda68

Back in time: Children's Nutritional School

Post by Ersauceda68 » Tue Jul 04, 2017 5:43 pm

My mother has told me of stories when she grew up in west Fresno. My grandparents were migrant farm worker's who had traveled from Texas, Arizona and settling in Fresno in 1940. My mothers recalls her younger sister being sent away to a Childrens school located on W OLIVE or W BELMONT Ave in 1945 and my Mom and her older sister followed months later. She only recalls that Calif social services had said my aunt was to SKINNY and since grandparents couldnt afford alot (that was the perception of migrant workers) my aunt should be sent to this NUTRITIONAL SCHOOL for children where she will attend, live there, and grandparents or family could visit weekends

My mom and her sisters stayed at this NUTRITIONAL school for 5-7 years...(1945-1951). She has memories of horrible treatment influcted upon them, and remembers Ms. Blackwell as head teacher. I've have researched all over and cant locate any records on this school....Anyone hear if it or can help me?

Lost Fresno
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Re: Back in time: children's Nutritional School

Post by Lost Fresno » Wed Jul 05, 2017 10:41 am

Thank you for posting about the Nutritional Home. My research turned up this 1944 article which states that the school was located on West Belmont Ave. I assume this is the school that your Mother spoke about. Migrant farm workers are an important part of Fresno's history. In fact, my wife's father originally started out that way and was promoted to running large farms in the time period you spoke of.

Although this Fresno Bee article does not offer a lot of information, it is my hope that other readers will see it and offer their memories. You should know that although you may not see replies to this posting for some time, it does not mean that it is not being read. Sometimes it take a long time for the right person to come along and share information about long forgotten parts of lost Fresno memories. So keep checking back.
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Fresno Bee - Sept. 17, 1944 / Click to Enlarge

Lost Fresno
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Re: Back in time: children's Nutritional School

Post by Lost Fresno » Wed Jul 05, 2017 11:55 am

Ok, one more lead for you. In this article about a benefit at the White Theater, it lists the superintendent of the Nutritional School as Margret T. Blackman. This may be the individual your Mom spoke of, not Ms. Blackwell. Hope this helps in your search.
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The_Fresno_Bee_The_Republican_Thu__Aug_21__1941_.jpg
Fresno Bee - Aug. 21, 1941 / Click to Enlarge

aniwaya4@gmail.com

Back in time: children's Nutritional School

Post by aniwaya4@gmail.com » Sun Nov 04, 2018 8:18 am

I was placed in that children’s home, nutritional home on Belmont, Fresno, California.

jeffhanna

Re: Back in time: Children's Nutritional School

Post by jeffhanna » Sun Dec 09, 2018 10:52 am

I recall visiting the Children's Nutritional Home, which I believe was an orphanage, as a child with my mother (late 1950's or early 1960's). Mom had been invited there to visit the children. I just recall a large old house - and yes, West Belmont sounds familiar.

Lanie68
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Re: Back in time: Children's Nutritional School

Post by Lanie68 » Fri Jan 25, 2019 8:42 pm

Thank you all for responding with your memories....Ive been researching for info on FRESNO NUTRITIONAL HOME for a few year.....As I previousley stated my mom and aunts were placed in this home for several years, and their memories are actually nightmares.......I found very little info online. Seems alot of the homes records are part of many different " Social Welfare Programs" catalogs and files....Through Fresno County Library Geneological/Historical records Ive been able to locate more records....This "home" ran as part of a county/state funded program from 1922-1968. Even though it was called a "Nutritional Home", there was NO ACTUAL physician, physical therapist, nor nutritionist on site as part of there staff..Over the years many have wondered how did this place even exist, who was responsible for credentialing, placement of children etc......So many questions, much more to find out......I will post the articles that Ive recovered for you to view........Id really like to converse with those who have attended this place, as Im trying to find out as much as I can......

Jabney18@yahoo.com

Re: Back in time: Children's Nutritional School

Post by Jabney18@yahoo.com » Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:49 am

Please go to Facebook page for Fresno's Past. There is a recent thread on this information

Linkslady
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Re: Back in time: Children's Nutritional School

Post by Linkslady » Thu Aug 20, 2020 3:39 pm

In the fifties my mom had a friend who introduced us to the Nutritional Home. I remember visiting it a couple of times with her (I was about 9) and going thru the kitchen where we were told the children could have cereal anytime they wanted. I remember a long room with many twin beds & being told there was a little girl there whose lip had been chewed by a rat prior to being placed there.

Though I was from a big family who had little, I think the purpose was to show us that others had it worse. For several years after that I remember, as a family, making gifts for the kids- a bar of soap with a folded washcloth pinned on to it to look like a little dog and a beanbag game (like corn hole) where my dad made a round wooden clown face with a big hole for the mouth, my mom sewed cloth bean bags & we kids filled them with the beans were a couple of our projects.

Kermanite

Re: Back in time: Children's Nutritional School

Post by Kermanite » Mon Jun 21, 2021 7:12 pm

My sister was a candy striper out of Kerman high school in the mid 60s. They would volunteer once a week at the Fresno nutritional home. It was located on the North east corner of Belmont and Brawley. The building is still there, but I don’t know if it’s still functioning. She said that it was for severely handicapped children. She mentioned taking a girl with no arms or legs under her wing and was chastised by the management for paying too much attention to one patient. This was shortly after the thalidomide travesty and it’s possible that those were some of the children housed there?

Fishpop1

Re: Back in time: Children's Nutritional School

Post by Fishpop1 » Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:43 pm

My parents helped manage the Nutritional Home for a few years. I believe it was supported in part by several women’s guilds from Valley Children’s Hospital. At the time we lived there maybe 1962-1966 it was a home for physically and emotionally handicapped children.
I was very small when we left, but for several years my parents would host a reunion and kept in touch with a few of the residents for several years .
The Fresno Bee did several stories about it

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