It was the site of a fatal police shooting. Now this Tri-Cities bakery is becoming an ‘emblem of hope’

Jordan Chaney knows first-hand that art can help heal trauma and bring hope. He’s seen it in his own life.

When the renowned poet, artist and educator was in second grade, he and his brothers saw his mother brutally beaten by a boyfriend.

The family sought safety in a women’s shelter, and in the basement was a wide open wall.

“They told me I could paint and color on the big wall, and I did. I made a huge dinosaur,” Chaney recalled.

That act of creation, of expression, helped him deal with his hurt.

Now he’s spearheading a project that aims to the do same thing on a community level.

He’s working with Blanche Barajas, a Pasco city councilwoman, and Vinny Marín Gomez, owner of Vinny’s Bakery, Cafe & Bistro, to create a “Community Hope Wall.” It’s planned for the west side of the bakery, which is off West Lewis Street in Pasco.

In 2015, Vinny’s was the site of the fatal police shooting of Antonio Zambrano-Montes. The shooting happened out front.

While the incident left a painful mark in Pasco, the Community Hope Wall is intended to be a kind of salve — an emblem of hope.

“When the idea for a hope mural came up, I thought of (Vinny’s),” said Barajas, who’s working on the project as a private citizen. “There is no better place than this one, where we had this tragedy. Now we’re sharing messages of hope and healing here.”

The wall’s images will be created by youth at the Benton-Franklin Juvenile Justice Center, where Chaney works as a mentor.

Marín Gomez said the project’s focus on young people and hope drew him in.

“It’s an honor to be able to share with the youth. I believe the children are the future and (I believe) in making it better for them. Better lives, better cities, better schools. It’s an honor to be able to help the children,” he said.

Marín Gomez said he experienced help and hope from the community in his own life after the shooting.

Business at the bakery had fallen off sharply in the wake of the incident, and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep the doors open. But then Pasco police took up a collection amongst themselves and also put out a call to the Tri-Cities.

Vinny’s Bakery was able to keep going.

To be able to give back now through the Community Hope Wall feels good, said Marín Gomez, who also plans a Nov. 3 event to share Día de los Muertos traditions with the community. The Mexican holiday remembers loved ones who’ve died.

The day before, on Nov. 2, Chaney plans an event in Richland that will help raise money for the wall.

He’s bringing Academy Award-winning filmmaker TJ Martin to the Uptown Theatre. The event includes a screening of Martin’s new documentary “LA92,” about the Rodney King trial and its aftermath, followed by a question-and-answer session.

Martin, a Seattle native, was the first director of African-American descent to win an Oscar for a feature length film.

He took home the statue in 2012 for his documentary “Undefeated.”

The event also includes a reading by poet Husaya Hama and music by Chaney’s son, David Patrick Chaney, known as MistaDC.

Some of the proceeds will go to the Community Hope Wall.

Chaney is excited about the event and the hope project. He believes it will make a difference.

“Everything in my career as a poet and as an artist has all been about art as resiliency and as an answer to trauma. What I did in the women’s shelter (as a boy) is no different than what I’m wanting to do (with this),” he said. “Real healing can occur.”

To donate money, materials or to help out with the Community Hope Project, email jordanchaneypoet@gmail.com.

Chaney also expects to have a donation button set up soon at poetjordanpresents.com. That website also is where you can buy tickets for, “An Evening With Academy Award Winner TJ Martin.” They’re $25 for general admission and $15 for students.

This story was originally published October 6, 2018 at 3:33 PM.