EASI institutional archive
Who We Are — Historical Record
Historical public site · captured 2026
This archival brief preserves the core institutional history published on EASI’s former website. It is a historical record, not a statement that every prior program design is current.
Origins
EASI traces its origin to 2009, when professors, current and former Fresno State students, and community volunteers working on victimization issues discussed gaps facing local elder-abuse victims. Those conversations developed into the STAR concept — Seniors Transitioning to Assistance and Restoration.
Original service vision
The historical model centered elder-appropriate emergency shelter, victim advocacy, coordinated case management, community education, culturally responsive outreach, and restorative options when safe and in the older adult’s interests.
Students and volunteers
The historical site describes undergraduate and graduate students from Fresno State, Fresno Pacific, and Fresno City College contributing internship and volunteer hours in fields including social work, counseling, gerontology, psychology, sociology, criminology, and victimology.
Feasibility work
The site states that EASI completed a Fresno/Madera feasibility study in 2010 examining the local elder population, community needs, expert assessments, and cultural diversity. The underlying study should be preserved separately if an original copy can be located.
Why it still matters
The current EASI rebuild carries forward the institutional themes that recur across the historical record: safe housing, advocacy, education, volunteer development, community partnership, culturally responsive practice, and restorative approaches.