FULLERTON

Krya Jacques drives about 17 miles every day to Pomona to worship.

With the recent purchase of a mosque there, Fullerton residents who are part of the Cham American Muslim Community have been commuting beyond city limits for religious gatherings.

“Some 1/8residents 3/8 are happy to have a place finally,” he said. “But some are not happy because it takes time for them to go over there.”

Until now, a group of 40 local worshipers had been making do by meeting in apartments they rented and used only for religious gatherings.

When landlords discovered the apartments were being used as meeting places, they asked the group to leave. Members of the Cham community have moved about five times in the past 15 years, Jacques said.

Since Dec. 1, with increased outside donations and loans from individual members, the Cham community has been worshiping in a building once used as a medical clinic in Pomona. The $310,000 purchase of the building grew to about $350,000 after renovations, Jacques said.