Featured Read: Shining Light on Our Violence Prevention Team

AVPH is proud to share a case study by the California Accountable Communities for Health Initiative (CACHI) highlighting the work of the Antelope Valley Violence Prevention Coalition—a community-driven effort led by AVPH to address violence through healing, prevention, and collaboration.

The article explores why violence prevention is a critical public health issue in the Antelope Valley and how local residents, youth, service providers, and partners are coming together to create safer, healthier pathways for our community.

Click here to read more about the work and the impact it makes in communities —>

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Workplace Wellness — Well-being Begins with Us

At Antelope Valley Partners for Health (AVPH), health and wellness doesn’t stop with the communities we serve—it starts with our staff.

Through the AVPH Workplace Wellness Committee, staff are invited to participate in monthly wellness activities designed to provide dedicated time during the workday to pause, recharge, and focus on personal well-being. These moments of reflection and self-care help create balance, reduce stress, and reinforce the importance of prioritizing health at work.

On April 1st, the Workplace Wellness Committee kicked off the month with a “Plant with a Purpose” activity, giving staff the opportunity to plant seeds and care for them over time. The hands-on activity encouraged a pause during the workday and served as a reminder that growth requires patience, consistency, and care!

The wellness journey continued on Earth Day, April 22nd, with a “Plant Social,” where staff came together to share the progress of their plants and celebrate how much they had grown. From small sprouts to thriving greenery, the activity highlighted how small efforts can lead to meaningful growth—both in wellness and in the workplace!

Where Care Takes Root — Celebrating Home Visiting Day!

Home Visiting Day, observed on April 17, is a countywide celebration recognizing the powerful impact home visiting programs have on children, families, and communities. Initiated by the LA Best Babies Collaborative and celebrated across Los Angeles County by home visiting programs supported by First 5 LA, the day highlights the importance of early intervention, parent education, and meaningful community connection.

In honor of Home Visiting Day, AVPH recognized our Home Visitation team on Tuesday, April 14, with a special trip to the movies as a small token of appreciation to thank them for their hard work, dedication, and ongoing commitment to families throughout the Antelope Valley.

Home visitors are trusted partners who support family health, child development, and overall well-being, meeting families where they are and helping them grow with confidence. Through Healthy Families America (HFA)—one of the leading evidence-based home visiting and family support programs in the United States—AVPH’s Home Visitation team completed 1,389 home visits in 2025, providing critical support to families across our community. Their work is rooted in relationship-building, consistency, and care—values that reflect AVPH’s mission and ongoing commitment to advancing community health.

In addition to celebrating our incredible staff, AVPH was honored by the City of Palmdale with an official proclamation recognizing Home Visiting Day! This acknowledgment highlights AVPH’s continued commitment to serving families throughout the Antelope Valley and celebrates the collective impact of our home visiting team in nurturing strong, healthy families and vibrant communities.

As we embrace the spirit of spring, we are grateful for the roots our Home Visitation team continues to plant—creating lasting growth, connection, and positive change.

Empowering Youth & Growing Awareness — Together Over Fentanyl Project

The Together Over Fentanyl Project is a youth-led initiative focused on raising awareness and providing education around fentanyl and substance use prevention for young people. The project is led by students from Palmdale High School, who used creative storytelling and peer-driven messaging to bring an important public-health issue to the forefront.

Last month, we shared that the Palmdale High School team placed 5th out of 30 schools at the HOSA–Future Health Professionals Conference, a national organization dedicated to preparing students for careers in health care. Since then, the project has continued to expand its reach. The student-created film is underway for public release across high schools in the Antelope Valley Union High School District, helping increase awareness and spark meaningful conversations among students, families, and educators.

AVPH would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Palmdale High School students who led this project with creativity, leadership, and dedication. We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to our local fire department, American Medical Response, and Antelope Valley Hospital for generously volunteering their time to support the filming of this project. Their support helped bring this powerful project to life and reinforces the importance of community partnership in prevention and education efforts.

Refunds in Full Bloom — AVPH VITA Program: Free Tax Preparation

AVPH proudly operates a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) site, an IRS-supported program that provides free, high-quality tax preparation services to qualifying individuals and families. The VITA program helps community members file accurate tax returns and access refunds and credits they are entitled to—returning vital resources back into our local economy.

In 2025, the AVPH VITA site successfully filed and had 248 tax returns accepted, resulting in $279,190 in federal refunds and $54,087 in state refunds returned directly to the community.

This 2026 year, the program continued to grow! To date, AVPH has filed and had 362 tax returns accepted, generating $428,651 in federal refunds and $94,444 in state refunds for individuals and families across the Antelope Valley.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Tax Volunteers!

This service would not be possible without our small but mighty VITA team. AVPH extends a heartfelt thank you to our three dedicated volunteer tax preparers — Asha Sunku, Norma Gutierrez, and Mary Hart — and to our two quality reviewers, Sally Sheinberg and Ruby Manning, who ensured every return was prepared and filed with accuracy and care. Their generosity, expertise, and commitment of time make a meaningful difference for the families we serve, and we are deeply grateful for their service to our community.

AVPH is hopeful to continue offering free tax preparation services in the Antelope Valley next year and to reach even more families with the support of this incredible team!

“I can’t emphasize enough how important this team is to keep our VITA site open and serving our community. Their commitment to volunteer their free time has made an incredible impact on the families we serve and on me personally. Working alongside such dedicated volunteers has deepened my love for this VITA program and reinforced why this work matters so much. This program exists and continues to grow because of the heart and dedication behind this team. They are the foundation of the VITA program.”
— Isabel Santiago, VITA Site Coordinator & Tax Preparer

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Spring into Service — AVPH Food Pantry Highlights

In March, the AVPH Food Pantry continued to be a vital source of support for families across our Antelope Valley community.

Thank you to the generosity of our partners, volunteers, and supporters. Because of you all, we were able to make a meaningful difference for hundreds of households facing food insecurity.

Together, we served:

Every distribution day is a reminder of how important this work is—and how much can be accomplished when a community comes together with compassion and care.

Our doors remain open as we continue our commitment to serving our Antelope Valley community through our food pantry distributions every 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month!

Seeds of Savings — CalKIDS Program in Bloom!

CalKIDS (California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program) is a statewide program that provides eligible children with scholarship savings to support higher education or career training after high school. Funds can be used for college, trade schools, and other qualifying educational expenses—helping children and families build a stronger financial foundation for the future.

This spring, our CalKIDS outreach and enrollment efforts are already making a meaningful impact across the Antelope Valley:

Our CalKIDS team remains committed to continuing this work by spreading awareness about CalKIDS and assisting families with enrollments. These ongoing efforts help ensure more children in our community are connected to the resources available to support their future!