Departmental Highlights: A Quarter of Impact and Community Connection

CPHT Brings Summer Fun to Friendly Village

On Saturday, August 23, our Community Public Health Team (CPHT) partnered with The Caritas Corporation to host the first-ever Clubhouse Summer Splash at Friendly Village Mobile Home Park. This vibrant health and wellness event was a true testament to community and collaboration.

Despite surprise rain and wind, our staff and partners worked together to move the celebration indoors, ensuring the fun continued. Residents enjoyed water activities, music, health screenings, and free food and backpacks.

Shining Moments:

• Teamwork in Action: Our teams worked seamlessly to adapt to the weather, moving everything inside and keeping spirits high.
• Community Connections: The CPHT team conducted Household Assessments, building trust and strengthening relationships with families.
• Lasting Impact: A resident shared a moving story about how one of our team members, Olaf Avina, had helped her husband years ago, highlighting the lasting trust and meaningful connections our team strives to build.

This event was a milestone—the first private health and wellness event ever hosted inside a mobile home park in our region. We are incredibly grateful to our partners and staff for making this day possible, showing what it means to bring health, joy, and hope directly into the heart of our neighborhoods.

Here’s to many more community “splashes” ahead!

Violence Prevention: Building Skills and Spreading Hope

This quarter, our Violence Prevention team has been focused on creative ways to empower youth and support survivors.

Hip-Hop Dance Workshops

We completed our Hip-Hop Dance Workshops in the underserviced districts of Wilsona and Eastside. Partnering with local schools, we reached 42 elementary-aged students in Lake Los Angeles and East Lancaster.

The results were overwhelmingly positive:

• 87% of students reported they learned social skills and developed a positive self-image.
• 92% said they would like to see these opportunities offered to more students in the future.

These workshops are about more than just dance; they’re about giving young people tools for self-expression, confidence, and positive social interaction.

Pathway to Peace

To support survivors of violence, we developed and distributed 1,967 “Pathway to Peace” community resource toolkits. Available in both English and Spanish, these kits provide critical information and resources, serving as a vital lifeline for those in need. The toolkit is available in both printed and digital formats to ensure it’s accessible to everyone.

Food Access: Nourishing Families and Fostering Community

Our Food Access team continues to tackle food insecurity head-on, delivering essential resources and heartfelt support directly to our neighbors.

Bringing Hope to Wilsona

Recognizing the daily challenges of food insecurity in the Antelope Valley, we’ve expanded our services into Lake Los Angeles. Through the Wilsona Project, we now offer a range of support, including nutrition classes, transportation assistance, senior support, and bi-monthly food distributions at Stephen Sorenson Park.

In August alone, we served 500 families, providing fresh produce and other essential items like hygiene kits and infant formula. The impact of this work goes far beyond food, as one community member shared, “When I see the AVPH car, I know something good is happening.” Another resident expressed their gratitude for our support of seniors, saying, “Thank you for considering our seniors—sometimes we feel forgotten, especially being so far away.”

These powerful voices remind us that our work is about more than meeting immediate needs; it’s about building a sense of care and hope for everyone.