A center with heart celebrated its fifth anniversary by inviting the entire High Desert community to join the fun.
Inland Empire Health Plan’s (IEHP) Community Wellness Center (CWC) in Victorville – formerly Community Resource Center – hosted an open house-style celebration on April 20, complete with tours of the space, class demonstrations and remarks from those who have been there from the beginning.
“It’s been really great to see the community embrace the center,” said CWC Manager Delia Orosco. “I remember almost having tears in my eyes when we had a line outside the front door on our very first day before classes even started.”
The CWC has become a beacon of support for many Victorville residents. Year-round classes and health clinics connect people to resources not immediately available in the area, such as housing assistance, vaccines and health education. All classes are free and open to members and non-members in both English and Spanish.
IEHP has three CWCs in its coverage areas of San Bernardino and Riverside counties and are essential in the health plan’s goal of providing Inland Empire residents with tools to build a better quality of life.
“The center is here to help our members and the community achieve a better version of themselves,” said Cristal Enriquez, the Victorville site’s supervisor who is local to the area. “We are here to support anyone who comes through those doors.”
A place to call ‘home’
The Victorville CWC is IEHP’s third and currently its largest center, serving the area of 137,000 residents in the city and thousands more in the High Desert region. The space is situated in a busy shopping center off Mariposa Road.
An industrial-sized kitchen demonstration space provides the backdrop for healthy cooking classes that help guests identify which foods are best for their overall health. A toddler room allows young children an opportunity to expel energy while their parent attends any of the numerous class offerings.
“To many, the center is just like a big, warm hug,” said Enriquez. “It’s a place for many to call home and feel safe, valued and important.”
The CWCs were created to offer support by adding access to much-needed resources so the community can focus on improving their health. For example, a person diagnosed with diabetes may not have reliable transportation to attend diabetes-related classes because they are only available at their nearest medical facility miles away, but the CWC nearby offers them weekly.
“If a person’s primary concern is to get food on the table or transportation to get to work, that is going to be the priority,” said Orosco. “Our CWCs are a way for IEHP and our community partners to be proactive instead of reactive. We want to be intentional with our community and build social interventions to help improve quality of life.”
A heart for community
The Victorville CWC opened in 2019 as a Community Resource Center with a mission to provide direct access to optimal health. The name change to Community Wellness Center continues to encompass IEHP’s overall goals for the space and since its first day, applies necessary changes to serve the needs of those who access the center, those with IEHP coverage and non-members.
Orosco said staffing for the center is intentional, as leadership looks to hire within the community. In doing so, they bring people with first-hand knowledge of the ever-changing landscape and needs of the place they call home.
“We want to bring in [people who have] the heart for community,” Orosco said. “And that’s really exciting for us because I know the center is always going to be in good hands when you have passionate people on board.”
The Victorville Community Wellness Center is located at 12353 Mariposa Road, Suites C2 and C3, and is open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturdays. Class schedules are available at iehp.org. Printable calendars are available for pick up at the center each month. To contact the CWC, call 866-228-4347.