The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Local
    • Palmdale
    • Lancaster
    • Los Angeles County
    • Littlerock
    • Lake Los Angeles
    • Rosamond
    • Edwards AFB
    • Acton
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Advertise
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Show Search

Help empower youth, build community

by M. Dilworth • February 6, 2014

Dozens of Antelope Valley YouthBuild students and alumni were working Thursday   at the program's  Supportive Housing Site, located at 38518 5th Street East in Palmdale.
Dozens of Antelope Valley YouthBuild students and alumni were working Thursday at the program’s Supportive Housing Site, located at 38518 5th Street East in Palmdale. The project is expected to be completed in about two months.

PALMDALE – The young men and women of Antelope Valley YouthBuild have been hard at work for past year transforming a blighted Palmdale property into a community asset.

“This is our young people controlling their legacy, building this project for their own purpose,” said Executive Director and Founder Rossie Johnson.

AV YouthBuild has transformed lives, students and alumni said.
AV YouthBuild has transformed lives, students and alumni said.

Once completed, the half-acre property at 38518 5th Street East, will serve as Antelope Valley YouthBuild’s Supportive Housing Site.

“We’re going to house approximately 19 to 20 young people here who are homeless and trying to do right in life, who might need a little bit of extra help to get to the next level,” Johnson said. “They’ll be living here rent free, and the only thing they have to do is invest in their education and in their own personal lives.”

The project is expected to be completed and the doors open in about two months, Johnson said.  AV YouthBuild is now calling on the entire community to help support the Supportive Housing Site.

How you can help

The Supportive Housing Site is in need of household items to furnish eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, two kitchens, two living rooms, two community rooms and one laundry room.

Businesses or individuals may “adopt” a room by purchasing the items needed to furnish and decorate the room of their choosing.

“Because we’re nonprofit, donations could be a tax write off,” Johnson said.

He said they’re also looking for residents to donate their time.

“We need mentors to serve the young folks on this program,” Johnson said. “We’re always talking about young people needing to invest in something positive; now they need our support to invest in them.”

Tommy Landeros said he would most likely be in jail or dead by now, if not for AV YouthBuild.
Tommy Landeros said he would most likely be in jail or dead by now, if not for AV YouthBuild.

Antelope Valley YouthBuild is a youth and community development program that offers an accredited high school diploma and hands-on occupational training in Construction, Wildland Fire Technology, Nursing Assistant and Solar Technology installation through various partners to low-income youth, ages 16-24.

Participants spend six to 24 months in the full-time program, dividing their time between construction and the YouthBuild alternative school. Participants serve their communities by building affordable housing, and transforming their own lives and roles in society.

Bredell Rogers said AV YouthBuild gave him hope for a better future, after he dropped out of high school and became a young father.

“The program helped me in finding a path of where I want to go and what I want to do with my life,” Rogers said. “I’m actually a fulltime student at Antelope Valley College now and I do part-time work for a company called ACT. We go around and pick up illegal dumping in the city of Palmdale.”

Thomas Linicome, 22, was one of dozens of workers taking part in the community service project Thursday.
Thomas Linicome, 22, was one of dozens of workers taking part in the community service project Thursday.

When 19-year-old Francisco Gonzalez was kicked out of Eastside High for fighting, AV YouthBuild took him in.

“They opened their arms to me and I opened up to them and they really helped me a lot,” Gonzalez said. “People overlook us and it’s almost like they’ve lost hope in us, but this program is making a huge difference in this community and it’s transforming our lives.”

Tommy Landeros said he would most likely be in jail or dead by now, were it not for the support of the Antelope Valley YouthBuild program.

“I was rolling around with the wrong crowd, doing drugs, and then I went to jail, came out, and got into the program,” Landeros said. “This program completely changed my life around. People should donate and give back to this program because this program gives back to the community.”

For more information on how you can help support or donate to AV YouthBuild’s Supportive Housing Site, contact Rossi Johnson at 661-266-8900 or visit www.avyouthbuild.com.

Previous related stories:

AV YouthBuild awarded $1.1 million

AV YouthBuild gets $800K grant

–

Filed Under: Palmdale

1 comment for "Help empower youth, build community"

  1. aaron says

    February 7, 2014 at 4:26 am

    I actually went to this school/program. I went to this place at the age of 22 I believe. They opened there arms to me when no other school would. They have me the opportunity to actually get my high school diploma. I actually participated in one of there construction programs. Thanks to this school I have bettered myself and am currently work full time and part time as well with my own place. They opened the door to me and I walked through it. Thank you rossie Johnson. May your school/program go further.

Recent Comments

  • Tim Yousounddumb on Ex-guard who raped inmate at federal lockup gets 10 years: “Yes let’s put the man who raped a female inmate with a bunch of female inmates ???????? What could possibly…” Mar 24, 15:33
  • East Palmdale's Most in Love With Mexico on Readers Speak Out! (January 2023): “That’s sad. I had partied and vacationed in Mexico quite a bit for many years and always had a great…” Mar 24, 15:26
  • Eye on Woman found dead in Lancaster garage identified: “RIP MY DEAR FRIEND” Mar 24, 12:40
  • ACE on Fasting for Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan begins Thursday: “I’M FASTING FOR THOSE SAN BERNARDINO ISLAMIC MASS MURDERERS OF THEIR FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS AT THEIR CHRISTMAS PARTY AND LATER…” Mar 24, 11:20
  • Tim Scott on Readers Speak Out! (January 2023): “Notice how when Tweedledumb gets her nonsense shoved back in her face she just moves on and spouts nonsense somewhere…” Mar 24, 10:56

Copyright © 2023 · The AV Times LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use