Many know Barstow as a midway stopping point for fueling up their vehicle, grabbing a bite to eat, and possibly hitting some outlet shopping on the drive to Las Vegas. But to almost 25,000 residents, Barstow is the place they call home.
Often known for high rates of poverty, limited job opportunities, and plenty of desert heat, it is a region that also has many overlooked assets, and new activity is energizing this local community.
Located at the intersection of the 15 Freeway and Highway 40 and historic Route 66, Barstow is well positioned as a strategic transportation hub with an estimated 19 million vehicles passing through each year. The community also hosts the Marine Corps Logistics Base and Fort Irwin National Training Center and is about to experience significant growth as BNSF railroad is planning the 4,500 acre “BIG” Barstow International Gateway project. The multi-billion-dollar investment will transfer cargo from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to rail for distribution from Barstow across the United States. As a result, Barstow is anticipated to add thousands of jobs and new local infrastructure to support population growth.
With this growth comes an opportunity and need for residents and leaders to come together to build a vision for Barstow’s future and ensure the health of its residents.
In 2025, Barstow Community College partnered with IEHP Foundation to launch Vibrant Villages Barstow to help serve just that purpose. Juan Rivera, a longtime Barstow community leader and Marine Corps veteran, was hired as Vibrant Village’s executive director in September.
Over the past year, through a growing coalition of residents, organizations and local leaders, the effort is taking shape through community engagement, strategic partnerships, and activities aimed at building a healthier future for Barstow.
“Vibrant Villages Barstow has always been about one thing: bringing people together to strengthen our community from the inside out,” Rivera said. “What makes me most proud is seeing organizations, residents, educators, healthcare providers and community leaders working side by side for a common purpose.”
Monique Burnett, a recent Barstow Community College graduate, said she has benefited from Vibrant Villages Barstow initiatives, such as food distributions and wellness workshops, and is now a strong advocate for the project.
“Before I heard about Vibrant Villages Barstow, I was thinking of moving because I felt like there wasn’t much for me here anymore. It seemed so desolate, and there wasn’t a lot of hope,” Burnett said. “I was so grateful I connected with Juan and Vibrant Villages. Now, I have hope and know that I can be part of making Barstow better.”
In early spring, Burnett attended the first listening session with residents at Sunrise Vista Apartments, in partnership with Beacon Property Management. It was the first in a series of community meetings designed to gather resident input and ensure local voices guide the project’s vision.
Residents engaged in discussions about community strengths, challenges, health barriers and opportunities for improvement. However, Burnett identified an immediate need: the students at the apartment complex needed a new on-site volunteer tutor to help improve math and reading skills and provide a safe place to connect after school and during summer.
“I figured I would step up and help these kids because if I don’t step up for my community, who will?” Burnett said.
This reflects the core of Vibrant Villages’ philosophy: health and wellbeing begin in neighborhoods, and lasting change requires elevating and empowering residents’ voices.
Over the past year, Vibrant Villages Barstow has formed steering committees with leaders from nonprofits, education, faith-based organizations, healthcare and local government to better understand the factors that influence health and identify opportunities for long-term improvement.
The Vibrant Villages Barstow steering committees have identified the following key challenges to guide their work:
• Youth need safe, accessible places and consistent activities.
• Transportation gaps limit access to food, jobs, and health care.
• Trauma and behavioral health needs are exacerbated by limited healthcare services.
• Families in motels/unstable housing strain existing supports.
• Food deserts and a lack of recreation options limit healthy behaviors.
While these issues require long-term solutions, Vibrant Villages Barstow is already addressing them by facilitating food distributions, hosting health resource fairs and working with community and city leaders to find solutions such as the development of Community Health Resource Centers.
One of the initiative’s most visible accomplishments was the inaugural Fall Harvest Festival, held in November, attended by hundreds of Barstow residents.
The event brought together community partners to provide nearly 250 turkeys and essential food items before Thanksgiving. It also featured health screenings, educational resources, family activities, and access to a mobile clinic.
Vibrant Villages continues to focus on improving access to health care resources and information by providing free weekly virtual workshops, and attendance is steadily growing each week.
Weekly food distributions have further demonstrated the power of collaboration. Through partnerships between Vibrant Villages, Barstow Community College, High Desert Second Chance Food Bank and Seed & Shelter, nearly 1,200 pounds of food are being provided weekly to nonprofit organizations for distribution.
“The strategic food distribution hub with Barstow Community College ensures that our residents receive high-quality, reliable nutritional support every single week,” said Jonathan Corral, principal of Seed & Shelter.
As Vibrant Villages Barstow enters its second year, the focus will shift to building a sustainable framework for long-term community health improvement. Grounded in emerging partnerships, programs and community leadership, the group aims to create wellness efforts across Barstow that will last for decades.
“One of the most powerful lessons from Vibrant Villages Barstow is that sustainable change happens when communities stop working in silos and start building together,” Rivera said. “That spirit of partnership is what will continue moving Barstow forward.”