New Partnership to Empower Employment Opportunities for the Unhoused

AVMC announces new collaboration with Casters Coffee

Antelope Valley Medical Center (AVMC) is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Casters Coffee, a local coffee roasting social enterprise located in Lancaster, CA. Casters Coffee is a coffee roasting company founded by homeless people, for homeless people. They spend 100% of their proceeds on hiring, training, and positively impacting unhoused individuals within our community.

This collaboration reflects AVMC’s commitment to community health and social responsibility. By integrating Casters Coffee into the hospital's daily operations, AVMC aims to create a positive impact on the lives of homeless individuals in the community while offering quality coffee to patients, visitors, and staff.

“We believe everyone deserves an opportunity to build a better life. Our hope is that this collaboration further supports their (Casters Coffee) mission to empower individuals through employment, and ultimately providing more opportunities for those in need”, said Edward Mirzabegian, Antelope Valley Medical Center Chief Executive Officer.

Casters Coffee works with hospitals, offices, manufacturing plants, and cafes, among other vendors to deliver freshly roasted whole beans and ground beans. They can also provide custom blends for dark, medium, espresso blend, and decaf options.

"We extend our gratitude to Antelope Valley Medical Center's leadership and cafeteria management team for their dedication in bringing this partnership to fruition. Our commitment extends beyond our passion for social impact; we're dedicated to delivering the freshest coffee beans in town. Together, we can brew a better future, one cup at a time”, said Yongsuk (Jesse) Lee, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Street Company.

Experiencing homelessness for more than 10 years, Marco van den Heuvel, personally understands the impact this program has. Now as General Manager at Street Company, and a founding member of Casters Coffee he says, “People have potential and this gives them a chance. It’s amazing to see their skills come out and just flourish, when others believe in you”.

Casters Coffee is now available and located in the Main Hospital’s Café on J.

Photo Caption (L to R): Street Companyteam members, along with Edward Mirzabegian, AVMC CEO and Dietary Leadership toast with a cup of Casters Coffee to celebrate new partnership.

About Antelope Valley Medical Center

Antelope Valley Medical Center (AVMC), the only full-service, acute-care hospital located in Lancaster, CA. AVMC has been delivering exceptional care to the community since 1955. It offers the region’s only Level II Trauma Center, Pediatric unit, Level IIIB NICU, Inpatient Behavioral Health Department, Labor and Delivery, Accredited Chest Pain Center/STEMI Receiving Center, Advanced Primary & Comprehensive Stroke Center, a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center, and a Thrombectomy Capable Center. More information is available at www.avmc.org or by calling (661) 949-5000. Follow us @avmedicalcenter

About Casters Coffee

Casters Coffee is a wholesale coffee roasting social enterprise created by Street Company, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded by homeless people to become self-reliant and healthy again. Casters Coffee’s mission is to serve high quality specialty coffee and create jobs for homeless people together with the community through coffee. For more information about Street Company, visit www.streetcompany.org.