1,500 community members come together to celebrate 10 years of advocacy and action

On Tuesday, April 23, over 1,500 community members gathered on the West Steps of the California State Capitol for the 10th anniversary of Equity on the Mall.

Organized by the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund, a program of The Center at Sierra Health Foundation, the event brought awareness to topics like immigration, housing, health and environmental justice, which are all relevant issues to the Los Angeles community and the state of California. This agenda was also brought directly from residents and directly to legislators during in-person visits throughout the day.

Participants who attended the event were from from all eight different counties of the San Joaquin Valley: Fresno, Kern, Merced, Madera, Kings, Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Tulare.

The event featured cultural performances and special guest speakers such as Regina Cuellar of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok, Attorney General Rob Bonta, civil rights icon Dolores Huerta and many more.

Lourdes Medina said that she attended the community event to advocate for her children, grandchildren and her neighbors. “This is about more than one day—it’s about health, opportunity and a better life for families across the Valley,” she said.

The community event also unveiled the 2025–2027 San Joaquin Valley Health Fund Policy Platform, which is a comprehensive roadmap crafted by a policy committee composed of representatives from the Fund’s grantee partners that are part of a network of over 170 organizations.

“The policy platform we brought forward isn’t just about needs—it’s about solutions,” said Daniel O’Connell, Executive Director of the Central Valley Partnership. “We’re advocating for strategic, community-informed investments that will benefit not just our region, but the future of the entire State.”

Youth was a key element in  this year’s convening, with Fresno State students participating after their professor canceled two class sessions to give them the opportunity to engage firsthand in civic life at the Capitol. “Equity on the Mall is proof that our voices matter,” said Abraham Bedoy, Policy and Community Specialist with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. “We’re not just asking for change—we’re helping build it.”