Assembly member Avelina Valencia highlights governor-launched "service challenge" at Anaheim kickoff

Assembly member Avelina Valencia said in Anaheim that a community event there is intended to "build connection" among mentors, mentees and uniformed service members as part of a broader governor-launched "service challenge."

Valencia, who identified herself as the assembly member for the 68th District, told attendees the gathering brings "mentors, mentees, young people, people in uniform to build relationships and…and to have some fun at the same same time." She framed the meeting as a local model organizers intend to scale across California.

The event, Valencia said, aims to respond to what she called a pressing need for connection among young people. "This is a time that people are so desperately looking for connection and friendship," she said, adding the twin goals of mentorship and service: "with the goal of mentorship and service to others and ensuring that we provide purpose to our young people."

Valencia referenced a governor-launched initiative and a related "service challenge" as the impetus for the local kickoff. She said the Anaheim team — naming her staff and local business partners — is "building the model here in Anaheim" and intends to "bring it around the state of California."

Organizers did not specify funding sources, an implementation schedule or exact next steps during the remarks. The gathering was presented as a community-building kickoff rather than a formal policy action or funding announcement; Valencia focused on outreach and mentorship rather than program mechanics.

The event closed with Valencia reiterating the program's aims and the intention to replicate the Anaheim model in other communities. Additional details about funding, timelines and partner roles were not specified during her remarks.