Your Local YMCA – So Much More Than a Gym and Swim

The YMCA has been serving communities throughout San Diego County since 1928. Each branch has a unique look and feel and strives to meet the needs of its local community. For decades, Y’s across the county have found ways to connect with people of all backgrounds and give them a safe space to learn, grow, meet friends, or improve their health and well-being. Many people know their branch as a place to get a great workout, swim, or enroll their child in after-school care or day camp. But there is so much more to your local YMCA.

During the pandemic, the social service “arm” of the Y, also known as Community Support Services (child care, food distribution, counseling, housing, and more), was needed more than ever. Knowing demand was high, this propelled the YMCA of San Diego County’s vision to expand these services and resources directly at the local branch level, making them easily accessible for all who enter our doors. Today, thanks in part to partnerships with organizations at the local and state levels, our Y is proud to continue growing our social services at the localized level to provide community-responsive solutions to help address the social determinants of health that advance equity, opportunity and upward mobility for all using an evidenced-based, measured approach.

YMCA locations, particularly those in marginalized communities, provide essential resources and serve their respective communities through health fairs, benefit enrollment assistance, tax preparation services, and food distribution. Our Y staff are trained to recognize the needs of community members and connect them to relevant services at the Y and beyond.

The Y offers free on-site health education and referral events that provide direct contact with service providers and essential health resources. It is vital to the Y to ensure cultural relevance and linguistic accessibility with a focus on those experiencing the most significant social and health disparities. The evolved YMCA model utilizes Y facilities as platforms to focus on San Diego’s most demanding community challenges – all while still offering beautiful gyms, pools, and service with a smile!

“The South Bay Family YMCA is very well positioned to provide wrap-around services for families in crisis,” said Laura Muñoz Humphreys, Regional Executive Director for the South Bay and Border View Family YMCAs. “For example, we recently had a mother approach our staff at the South Bay YMCA who shared that she didn’t know what she was looking for, but she’d heard the Y could help. The mother was living in her car with her children and confided that she was feeling very depressed. Through our internal and external network, we provided a free membership instantly so she and her children could shower and use the restrooms. We connected her to an emergency shelter and enrolled her children in subsidized after-school childcare. With this support, she’s been able to enroll in school and is improving her family’s life. This mother’s story is only one example of how the Y works toward fulfilling its vision to be the catalyst to transform lives and communities every day.”

Programs and services offered at the Y are continuously expanded based on community feedback, with a focus on community well-being and belonging. Through previous listening sessions, the Y learned that a growing number of community members are facing challenging financial and social issues. This feedback has driven the Y’s goals and services, focusing on building protective factors and increasing access to care through lifestyle change programs and resource navigation. The Y constantly engages in discussions with local organizations, businesses, government officials, and school districts that express interest in alliances and strive to build complementary partnerships to expand service opportunities to all community members.

“The Y is for EVERYbody, all the time, no matter your circumstances,” says Anita Keller Scott, Senior Development Director. “We want to meet every family where they are and help them become stronger, healthier individuals, families, and community members.”

If you or someone you know is looking for a place to thrive in 2024, consider visiting your local YMCA to find out more or visit our websites: South Bay YMCA: https://www. ymcasd.org/locations/south-bayfamily-ymca

Border View YMCA: https://www. ymcasd.org/locations/border-viewfamily-ymca

Just like so many longtime Chula Vista residents, Loma Verde Recreation Center holds a special place in my heart and great memories of my childhood.

Growing up in the older portion of Chula Vista, I learned to swim at the Loma Verde Community Pool. I played baseball at South Bay Little League at Max field. After practice or a game, I would go to Loma Verde to wait for my mom to pick me up after her long day working at Rohr Industries. The Center was a safe place for me and many other children to play and run.

Major Renovations

Even as a child back in the 70’s, I knew that there were improvements needed at the facility. The Recreation Center opened in 1971, so now was the time to renovate Loma Verde.

Loma Verde has been serving the Chula Vista community for over 50 years. I was proud to help lead efforts in fully renovating the Recreation and Aquatics Centers.

The facility now offers activities for all ages to enjoy, exercise, and learn. From the state of the art aquatics facility to the dance studios, a full gym for indoor soccer and basketball and classrooms to learn.

Fully Renovated Aquatics Facility

The Loma Verde’s new aquatic facility has a splash pad and two pools that are heated year-round.

The competition pool is designed for lap swim, deep water fitness classes, and is available for team rentals. It will be used by local swim, water polo, and dive teams.

The recreation pool is designed for low-impact classes and exercises suitable for people of varying fitness levels and ages, especially seniors. It will be used for a variety of swim lessons, water fitness classes, open swim, and lap swim for casual or beginner swimmers. Many of these classes will provide a full-body workout, enhancing cardiovascular health, muscular strength, and flexibility.

Recreation Center Improvements

The recreation center contains new dance studio rooms for dance and fitness classes. A new full size gym with a basketball court and ability to play indoor soccer games was created. Additional space to have classes for crafts, fun events, and educational opportunities.

A Legacy of Community

Being a lifelong Chula Vistan, I saw the McCann family experience at Loma Verde as a Community Center bringing people together and having friendships flourish. With the world class renovations, I know Loma Verde will be an asset to the community for the next 50 to 100 years. Many of our residents, their children, and grandchildren will create lifelong memories at this community center. We are investing in our older communities to make sure that they have the infrastructure that everybody else does.

Lastly, thank you to our Parks and Recreation team and the rest of the City Staff who oversaw Loma Verde’s Renovation.

The Loma Verde Community Center is located on 1420 Loma Lane, Chula Vista, CA 91911

The hours of operation are:

Monday & Wednesday from 2:30PM-7:30PM

Tuesday & Thursday from 2:30PM-7:00PM

Friday from 1:00PM-7:00PM

Saturday from 8:30AM-12:00PM

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