YOUR IMPACT AT WORK DONOR NEWSLETTER FOR THE SOUTH COUNTY FAMILY YMCAS Summer 2019
175 YEARS AND BEYOND!
This year celebrates 175 years of the YMCA working with communities around the globe to solve problems that face their neighborhoods. In South County, we are working to prevent drowning by providing life-saving swim lessons and reducing obesity through a diverse array of wellness programs for people of all ages. We also support working families through our before and after school programs, providing a safe place for children to learn and grow while their parents work. The long-term success of our YMCA is not possible without you – our supporters. Your collective efforts helped raise over $527,000 that will stay right here in South County, helping us continue to provide scholarships for Y memberships and programs. Success is never stagnant and communities change – so will the YMCA. In San Diego, our YMCAs are in the process of planning for the future by thoroughly understanding our community’s needs. We are conducting interviews with community leaders and reviewing data about our evolving demographics that will help us serve our members’ future needs and develop a strategic plan that will guide us as we evolve. The YMCAs in South County are working to empower the next generation of leaders. The South Bay Family YMCA offers its Leaders In Training (L.I.T.) Program, which provides training to high school students interested in assisting with our Y camp programs. In January, our Border View Family YMCA launched a College Readiness Program in partnership with AVID, San Ysidro High School and Winward Academy, which helps local students advance into higher education. Food insecurity continues to be a problem for many children in our community and the Y is here to help solve the problem. The Border View Y now offers free, hot meals at its branch daily through a partnership with Kitchens for Good and the South Bay Y provides meals and snacks at its preschool and Academy Camp program. By understanding our community, we will evolve to better serve its needs. Through our strategic planning process and your support, we will build a stronger community. We can’t thank you enough for being our partners in this mission. Because of you, thousands of lives are touched and our community grows stronger every day. Thank you for supporting the South Bay, Eastlake and Border View Family YMCAs! Sincerely, Laura Muñoz Humphreys
Executive Director South Bay Family YMCA Eastlake YMCA
Gaby Millan
Executive Director Border View Family YMCA
BORDER VIEW FAMILY YMCA SOUTH BAY FAMILY YMCA EASTLAKE FAMILY YMCA YMCA.org/BorderView | YMCA.org/SouthBay | YMCA.org/Eastlake
JOIN OUR CLUBS South Bay Trail Runners* Date: Every Tuesday Time: 6:00pm Place: South Bay Y Meet at Front Entrance
YMCA Active Adults (YAA) Book Club* Date: 4th Tuesday of the month Time: 11:30am Place: South Bay Y Multi-Purpose Room
Border View Y Active Adults (YAA) Meet & Greet* Date: 1st Friday of the month Time: 10:00am Place: Border View Y Lobby
Become a Heritage Club Member Preserve the Y for future generations Contact our Development Office (619) 421-9622 *May be subject to change
WHERE COMMUNITY HAPPENS FUN RUNS
The South Bay Family YMCA Trail Runners host a series of fun runs throughout our Annual Campaign. In memory of Joni Stames, this activity combines exercise and advocacy.
SWEETHEART DANCE
The Eastlake Y helps parents connect with their child at this annual event. It is a fun-filled night of music, dancing and activities that create abundant smiles and everlasting memories.
FREE-THROW-A-THON
CYCLE-A-THON
ZUMBA-THONS
CART-WHEEL-A-THON
FACE PAINTING NIGHT
BOWL-A-THON
Youth basketball participants showcased their free-throwing abilities by shooting baskets for dollars. The proceeds support Annual Campaign at our Eastlake Y.
Our Eastlake Y and Border View Y host their own action-packed Zumba-thons each year and they are always a big hit! In addition to a great workout and fun dance routines, there are opportunity drawings and fun for all!
Our amazing Child Watch staff hosts a face painting night each year where children and parents are invited to show some spirit by choosing their favorite face painting designs. Donations from this event go to support our Annual Campaign.
BE A HERO FOR A DAY On a warm sunny day in March, local Chula Vista Firefighters and the South Bay Family YMCA hosted the Kids Firefighter Challenge to raise money for the YMCA’s Annual Campaign. Children had fun dressing up as firefighters, crawling through an obstacle course and aiming a live fire hose at a “fire” target. Participants also had an opportunity to visit the Fire Safety Trailer. The stove, microwave, fireplace and electrical outlets in the trailer are designed to teach kids how be safe at home. There was a lesson on smoke detectors and participants learned what to do when the alarm goes off. Another skill they practiced is how to safely escape from a window if there is smoke or a fire in the building. The event had activities for the whole family. Teens and adults who attended learned CPR while everyone enjoyed hot dogs and drinks donated by Seven Mile Casino. This unique annual fundraiser encompasses the values of both the Y and the Chula Vista Fire Department and raises awareness for fire prevention and fire safety in the community. Thank you to everyone who attended as your support helps those in need.
At our cycle events, everyone puts their best foot forward to pedal for a cause. This year’s inaugural event motivated cyclists to bring their competitive spirit while contributing to Annual Campaign.
Gymnasts of all levels take part in this annual fundraiser. Participants have 5 minutes at the end of class to perform as many cartwheels as they can!
The South Bay Family Y partnered with Bowlero Bowling to provide a fun-filled event for youth, family and friends to enjoy an active night of friendly competition together.
FEEDING BODIES, FUELING SUCCESS
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that over 13 million children and teens under the age of 18 live with food insecurity. At the Y, we know that children who receive daily nutrition are set up to succeed. That’s why the Border View Y is helping kids reach their full potential by providing free meals. In March, the Border View Y partnered with Kitchens for Good to provide free, healthy meals to children in our community five days a week. Kitchens for Good is a local nonprofit that aims to break the cycles of food waste, poverty and hunger through workforce training, healthy food production and social enterprise. Since beginning the program in March, Border View has served over 2,250 meals! Border View serves meals daily at the Welcome Center, Monday through Friday, from 4:00-6:00pm. Anyone 18 years of age or under is welcome to a meal and there is no sign-up or registration required. With this program, we are increasing access to healthy food in our community and providing kids and teens the opportunity to eat nutritious meals to help them learn, grow and thrive!
INSPIRING CREATIVITY WITH SCIENCE
Through our Y programs, and the support of our wonderful Character Builders child care team, kids have the opportunity to immerse themselves into the world of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. STEAM helps foster a child’s creative thinking, problem solving and innovative thinking skills by encouraging them to ask questions, discover answers and think outside of the box. When kids engage in activities that combine different elements of STEAM subjects, they discover a wider range of perspectives when solving problems. On May 23, 2019, over 225 parents, teachers and Y staff came together for our 6th Annual Child and Youth Development STEAM Fair hosted by the YMCA. The event featured dozens of educational activities and interactive displays which gave kids the opportunity to learn, play and discover a wealth of scientific information. The YMCA STEAM Fair continues to showcase the incredible support and enriching programming offered to children through the YMCA’s Before and After School Programs. With 20% of children living below the poverty line in South County, this unique program is an essential resource for working parents, who are able to comfortably rely on the Y to provide a safe learning environment for their children. By integrating STEAM activities into our Y programs, we hope to help youth develop crucial, transferable skills and prepare them for future success in our ever-changing world.
THE POWER OF CARE AND KINSHIP
For most relatives, suddenly becoming a caregiver can be an overwhelming responsibility. A few years ago, Cynthia Arechiga became the guardian of her two young grandchildren, Jaison (7 years old) and Isaac (4 years old). Her son, who is incarcerated, is the father and the two boys have never met their mother. Cynthia agreed to care for the children and sought support to help her cope with the dramatic life change. Cynthia reached out to the YMCA and joined the Kinship Program, which provides support services to caregivers who are raising the child(ren) of a family member. The Kinship Program helped Cynthia purchase the boys clothing and shoes, participate in enrichment activities and receive respite care. Isaac and Jaison have also attended the South Bay Family YMCA Preschool and participated in Y Sports Programs. Thanks to the Y, Cynthia is able to keep her family together and receive help raising her grandchildren. By ensuring everyone has a reliable support system and access to the resources they need to flourish, our staff, volunteers and donors continue to help bring about meaningful and lasting change for the youth and families of our community.
YMCA COLLEGE READINESS PROGRAM As part of our efforts to reach more adolescent youth and promote healthy youth development, the YMCA partnered with Winward Academy this year to improve college access and college readiness for students in the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program at San Ysidro High School. Winward Academy is an awardwinning learning program that uses an interactive teaching approach with engaging video lessons to simulate an in-person tutoring experience. Together, Winward Academy and the YMCA provide support to AVID students to help them develop good study habits, build confidence and prepare them to succeed in college and beyond. Only six months into the program, students have already increased their scores in math by over 20% and in English by over 10%. These test scores are a critical part of the college and
YOUR IMPACT: “I like that Winward Academy teaches me step-by-step what I am doing wrong and what I am struggling with. Thank you for trusting us and investing in students and in the San Ysidro community!� - Paola Chacon YMCA College Readiness Participant San Ysidro High School
THANK YOU scholarship application process and San Ysidro students have put in hundreds of extra hours to get personalized support in order to improve them. The Border View Family YMCA will continue to work closely with these students and help youth in our community reach their full potential.
TO OUR SOUTH COUNTY $5,000 AND ABOVE VIP DONORS: Cox Communications Deborah Cross Patrick Diedrich Dan Feldman HomeFed Otay Land II, LLC
CHANGING LIVES STARTS WITH YOU!
Rodney & Lois Lanthorne Councilmember Vivian Moreno
YES! I believe in the importance of a Y in my community and would
PBM Images
like to make a contribution.
Park Haven Apartments
CONTRIBUTE ONLINE: Visit YMCA.org/GIVE!
SDGE Sempra Energy
This gift is for the:
South Bay Family YMCA
Seven Mile Casino
I wish to contribute:
$100
Other amount $________________________________________
I will pay:
$250
Eastlake YMCA
$500
One-time tax deductible contribution
$1,000 Monthly
Border View Family YMCA $2,500
$5,000
Quarterly
The Country Friends Annually
Name _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________ City _____________________ State _______ Zip ____________ Mobile Phone ______________________________________________ Email __________________________________________________ Credit Card # ________________________________________________ Exp. Date ____________ CVC ___________ VISA
MC
American Express
Discover
Please make checks payable to: South Bay Family YMCA or Eastlake YMCA and mail to 1201 Paseo Magda, Chula Vista, CA 91910 Border View Family YMCA and mail to 3601 Arey Dr., San Diego, CA 92154
Sunroad Enterprises
Truck.NET, LLC Union Bank Ruth Warwick David Wick
We are thankful for your support!