San Diego Armed Services YMCA

Serving 9,000 active-duty

junior enlisted military ser-
vice members and their
families each month with
free programs!
March 2011 Volume 6, Issue 3

Whale Watching Excursion

This month a group of wounded warriors and their
families enjoyed a day on the water with the San Diego
Anglers on the sport boat “The Eclipse”. They spent a
half day whale watching and were lucky enough to
catch a glimpse of several whales. Thanks to the San
Diego Anglers and Ocean Science International for mak-
ing the day a great success!

Father and Daughter Dance

Hundreds of dads and their daughters twirled and tapped across the
Welcome
dance floor at the 5th Annual Father & Daughter Dance on Saturday,
February 19, 2011. Watch out for our Special Edition Snapshot with In this issue_______________
highlights from this fun evening! Whale Watching Trip…….…..…..
Wounded, Injured and Ill Programs
Father & Daughter Dance……..
Special Event
Valentine’s Day Party…………....
Special Event
Operation Kid Comfort.………....
Youth and Community Outreach
Operation Love Life………..........
Family Outreach
Partnership with ARTs ………….
Youth and Community Outreach
Thank you…………………………….…..
GEICO Donation

Compiled & Edited by Katie DesBois

 Page 2

Valentine’s Day Party for Spouses of Deployed

The Murphy Canyon Chapel was a sea of pink and
red during the San Diego ASYMCA’s 4th Annual
Valentine’s Day Party for spouses of deployed ser-
vice members on Monday, February 14th. Over
200 moms and children enjoyed live music, cookie
decorating, delicious cakes, balloons, raffles, and
a visit from Chopper the Biker Dog.

Operation Kid Comfort

Operation Kid Comfort requests have in-
creased dramatically with the continued de-
ployment surge and in February YCO re-
ceived over 60 quilt requests. The YCO de-
partment is excited to welcome “The Tues-
day Quilters” lead by Connie Rooten to assist
the American Sewing Guild in sewing treas-
ured keepsakes for military children. A total
of 3,423 quilts have been delivered to San
Diego military children since the program be-
gan in 2005.

Operation LoveLife
Calling all Unmarried Active Duty!
Unmarried active duty men and women (from all
branches)— are invited to come out for a new
and fun, interactive, educational group discussing
hot topics on dating, relationships, and marriage.
Join us for free dinner, games, and prizes at our Next Event: Wednesday, March 30th at
next event in March. 5:00 pm in Gameroom 2 at Pacific Beacon
of Naval Base San Diego
 Page 3

Partnership with ARTs

A new partnership
with ARTs (A Rea-
son to Survive)
has provided 30
Operation Hero stu-
dents with the op-
portunity to explore
different art medi-
ums to learn about
their feelings, self
esteem, family
separation, and
friendship.

Thank you from the ASYMCA

Thank you to GEICO for your donation of
car seats to our Family Outreach Depart-
ment and for your support for the San
Diego military community!

Please support the San Diego
ASYMCA through the
15th Annual Stars & Stripes
Fishing, Golf and Music Festival!
Please contact Brittany Catton at 858-751-5755 or
bcatton@asymcasd.org to donate.
100% of the proceeds from Auction Items and
Sponsorships will benefit ASYMCA programs.
Calendar of events
March
9th– KUSI Shopping Spree
18th– ASYMCA/ USO Golf Tournament
24th– ASYMCA Neighborhood Exchange
29th– Computer Giveaway
30th– Operation LoveLife
31st– Volunteer Orientation at NMC
April
11th-15th YCO Spring Weekly Program Open House
14th- KUSI Shopping Spree
16th- Healthy Kids Day
26th- Computer Giveaway
28th- ASYMCA Neighborhood Exchange
28th- Volunteer Orientation at NMC
Visit our Website Event Calendar for more
events, updates, and free ticket giveaways!
 Page 4

Our Latest donors and

contributors…
Mr. Rudolf J. Van Ewijk Lockheed Martin
Project Linus The Laughing Cow
United States Naval Academy— NAVY Singing Solo
OLD GOATS Chopper the Biker Dog
Mayor Sanders, City of San Diego Paul Bell and Bike Free
Old Navy—Mr. Arturo Ramirez Connie Rooten and “The Tuesday
Sew Much Comfort Quilters”
Mr. and Mrs. Barry Weibel American Sewing Guild
Ms. Meredith Bowman & Girl Scout ARTs (A Reason to Survive)
Troop 6615 TriWest Healthcare Alliance
Ms. Jennifer Patacsil & Girl Scout Lincoln Military Housing
Troop 1777 San Diego Padres
Mr. Bob Hamer Dedrick Design Company
Rancho Santa Fe Community The Sundt Foundation
Nativity School Callaway Golf
Terra Santa Community The Caster Family Foundation at The San
Avant Garde Diego Foundation
Irene Schwall The Nice Guys San Diego
GEICO

Thank you Corporate Partner Members

and Major Donors...

Sutherland Management Company

 Final thoughts...
From the Desk of Executive Director Paul Steffens:
Whale watching, Valentine’s Day party, more quilts, and a new
partnership… lots of things happened in February and lots more
will happen in the rest of the year. Do us a favor and spread the
word about our programs. Everyday new military families arrive
for duty in this beautiful city of San Diego. We cannot assume
that new arrivals are aware of our mission. Help us keep every-
one informed- As a minimum give them our webpage address.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
I’m sure you know that we can not meet all the family needs that
arise so we partner with many organizations and agencies. I
have to share with you a need that was met by the “NICE GUYS,”
an organization that assists families with special needs and indi-
viduals who would otherwise “fall through the cracks.” The
NICE GUYS recently stepped forward and helped us make a ma-
jor positive difference in the lives of a young military family.
Nice Guys provided funding for the purchase of an IPad for this
young family. Through this IPad, the mother of two autistic chil-
dren found that her children had more capabilities than were
currently known. Through the use of the IPad, she discovered
that they knew their numbers, knew colors and had other capa-
bilities. Through this one gift, the lives of a military family were
significantly improved and the future looks brighter for two
young children.
THANK YOU NICE GUYS
……………………………………………………………………………………………
FOR ALL OUR MEN AND WOMEN WHO WEAR THE UNIFORM
OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY AND YOUR FAMILIES
GOD BLESS - THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!!

For more information on how YOU

can make a difference…

info@asymcasd.org
858.751.5755
www.militaryymca.org