San Diego Armed Services YMCA

Serving 9,000 active-duty junior enlisted military service members and their families each month!

December 2011

Volume 6, Issue 12

Military Volunteer Program

This November, the Active Duty Departments Military Volunteer Program has partnered with PWI, an organization that assists adults with disabilities in finding employment, for their Thanksgiving Harvest Potluck. Military volunteers helped make the Thanksgiving holiday special for PWI clients by helping with event set up, clean-up and food serving. In addition to this event, military volunteers have continued to give back to the San Diego community by tutoring local students through Homework Helpers, spending time with the residents of Sunrise Senior Living Center, and assisting with building fences, planting trees, and constructing trails at the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve. The San Diego ASYMCA Active Duty Program Department also provided 30 service members and their families with a free trip to Knotts Berry Farm this past November. To sign up for an upcoming event please visit our website Event Calendar!

Turkey Giveaway at the NEX

The San Diego ASYMCA served 175 families with 336 bags of food during the November Neighborhood Exchange. Thanks to a generous donation, 150 turkeys were also distributed to military families just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Thanksgiving turkeys were generously provided to Neighborhood Exchange attendees by JMI Realty and Jackson & Blanc Mechanical Contractors. This was a wonderful kickoff to our busy holiday season!
Compiled & Edited by Katie DesBois

In this Issue
Happy Holidays from the Staff and Volunteers of the San Diego Armed Services YMCA!

Military Volunteer Program

Active Duty Programs Family Outreach

Neighborhood Exchange Warrior Care Month

Wounded, Injured and Ill Programs

Club Hero
Thank you!

Youth & Community Outreach

Thank you Donors

Online Giving Event

GiveBIG 12/14 and 12/15

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Warrior Care Month at NMC

Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) celebrated Warrior Care Month in November in honor of NMCSDs wounded, ill or injured (WII) service members. The Armed Services YMCA at NMCSD planned several events to honor NMCSDs Army, Navy and Marine WII service members. Five combat injured service members were recognized for their service during the Chargers vs. Raiders pre-game ceremony on November 10th. The ASY also assisted in providing four WII service members with the opportunity to attend the Carrier Classic - the North Carolina vs. Michigan State basketball game on the aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson. President Obama also attended the Carrier Classic and shook hands with some of our wounded service members.

On Veterans Day weekend, Navy Old Goats coordinated a getaway weekend at the Hotel Del Coronado for four combat-injured service members and their families. The twonight stay included a one-hour spa treatment, a $100 hotel gift certificate, a gift certificate to a local restaurant, a choice of three activities (sailing, police ride-along or bicycling), and attendance to a reception on November 13th, where the Mayor of Coronado (shown in photo) presented them with a key to the city!

Youth & Community Outreach

The YCO Department successfully completed the Club Hero program at Vista La Mesa Academy with 6th to 8th graders. Through this program, seven military students practiced character development skills and discussed military life, the importance of self-esteem, peer pressure, and solving conflicts. One parent commented, Since attending Club Hero I feel Jasmine has learned to stand up for herself and her beliefs. She is more confident and has made new friends. Thank you.

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Thank you OMBAC

Bikes, toys, and more bikes have already been delivered to the San Diego Armed Services YMCA for our SuperParent Holiday Shopping Day event coming up on December 14th and 15th. OMBACs recent donation of bikes will be sure to brighten the holidays for many military children.

Thank you OMBAC for your continuous support!

Tierrasanta Junior Womens Club

This December, the Tierrasanta Junior Womens Club presented two donation checks to the San Diego Armed Services YMCA a $1000 donation to the Super Parent Holiday Shopping Day and a $500 donation to our Operation Kid Comfort Program. We are thrilled to partner with the Tierrasanta Junior Womens Club to support military families during the holidays and military children throughout the year through Operation Kid Comfort. Thank you!

GiveBIG
December 14th and 15th marks the first-ever giveBIG San Diego match day initiative with the San Diego Foundation. During a 36-hour period, the San Diego community will have an opportunity to make online donations to nonprofits in San Diego (including the San Diego Armed Services YMCA!), and the San Diego Foundation will match organization donation totals in a pro-rated amount. Visit www.giveBIGSanDiego.org on December 14th and 15th to take part in this exciting online giving event!

Calendar of events
December
9Bike Giveaway with Ernst and Young 14SuperParent Holiday Shopping Day 14GiveBIG Online Giving Event 15SuperParent Holiday Shopping Day 15GiveBIG Online Giving Event 20Computer Giveaway 21ASYMCA Neighborhood Exchange 29-31ASYMCA at the Armed Forces Bowl Visit our Website Event Calendar for more events, updates, and free ticket giveaways!

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Our Latest donors and contributors

Community Service Association, San Diego Unified School District Tierrasanta Junior Womens Club Lincoln Military Housing The Parker Foundation Smart & Final Charitable Foundation San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Ms. Christine Moffett VFW Ladies Auxiliary #2041 Ms. Julia Majors Ladies Auxiliary FRA Unit 289 SDG&E Sempra Employee Giving Network Hanson Family Foundation

The San Diego Armed Services YMCA would like to thank The Parker Foundation for their wonderful support. Thanks to their recent contribution, the San Diego ASYMCA will now be able to implement a data management system and upgrade our website. Thank you Parker Foundation!

Thank you Corporate Partner Members and Major Donors...

Sutherland Management Company

The Spiva Family Foundation

Final thoughts...
From the Desk of Executive Director Paul Steffens:

Wow, this is our 12th SNAPSHOT of 2011 and I am again reminded that we could not do what we do without all the military and community volunteers who jump in and assist us with hands-on involvement in our programs. Our Volunteer Program provides many opportunities for military personnel and members of the San Diego community to assist within ASYMCA programs and many great community programs. Just check out the many events in this SNAPSHOT that we would not have been able to provide without all the volunteers. Not only do volunteers assist with hands-on energy, but, like JMI Realty and Jackson & Blanc Mechanical contractors who donated and handed out 150 turkeys to military families, many volunteers donate funds and in-kind items to express their appreciation to our military personnel and their families.

I WANT TO THANK ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE TRUE PARTNERS IN ASSISTING OUR MILITARY FAMILIES. WE COUND NOT DO ALL WE DO WITHOUT YOUR TIME AND ENERGY. BRAVO ZULU!
For more information on how YOU can make a difference
info@asymcasd.org 858.751.5755 www.militaryymca.org