Armed Services YMCA San Diego Armed Services YMCA San Diego Armed Services YMCA San Diego

Summer 2012

Camp Hero Makes Military Life Easier for Kids Through Activities and Outings

Serving 9,500 active-duty service members and their families each month with free programs that make military life easier!

Check out what we did this Summer!

Camp Hero Family & Youth Enrichment Military Volunteer Program Service Member Support

Leaders In Training Program Family & Youth Enrichment Huggies Diaper Giveaway

Social Work Service Providers Conference

Family & Youth Enrichment The Christmas You Missed

Special Event Hospital Happenings

Wounded, Injured, and Ill Our Latest Donors and Contributors Final Thoughts from Paul Steffens

In this Issue Opportunities Arise from the Military Volunteer Program

S ummer can be a time of stressful time for parents, but the ASY comes to the rescue each year with our Camp

Hero program. Camp Hero is a week long day camp that serves as an outlet for military youth to share their common experiences and receive academic enrichment all while making friends and having fun! The curriculum is designed to help children find practical ways to address the challenges of military life, introduce tools to help them succeed in school, and improve social and communication skills This week long day camp offers 48 military children between the ages of 7 and12 the opportunity to engage in fun activities with a focused curriculum. Highlights include trips to Camp Surf and a visit from Nickelodeon’s Ninja Turtles! Check out our Special Edition Camp Hero Snapshot coming at the end of August!

V olunteering is quickly becoming an integral

par t of profess ional development for active duty. The ASY”s Military Volunteer Program has stepped in to help offer opportunities, and not just for active duty, but for families as well. The Military Volunteer Program (MVP), which won the “Most Innovative Improvement” Raytheon Achievement award this past year, provides volunteer opportunities both inside and outside the ASY. This program partners with local organizations and engages volunteers in events that help the community. It has been able to bring all branches of service and all ranks together to take part in service. Most importantly, it has brought the San Diego community closer to the military community. Opportunities are posted in the MVP calendar each month and fill quickly!

MVP Participants at the Lakeside River Park Conservancy

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Focus on Teens: Leaders In Training Programs Shine

ASY and Huggies Serve 3,000 Families In One Day

U pon the success of the Leaders in Training program in the summer of 2011, FYE staff was

motivated to carry on the program for younger military leaders ages 13 to 15. The Armed Services Y’s Leaders In Training (L.I.T.) program is a leadership development and job readiness program for military teens. On August 2nd, military teens were able to participate in an outing to Belmont Amusement Park In Mission Beach. Teens had a blast on the rides after they participated in leadership building on the nearby lawns. In addition, thanks to the continued financial support of the San Diego Lion’s Club, FYE was able to provide a Leaders in Training Retreat at YMCA Camp Surf in May. Seventeen military teens had an opportunity to explore teamwork, communication, cooperation, and problem solving through interactive curriculum and journal reflections. Upon completion of the retreat, 100% of the teens agreed that they are better prepared to take on a leadership role to effectively help a group identify and achieve its goals.

I n partnership with the San Diego Military Family Collaborative (SDMFC), the 2012 Service Providers Conference was held on May 3rd at the Lincoln

Military Housing Orleck Community Center. The conference had 75 attendees from over 40 different agencies and programs which support military service members and their families. Navy Region Southwest Chief of Staff Captain Mark Rich kicked off the conference. He was followed with presentations by Mary Kirby, Fleet and Family Support, on downsizing and John Ohanian, 211 San Diego, on information dissemination. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in breakout session around childcare, education/academic success, mental health, and financial stressors. Along with these important conversations, attendees were able to also participate in ongoing action task forces. Thanks to the support of SDMFC, these task forces will have a space to meet and report throughout the year in order to improve the awareness and access to programs and services for families.

H undreds of military youngsters can be found in blue camo print diapers as a result of the ASY

San Diego’s Huggies Diaper Giveaway. This massive distribution event took place on June

29th with 6,000 boxes given out during the day. With the help of many active duty volunteers and the S o c i a l W o r k department, we were able to serve over 3,000 families in 8 hours. The giveaway

eventually ran so smoothly that service members and spouses were able to pick up two boxes of free diapers in a drive-thru style. This giveaway was made possible because of a generous donation by Kimberly–Clark to the Armed Services YMCA of the USA.

“Thank you ASYMCA for working with Huggies in

distributing diapers to our military. My lil guy loves his new Camo diapers!”

-Tara

SDMFC will jointly focus on meeting the needs of families!

Many parents posted cute photos of their children on our Facebook!

Military Family Collaborative Ignites Discussion at Service Providers Conference

29th Annual NICU Reunion Brings Smiles to Patients

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September 9/13— KUSI Shopping Spree 9/18— Volunteer Orientation 9/24— Computer Giveaway 9/27 — Neighborhood Exchange Food Distribution 9/27 — Ombudsman/ Family Readiness Volunteer Recognition Luncheon October 10/1– 10/5 — Family & Youth Enrichment Fall Program Open House 10/11— KUSI Shopping Spree 10/22— Computer Giveaway 10/25 — Neighborhood Exchange Food Distribution November 11/8— KUSI Shopping Spree 11/15— Neighborhood Exchange Food Distribution 11/19— Computer Giveaway

Visit our Website Event Calendar for more events, updates, and free ticket

giveaways!

Calendar of events

The Christmas You Missed Recreates the Holidays in June...Again!

Check out our Military Volunteer Program’s Monthly

Calendar

www.militaryymca.org Under ‘Active Duty’

T he Naval Medical Center San Diego ‘s 29th Annual Neonatal

Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Reunion was a huge success. The NICU department along with the Armed Services YMCA celebrates all past and present NICU patients at this annual event. The NICU department provides comprehensive medical and nursing care to critically ill newborns, as well as infants in various stages of convalescence from d i a g n o s t i c a n d t h e r a p e u t i c interventions. The reunion featured a barnyard farm theme this year and many fun games could be found all over the courtyard.

“Thank you for the Christmas You Missed event. All the volunteers and sponsors are amazing. You will never know how much this means to our family.” - Amanda A.

T he ASY gave back to the community while getting

active at the Navy's 26th Annual Bay Bridge Run/Walk. The race raises money for the Navy's Morale Welfare and Recreation ( M W R ) p r o g r a m s . Complimentary participation was offered to wounded, injured and ill service members. ASY staff members at the Naval Medical Center coordinated participation for over 50 wounded warriors with their families. NMC staff even accompanied them on the run! The 4.1 mile course's most memorable offering is a rare opportunity to walk over the Coronado bridge.

Photo Courtesy of NMCSD

ASY Gets Together for the Annual Bay Bridge Run/Walk

C hristmas morning was recreated for over 150 active duty military families and their children

on June 25, 2012 at the 6th Annual Christmas You Missed Event. Thanks to generous contributions and the help of over 100 volunteers, these families were able to remake special holiday memories that last a lifetime. Although it was the middle of June, the spirit of the holidays was upon us all. It was a delightful morning featuring warm breakfast and coffee, holiday craft activities, live performances, falling snow, live Christmas trees, family photo ops, relaxation stations, visits from Santa, and over one thousand free toys for children who had a parent deployed this past holiday season.

Our Latest Donors and Contributors…

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Thank you Corporate Partner Members and Major Donors...

Sutherland Management Company

The Spiva Family Foundation

Thank You to the Brees Dream Foundation!

Military Appreciation Day at Celebrity Championship golf tournament, hosted by Drew Brees, drew 2,000 members of military families. Attendees were able to enjoy free admission and a free lunch by Carls Jr. Also for the enjoyment of the families, there were an array of exciting activities for kids in the Military Zone. During the weekend, Wounded Warriors were invited to a special VIP lunch to meet celebrities and the ASY

provided active duty volunteers to help at the silent and live auction parties. The ASY is so proud and excited to participate in this tournament each year.

American Legion Post 6 Mainly Mozart

Brees Dream Foundation Musick, Peeler, and Garrett

Bulletproof Energy Navy Old Goats

CARF International Order of the Eastern Star

Casual Crafters Publishers Development Corp.

City of San Diego San Diego Chargers

Del Mar Fair Grounds San Diego Padres

FOX Sports San Diego San Diego Theatres

Girl Scout Troop 5104 San Diego Zoo

Kimberly– Clarke Sew Much Comfort

KSON The Fine Tune Academy

La Jolla Republican Women’s Federated The Nice Guys

Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association Tickets for Kids Charities

Live Nation

Final thoughts...

Stars & Stripes Tournament Supports Kids in Need

Thank you to all our silent and live auction donors!

Board of Management 2012

KATHIE ZORTMAN

Chair

CAPT DAVE R. GUEBERT, USNR

1st Vice Chair

CDR SAN DRA DAVIDSON, USN (Ret.)

2nd Vice Chair

VADM TIMOTHY LAFLEUR, USN (Ret.)

Treasurer

MCPO PHYLLIS BARBER, USN (Ret.)

Secretary

John W. Baer Jr.

RADM Mark Balmert, USN (Ret.)

Jim Bedinger

James A. Chatfield II

Kristine Costa

F.A. “Fran” Derby

CAPT Peter F. Hedley, USN (Ret.)

William M. Heroman, M.D.

Josi Hunt

Gregory Johns

Aynn McGuire

Judy Myers

Christopher Pierce

RADM H.J.T. Sears, MC USN (Ret.)

Christine Skoczek

Lari Sheehan

CDR Michael I. Turner, USN (Ret.)COL

Earl Wederbrook, USMC (Ret.)

Pattie Wellborn Life Members

Elaine Boland

Judge Earl Cantos

Ann W. Evans

CAPT Richard Evert, USN (Ret.)

Judge David M. Gill

E. Miles Harvey

Mike Madigan

Lt.Col. R. E. McCreey, USMC (Ret.)

Sam Merrick

VADM John W. Nyquist, USN (Ret.)

T.M. O’Reilly

John G. Rebelo, Jr.

Robert E. Schmidt

A s I look through our Summer SNAPSHOT, several thoughts come to mind. First of all, I see the importance of doing all

we can to provide a high quality of life to children and expos-ing them to as many healthy activities as possible. These activi-ties broaden their horizons and afford them additional oppor-tunities to learn about the world in which they live. Enriching the lives of children is an investment in their future and the future of this wonderful country. Check out the many activities in this SNAPSHOT and the wonderful smiles on the children’s faces. That is what it is all about—from camps and outings to the Christmas You Missed!

I want to give a special thank you to all our volunteers, civilian and military, who help us present these events. Let me not forget our donors, who reach into their pockets and provide the funding for our programs. They recognize the importance of provid-ing a high quality of life to children. I thank each and every one of you who help us with your time, energy and funding. You join us in making military life easier. Please note the listing of our Board of Management members. These men and women spend countless hours of their time supporting our efforts. There is one statement that de-fines the ASY staff, Board members, donors and volunteers: “They have a passion for assisting our military and their families”. It is an honor and a pleasure to work with all of you.

Paul Steffens, Executive Director Captain, SC, USN(Ret.)

T he Armed Services YMCA San Diego is honored to be a beneficiary of the 2012

Stars & Stripes Tournament, that took place in Cabo San Lucas in June. Along with ASY staff and board members, we were joined by two Marines, Sgt Povas Miknaitis and Sgt Michael Spivey, who are wounded warriors and participants in our programs. Because of hundreds of generous donors all across Southern California, the tournament raised $2.4 million for Southern CA charities!

For more information on how YOU can make a difference…

Paul Hartley Complex Headquarters in Murphy Canyon

3293 Santo Road San Diego, CA 92124

858-751-5755

SanDiegoArmedServicesYMCA

MilitaryYMCA

www.militaryymca.org

For monthly updates about what we do and who we serve, please subscribe to our eFor monthly updates about what we do and who we serve, please subscribe to our e--newsletter on militaryymca.orgnewsletter on militaryymca.org

Naval Base San Diego 619-232-9084

Naval Medical Center 619-532-8156

What Our Fans are Saying:

“Thank you ASYMCA for the Padres vs

Giants tickets! We had a great time cheering on our home team in SD!! Can't thank you

enough for the memories!”

- Erika F.

“Tea Nicole and Mat Lawson loving life thanks to Chargers

players and San Diego ASYMCA!!! We had a

blast.”

-Claudine L.

“We will miss everyone at the ASYMCA! Thanks for all that you have done for

our family!”

-Erin H.

We Make Military Life Easier.

Family and Youth Enrichment Programs Nurturing developmental growth for military youth and increasing

connectedness between parents and children Operation Kid Comfort free

photo quilts Operation Hero & Camp Hero Mom & Tots Programs Craft & Conversation Groups

YES Program outings Playgroup organized

activities Annual Father-Daughter

Dance

Social Work Programs Increasing the positive functioning of the family by decreasing stress

and increasing coping skills for an overall wellbeing in the home

In-Home Individual, Couples, & Family Counseling

Respite Care for Clients Family Emergency Supplies

Information, Resources, & Referral

Neighborhood Exchange Food Bank Event

SuperParent Holiday Program

Take a look at our free programs and events!

Service Member Support Programs Fostering success for active duty service members and their families

through professional development and community connections

MVP: Military Volunteer Program

Out & About Tours of San Diego

Adopt-A-Command

Homecomings

4th of July Fireworks Celebration

The Christmas You Missed Event

Wounded, Injured & Ill Support Programs Increasing healing and wellness of adults and children in active treatment

Patient Recreation & Field Trips Warrior Care Initiative, Urgent

Needs Ward Visitation Event s and services for children

and families

C5 MedEvac & Family Support

NICU Reunion Event Volunteer Opportunities Skill Building