Happy Fall!

Family Camp……………….. Youth and Community Outreach Military Volunteer Program….... Active Duty Programs Ombudsman Luncheon.... Special Event NMC Programs……. Naval Medical Center Programs Neighborhood Exchange…….…... Monthly ASYMCA Program 4TROOPS Meet & Greet….….. Special Event KUSI Shopping Spree….….. Monthly ASYMCA Program

Compiled & Edited by Katie DesBois

Welcome

In this issue_________________

San Diego Armed Services YMCA

Volume 5, Issue 10 October 2010

Serving over 8,000 active-duty junior-enlisted mili-

tary service members and their families each month

with free programs!

Participants of the ASYMCA Military Vol-unteer Program have been volunteering with Feeding America San Diego, a local food distribution warehouse, since April 2009. To date, the ASYMCA MVP has provided over 1,050 vol-unteers to Feeding America San Diego, averaging 58 volunteers each month! Visit our website Event Calendar for a peek at the November Volunteer Calendar.

YCO Family Camp

Active Duty Volunteers

27 Military families enjoyed surfing, wall climbing, basketball, archery, and campfires at two outdoor camps during October. On

the weekend of October 1st, families had a great time by the ocean at YMCA Camp Surf in Imperial Beach; and on the weekend of October 15th, families traveled north to en-joy the beautiful landscape of YMCA Camp Marston in Julian. Thank you Sierra Club Foundation for providing this wonderful opportunity!

Page 2

Ombudsman/ Family Readiness Volunteer Luncheon

The Ombudsmen/Family Readiness Volunteers were hosted at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina on Sep-tember 24, 2010 by the San Diego Armed Services YMCA, USO San Diego, Fleet & Family Support Center and San Diego Navy League. This amazing group of volunteers was honored at the event for their outstanding effort working to make a difference in the lives of our local active duty military families. This event would not have been possible without our Presenting Sponsor, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, as well as our many other great sponsors.

Operation Saddle Up was a big hit this year, as more than 25 NMC patients took part as a part of a PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) Intensive Outpatient Program. On Wednesdays, the Armed Services YMCA would take this group of service members to Ramona to learn riding skills and horsemanship. Many of the participants have said that the relationships and engagement with mem-bers of the community mean more to them than anything.

“Daniel, come on down, you’re the next contest-ant on the Price is Right!” The Armed Services YMCA took a group of wounded, injured, and ill to a taping of the hit game show. Watch CBS on December 8th to see how our lucky sailor did!

Naval Medical Center

Programs

The Junior Seau Foundation invited injured service members of NMC to be guests at their 10th Annual Teammates Lunch-eon. They were able to meet Junior Seau as well as hon-oree, Rolf Benirschke. To recognize Benirschke’s support of Kicks for Critters, a program to help raise money for the Center for Endangered Species at the San Diego Zoo, they had a few rare animals and birds for the guests to view.

November 1st-5th- SuperParent Holiday Shopping Day Online Lottery Registration 17th- KUSI Shopping Spree 18th- ASYMCA Neighborhood Exchange 23rd- Computer Giveaway December 15th– SuperParent Holiday Shopping Day 16th– SuperParent Holiday Shopping Day 17th– KUSI Shopping Spree 21st– Computer Giveaway 22nd- ASYMCA Neighborhood Exchange

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

Calendar of events

Page 3

4Troops Meet & Greet Event

KUSI Shopping Spree

A princess, a pirate,

and even a slice of pizza. If you stopped by the October Neighborhood Ex-change on the 28th, you might have seen just this. ASYMCA staff mem-bers and volunteers dressed up in Halloween costumes for the monthly event which served over 175 households.

Cinderella even made an appearance!

This October, the San Diego ASYMCA along with Union Bank and KUSI pre-sented one lucky military family with a $1,000 Shopping Spree! Each month through the KUSI Shopping Spree Program, one military family, who has a family member cur-rently deployed, is awarded a $1,000 Shop-ping Spree. Military families can sign up for the online lottery on our website.

Before playing at Balboa Theatre on the evening of October 7th, 4TROOPS, a musical group of four United States combat veterans, visited the San Diego ASYMCA for a mini performance and meet & greet with military families. Thank you to Kevin Fulton and Broadway San Diego!

Halloween at the Neighborhood Exchange

As always, thank you

to all NEX

Volunteers!

Photo courtesy of Chriselda Turcios

Photo courtesy of Chriselda Turcios

OMBAC Oster and Associates Kerri Ewing Avant Garde Don and Rea Douglas The Ladies Philoptochos Society Anthousa Chapter Alexandra Mouzas The Super Dentists

Chriselda Turcios Sierra Club Foundation TriWest Healthcare Alliance Junior Seau Foundation 4TROOPS Kevin Fulton Broadway San Diego

Our Latest donors and contributors…

Page 4

Thank you Corporate Partner Members

and Major Donors...

Sutherland Management Company

Thank you Oster and Associates!

This past year, you may have seen our new ASYMCA program brochure. We are very fortunate to have found such wonderful supporters in Oster and Associates and especially Kerri Ewing for designing this great brochure. Through this support, ASYMCA

staff members have been able to easily deliver program informa-tion to hundreds of military service members and their families.

Thank you!

Final thoughts...

For more information on how YOU can make a difference…

info@asymcasd.org

858.751.5755 www.militaryymca.org

From the Desk of Executive Director Paul Steffens:

October was another busy and fun month full of exciting pro-grams and events. One event always reminds me that ensuring military family readiness is a team effort. No one individual or agency can do what needs to be done. BUT, all of us working to-gether can work miracles to preserve that readiness. Just take a look at the picture at the top of page 2. The recent Ombudsman and Family Readiness Volunteer Luncheon demonstrated how car-ing individuals can work miracles in preserving family readiness. Over 800 attendees shared the successes they achieved in assist-ing military families. Imagine if we did not have the people in that picture and all that they do each day and think about it….. So much would not get done.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Please note all the happy campers who enjoyed a weekend of camping with their families.. Truly a family bonding experience. We would not be able to present these bonding experiences with-out the assistance of the Sierra Club and the San Diego County YMCA. Their generosity enabled these families to create lifelong family memories.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . While not shown in the pictures, I must thank The Ladies Philop-tochos Society, Anthousa Chapter for their kind generosity in again supporting the SDASYMCA through their annual En Vogue Fashion Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In closing, I must bid “Fair Winds and Following Seas” to a mem-ber of our Board of Management, Iris Bachmann, and her hus-band, RADM Mike Bachmann, USN (Ret) as they relocate to the East.

Make your end of year Charity donation early for your chance to win a VIP table for ten guests aboard the beautiful Hornblower Inspiration. One lucky winner will en-joy VIP Limousine transportation*, dinner and entertainment on December

3rd from 8pm to Midnight aboard the Hornblower, courtesy of America’s Finest Carpet.

For your chance to win, make a donation online to the Top-Rated San Diego Armed Services YMCA at www.militaryymca.org before November 21st. Donations must be as least $50 to be entered in

the raffle. You can donate more in $50 increments for additional chances to win!

The winner will be notified on November 23rd. This great prize package, perfect for the Holidays, is valued at $2,500! Your donation will help provide needed counseling, wounded warrior recreation, family bonding, and youth development programs free of charge for San Diego Military and their

families. Thank you for supporting our local Heroes!

Click here to make your Online Donation safely and securely thru PayPal (includes all major credit cards).

* Limo service is limited to San Diego County.

Would you want to win a VIP table for you and

9 of your friends aboard the beautiful

Hornblower Inspiration?

Donate online to the ASYMCA before

November 21st and you will be entered for a

chance to win!

Thank you America’s Finest Carpet Company

for providing this opportunity!