San Diego Armed Services YMCA

Serving over 6,500 active-

duty junior-enlisted mili-
tary service members and
their families each month
with free programs!
December 2009 Volume 4, Issue 12
Getting Ready for Holiday Programs!
Thanks to extraordinary support from the community this year,
the San Diego ASYMCA plans to serve over 2,500 military this
holiday season through 12 events taking place now right up until
Christmas morning. This week, we have unloaded cars, trucks,
and buses packed with toys for coming programs. We are in
absolute awe of the support shown this past week from the com-
munity — thank you, thank you, thank you San Diego!

Happy Holidays from the staff at

the San Diego Armed Services YMCA!

Welcome
Please enjoy our Winter Snapshot
and keep a look out for next
month’s special Holiday Snapshot
Thanksgiving filled with pictures from our MANY
Holiday Programs!
Adopt A Troop In this issue _____

20 families opened their Holiday Preparation …………………….

homes to 40 active duty ser-
vice members who were in-
vited to feast on delicious
home-cooked meals this
Thanksgiving. These fami-
lies offered a home away
from home for active duty
members unable to travel
this past holiday.
Family Outreach
Adopt A Troop..................................
Active Duty Programs
Winter Open House…………………......
Youth & Community Outreach
Operation Welcome Home…………..
Naval Medical Center
SDMAC Achievement Award……….
San Diego ASYMCA
Thank you Donors...........................
All Programs

Compiled & Edited by Katie DesBois

 Page 2

YCO Winter Open House : Jan 11– Jan 15

Enjoy refreshments, tour our facilities, learn about our programs,
meet our staff, and register for the next program session during
the Youth and Community Outreach Winter Open House Week!

YCO Winter Open House Week

Monday
Armed Services YMCA:
Healthy Living Walking Group: 9:00 - 10:10
YCO Fall Open House Craft & Conversation: 10:15 - 12:15
Tuesday
ASYMCA: Mom & Tots: 9:00 - 10:00
NTC: Mom & Tots: 9:00 - 10:00
Gateway: Mom & Tots: 10:30 - 11:30
Wednesday
Serra Mesa: Mom & Tots: 9:00 - 10:00
Chollas: Mom & Tots: 9:00 - 10:00
Gateway: Playgroup: 10:30 - 11:30
River Place: Mom & Tots: 10:30 - 11:30
Friday
NTC: Craft & Conversation: 9:30 - 11:30

Naval Medical Center: Operation Welcome Home

Armed Ser-
vices YMCA
Volunteer
Pat
McCollough
on her way
to greet a
new
MedEvac.

Operation Welcome Home: The San Diego Armed Services YMCA

partnered with the USO and Airport Ambassadors to greet Sol-
diers, Sailors, and Marines at the San Diego International Airport.

San Diego Armed Services YMCA MedEvac and Family Support

Volunteers greet medically evacuated Sailors, Soldiers, and Ma-
rines when they arrive at Naval Medical Center.
 Page 3

SDMAC Achievement Award

12.8.09 The San
Diego Armed Ser-
vices YMCA is
thrilled to be recog-
nized as the 2009
San Diego Military
Advisory Council
( SDMAC) Achieve-
ment Award Winner.

Operation Courage is Beautiful Thank you Boy Scouts!

Operation Courage is The Boy
Beautiful, an effort by Scouts do-
stylesynch.com, Avant nated
Garde, VFW Mission Thanksgiving
Valley and the meals to San
SDASYMCA, provided Diego Armed
free care packages to Services
servicewomen in com- YMCA Family
bat deployed. Thank Outreach
you especially to families in
Elaine Boland for your confidential
great work with this in-home
program! counseling.

Thank you NMC Donors! Calendar of events

Naval Medical Center has seen amazing support from the community
this Holiday Season! We’ve received many donations to distribute to the January
patients, including toys, snacks, clothing, gift cards, event tickets, and 27th— Computer Giveaway
much more. We are also able to provide military families with a 28th— ASYMCA Neighborhood Exchange
“Breakfast with All month— Starbucks Coffee for the Troops
Santa” event and
another party for February
children with spe-
6th— Camo for Kids at USD
cial needs. On be-
half of the patients
14th— Valentine’s Day Party for Spouses of
of Naval Medical Deployed
Center, thank you 20th— Annual Father & Daughter Dance
so much for mak- 25th— ASYMCA Neighborhood Exchange
ing their Holiday
extra special! Visit our Website Event Calendar
for updates and free ticket giveaways!
 Page 4

Our Latest donors

and contributors…
McCarthy Family Foundation
Maurice J. Masserini Charitable Trust
Community Service Association,
San Diego Unified School District Thank you
The Redwoods Group Foundation
Armed Services Interest Group at the Rancho America’s Finest Carpet Company
Santa Fe Foundation
America’s Finest Carpet Company
Foster Farms
San Diego Lions Club
OMBAC
USO of San Diego
Airport Ambassadors at the San Diego Interna
tional Airport
Stylesynch.com
Avant Garde
VFW Mission Valley
Montevista
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl

This holiday season is still in full swing and we would like to thank everyone who
contributed to make this season special for military families. We will share all of
our holiday pictures, stories, and donors in next month’s Snapshot.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS and THANK YOU!

Thank you Corporate Partner Members...

ASYMCA in the News!

NBC: A Salute to the San Diego Armed Services YMCA
 Final thoughts...
From the Desk of Executive Director Paul Steffens:
WOW, what a November and early December! While we spend every month thinking
of innovative new programs and ways to improve current programs that assist military
families, as the holiday season approaches, we jump into high gear preparing for our
holiday programs. We filled my office with toys… we filled our board room with toys,
we had toys everywhere…. Thank you SAN DIEGO for supporting toy programs. In
the next SNAPSHOT, we will show you how successful our programs were in bringing
extra cheers to military families and express our appreciation to the many individuals,
companies, and military organizations who helped make the programs a success.
As we close in on Christmas and New Years, let us all take time to remember those
who will be separated by deployments during the holidays. If you happen to know of
a military family that needs some assistance, please have them call us—we stand
ready to assist! Finally, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to the San
Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC) for recognizing the ASYMCA with a 2009
Achievement Award. We wish all of you and your loved ones a very safe and wonder-
ful holiday season.

For all the men and women wearing the uniform of this great country

THANK YOU FOR SERVING

WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL
Keep Chargin!
Paul Steffens
Captain, SC, USN (Ret.)
Executive Director

For more information on how YOU

can make a difference…

info@asymcasd.org
858.751.5755
www.militaryymca.org