ASY August Newsletter 2014

AUGUST 2014
NEWSLETTER
TWENTYNINE PALMS
ARMED SERVICES YMCA
IN THIS ISSUE:
New Operation Hero and
Parent/Child Interactive
Program School Year
2014 Summer Camp
Ball Gown Donations
Needed!
Volunteer Spotlight: Pat
Dunleavy
Volunteers Take On
Summer Projects
Summer Programs
Conclude
Thrift Store News
UPCOMING EVENTS:
September 6 : Bag Sale,
8 AM – 12 PM
September 11 : 9/11
Fallen Heroes Flag
Memorial, 10 AM - 12 PM
September 20: Bag Sale,
8 AM – 12 PM
October 4: Ball Gown
Giveaway, 1 PM – 3 PM
CONTACT US:
(P) 760.830.7481
(F) 760.830.8797
asymca.org/
twentynine-palms-ca
facebook.com/
AsymcaTwentyninePalms
Bldg 192 Mineral St
PO Box 6002
Twentynine Palms, CA
92278
ASYMCA FALL PROGRAMS!
The ASY is excited to start
another fun-filled school year with
our Operation Hero after-school
enrichment program and our
Parent/Child Interactive
Program. Operation Hero is open
to rising 2nd through 6th graders and
meets twice a week during the
school year at Condor Elementary
School. The program emphasizes
community service while helping
military children build resiliency and
develop the tools they need to take on
the challenges of military life. The
Parent/Child Interactive Program is an
early childhood education
program that recognizes a parent
as a child’s first teacher. Program
facilitators guide parents
and their children in activities,
crafts, and games each day. Both
the Tiny Tots class for 2-3
Kinder
Time/Kinder Ready class for
year olds and the
3-5 year olds run 4 days a week
for one hour. For more
information about enrolling in
either of these programs contact
our office at 760-830-7481.
SUMMER CAMP!
The ASY and
62 excited
campers had
a fantastic
time at
Summer Camp
in Big Bear, CA
August 1016th. Story on
Page 2-3.
SUMMER CAMP
PAGE 2
Camp Oakes also had some exciting additions to
the activity line-up this year, including the
Zipline, which allowed campers to speed out over
the lake on a harness, and the Mine Chute, a
giant slide built into a hillside that campers raced
down on sleds!
The Twentynine Palms Armed Services YMCA,
with the help of our generous donors, was
excited to be able to sponsor 62 military children
to attend our annual Summer Camp at Camp
Oakes in Big Bear, CA from August 10-August
16, 2014. Having a great time is our number one
tradition at Summer Camp and we carried it on
proudly this year. Many other favorite activities
made a return appearance at camp this year
including raising and lowering the colors every
morning and evening, singing songs and
performing skits around the camp fire, special
themed dinners, a masquerade dance, evening
games of “manhunt,” gaga ball , and more!
The Campers had a chance to try all the activities
throughout the week ,with two scheduled
programs in the morning and the afternoon. In
addition to the Zipline and the Mine-Chute, the
campers got to tackle the high and low ropes
courses, riflery, archery, slingshots, the climbing
wall, fishing, canoeing, swimming, drama, dance,
hiking, lessons in wildlife, Indian Lore, and the
night sky at the observatory, and much more.
FACING NEW CHALLENGES AT SUMMER CAMP
Throughout the week every camper was
challenged by facing the unknown. Whether a
camper was spending their first night away
from home, taking on a fear of heights at high
ropes or the zipline, performing in front of an
audience for the first
I am going to
time at the campfire,
or just trying to make
miss camp so
friends with a cabin full
of strangers and new
much when I
faces, each camper
leave! --2014
was forced to confront
a challenge head on
Camper
and find a way to solve
the problem. Even when campers struggled or
weren’t able to overcome the challenges they
faced, they all were able to come away with a
sense of pride
in giving it their
best effort. One
Camper said “I
liked canoeing
the best
because we had
to use
teamwork to
move together
and afterwards
I felt like we
really
succeeded!”
(story
continued on
page 3)
SUMMER CAMP
(continued from page 2) Although the activities were
unfamiliar and a little frightening to some of the
campers, the biggest challenge any of the campers
faced during their week at Camp Oakes was coming
together as a cabin. The Camp Oakes and ASY staff
worked on encouraging team-building throughout the
week, whether it was the tasks the campers had to
accomplish at the low ropes course, or getting creative
with their cabin cheer during meal-time roll-call, or
relying on their group to overcome a fear like stagefright during skits at the campfire. As the campers got
to know each other and their chaperones throughout
the week they came to rely on each other and
understand each other more and more, and to realize
that even after camp they will always have a special
bond with other military children. One camper said, “I
learned that military kids have many things in common
PAGE 3
and they’re going through the same things, and its not
so bad being a military kid.” The campers also worked
on their team work by participating in daily chores with
their cabin. The campers always kept their chaperones
on their toes with their comments about having to do
chores when they were supposed to be having fun at
camp. While cleaning up after dinner one camper said
“ I didn’t think camp would be like this! It’s just like
Boot Camp!” By the end of the week, though, even
those that struggled at first, whether it was
homesickness, making friends, or something else, had
made camp their home away from home. Parents and
campers alike are already telling us they can’t wait for
next year’s camp. It is an opportunity that our families
look forward to year after year; the unique challenges
that face military children make Camp Oakes a much
needed retreat for our military children and their
families.
Thank you to our 2014 Summer
Camp Donors: American Friends of
our Armed Forces and Fort Sill
National Bank. This year’s camp
would not have been possible
without you!
BALL GOWNS WANTED!
The Armed Services YMCA is seeking donations for
its annual Free Ball Gown Giveaway, which will be
held at the O’ Club on October 4, 2014. Dresses,
shoes, jewelry and other formal accessories may be
dropped off at the ASY office between now and
October 3, 2014.
The ASY will again partner with L.I.N.K.S. for this
year’s giveaway. Ladies who participate in
L.I.N.K.S.’s Belle of the Ball Etiquette class
immediately preceding the giveaway will be given
priority appointment times. Spouses and Active
Duty Female s who are
E-6 and below will
As a mother of 3, I do not get
receive first priority.
much time for myself. Thanks to
Above: A 2013 participant shows
off her new dress!
the Ball Gown Giveaway I had a
opportunity to pamper myself. I
am so appreciative to the ASY for
the opportunity.
-2013 Ball Gown Giveaway
Participant
For more information
about the giveaway or
making a donation
contact Laura Scotto,
laura.s@militaryymca.
org or call our office at
760-830-7481!
VOLUNTEERS
Each month this section of the newsletter
highlights one of the Twentynine Palms ASY’s
outstanding volunteers.
Pat Dunleavy is an ASY Board Member and has
been working with the ASY since 2007.
VOLUNTEER
SPOTLIGHT
When did you begin volunteering for the
ASY and what made you want to get
involved? I first got involved as part of a
Christmas project for the Ladies Golf
Association
Board that I
was serving
on in 2007.
We wanted
to put
together
something
special for
the young
families in
29 Palms.
Pat (2nd from left) accepting a grant to the ASY from
That’s how I the H.N. and Frances C Berger Foundation with ASY
Executive Director Anita Neu-Fultz .
met the
ASY’s Executive Director, and the more I
learned about the ASYMCA, the more I felt that
I wanted to keep helping in any way I could
through the Golf Association and my
Homeowner’s Association.
How has your experience been at the ASY
and what projects have you been involved
with? I’ve worked on the Soap Box Derby and
the Holiday Meals Programs. Just to see the
smiles on the faces and hear a “thank you,
ma’am” makes my day!
What is something in your life that you
LOVE? First and foremost, my family including
two daughters and their husbands, and two
grandchildren, both of whom are serving in the
U.S. Cost Guard. I am so proud of them. I also
love volunteering at the USO in Palm Springs
and visiting family and friends. I love this great
country of ours and I am so grateful to be living
here.
PAGE 4
ASY VOLUNTEERS
TAKE ON SUMMER
PROJECTS
Volunteers from Bravo Company, MCCES have
been hard at work this summer making sure
that the ASY is ready to hit the ground
running this fall. The students have taken part
in a number of clean-up projects throughout
June and July, helping the ASY get cleaned-up
and organized in preparation for our fall
programs and special events. Collectively the
students have contributed more than 120
hours to helping the ASY this summer. They
have done everything from playground cleanup and filling sand bags to organizing our
garage storage areas, sweeping walkways,
and sorting donations in the Thrift Store.
The students plan to
make it back to the
ASY for one more
project before they
graduate and move
on to their
permanent duty
stations. Their
instructor, SSgt
Ismael Esconde, said
of the class “This is
a really great group, and this is something
they really wanted to do.” The ASY has
been so grateful for their assistance and
willingness to take on any task, great or
small. It is the hard work of volunteers like
them, working behind the scenes each day,
that make our programs possible!
B CO. MCCES
STUDENTS
CONTRIBUTED
120 HOURS
OF TIME
NEWS&EVENTS
PAGE 5
SUMMER PROGRAMS CONCLUDE
The Armed Services YMCA’s two summer programs, the
Parent/Child Interactive Summer Fun Program for 3-9 year olds
and the Summer Day Camp for 1 st through 6th graders concluded
on July 31st. Participants enjoyed four action-packed weeks of
games, crafts, field trips and fun with friends.
The Summer Day Camp and the Summer Fun Program also
teamed up for a number of events including a very special
project to make a struggling little boy feel loved. Danny
Nickerson is a 5 year old boy living in Massachusetts who is
battling an inoperable brain tumor. For Danny’s upcoming sixth
birthday all he wanted was birthday cards with his name on
them. The Summer Fun Program and the Summer Day Camp
joined nearly 15,000 others in making handmade cards to send
to Danny for his birthday. Fostering a sense of compassion and
service is the foundation of the ASY’s educational programming
for children, and our Summer Programs, despite the fun and
carefree activities the participants enjoy, are no exception.
The ASY’s Summer Program participants braved
the desert heat throughout the month of July so
that they could get a little messy outside the
classroom. The participants spent one day
creating their own tie-dyed t-shirts, they also
enjoyed a banana split party on the playground
and had a sprinkler day to cool off – squirt guns
and improvised swimming pools kept everyone
comfortable despite the triple digit
temperatures. In between the fun activities,
crafts, games, and snacks, the program
facilitators still managed to sneak in a few
important lessons to keep the kids’
classroom skills in practice before the start
of the academic year. Taking turns, using
proper manners and showing respect to
teachers, parents, and other students are
always emphasized in the classroom, and
that emphasis is something our parents have
come to expect and value about our
programs.
Operation Hero Summer Day Camp
Facilitator, Sheri Cheung, said she noticed a
huge amount of growth in her students from
the beginning of the program on July 7 th to
the end on July 31st. “Their manners and
respectfulness in the classroom really grew
as time went on” she said. The ASY believes
that instilling those skills and courtesies,
even when the kids are having fun is so
important, and is something that our
participants will carry with them their whole
lives. We are excited for our program
participants continued growth this upcoming
school year!
THANK YOU
CORNER
The Thank You Corner is a place for the ASY to
highlight all the notes of gratitude we receive;
we hope that all our donors get a change to see
these notes and recognize how much their
support means to the families of Twentynine
Palms!
On the ASY’s Summer Camp:
“Thank you for providing such a fun opportunity for our kids!” – The White
Family
“Thanks to all the team and volunteers who worked at the camp this year. My
son really enjoyed his time there” - The McBride Family
“Thank you ASYMCA 29 Palms, staff, volunteers, and donors that made the
camp possible! My kids talked all night about camp and woke up this morning
talking about it. They learned so much about themselves during the week! My
12 year old said "I had to learn to trust myself and not get scared during the
high ropes course. It really made me grow". Both kids are talking about the
possibility of next year and hoping they can go! Thank you for everything!!!” –
The Caldwell Family
On Thank You for Your Service:
“Thank you so much, I can’t believe I didn’t know about this program sooner, it
helps so much between pay checks!” - Anonymous
THRIFT STORE NEWS
Did you know the ASY Thrift Store
offers books for FREE? All of our
paper-back and hard cover books
are yours for the taking and our
collections covers a wide range of
topics from popular fiction to health
and wellness, cookbooks, how-tos,
pregnancy and more!
The lifeguards at the municipal pool
in Twentynine Palms have been
taking full advantage of this great
resource all summer long. Thrift
Store Assistant Manager, Kristin
Kear, has helped them start their
own paper-back exchange to give
them something to do during the
down-time during long shifts on
slow days. Each week Kristin brings
the pool a new batch of books to
keep the life-guards entertained at
work. They swap out the books
they’ve finished and dive in to a
new round of summer reads. The
entire staff has been loving it, so
much so that they have come to be
known as the “library pool” with
Kristin as their “book lady!”
Kristin, who was a lifeguard for ten
years, is an avid reader herself.
Those two loves are what gave her
the inspiration for the book
exchange, “I’m happy to help out
the local pool and give them a
change to read a little bit more, and
find out what we have to offer at
the ASY!”
HOURS OF
OPERATION
ADMIN OFFICE
Monday – Friday
8:30AM – 4:00PM
THRIFT STORE
Tuesday – Friday
8:30AM – 4:00PM
BAG SALES
The Thrift Store will
hold a Bag Sale on
September 6th from
8:00 AM to 12:00
PM. Customers are
able to fill a 13
gallon bag with
clothing items for
$8.
VOLUNTEERING
If you are interested
in volunteering at
the ASY, contact
Volunteer
Coordinator Laura
Scotto at
laura.s@militarymca.
org for more
information or to
pick up a volunteer
application.
BIRTHDAYS
The ASY would like
to wish a very happy
birthday to
Operation Hero
Facilitator Yeseida
Ramos and Business
Manager
Dawn Clark.
ASY NOTES

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