The Project
Project Overview
The San Ramon Valley YMCA has been serving youth and families in South and Central Contra Costa County since 1981. Current programs serve 843 families, 951 youth (ages 0-12), 248 teens (ages 13-18), and 291 adults. The need for a YMCA in San Ramon Valley has never been greater. The lack of supervision after school and on weekends is putting local youth at risk. Family time is infrequent and fragmented due to households with two working parents. A recent survey of San Ramon Valley teens found that just 16 percent of high school students feel valued by adults and only 36 percent believe they have caring neighbors. Widely available YMCA programs have the ability to address these issues.
The senior population in the San Ramon Valley is expected to increase 80 percent by 2015. The lack of facilities has left the YMCA unable to meet the frequent requests from seniors for a therapeutic pool, wellness programs, social activities, and community meeting rooms.
Issues Addressed by Project
Contra Costa County is a diverse and complex region that blends urban and rural lifestyles. In recent years, growth and unprecedented social and economic changes have resulted in a declining sense of social connectivity and feeling of community. Trends affecting local neighborhoods include:
- Rapid and dramatic population growth, with many residents commuting to jobs elsewhere in the Bay Area.
- Increased at-risk middle and high school age populations affected by rising rates of teen violence and drug and alcohol-related offenses.
- Increased senior population aging in place, resulting in more demand for preventive health and rehabilitation programs
Demand for involvement in YMCA programs is increasing steadily. Existing facilities operate at capacity and new programs, from childcare to senior wellness, are quickly filled with participants. Additionally, some communities are without comprehensive facilities to house the YMCA's complete menu of character-building, health-enhancing and family-strengthening programs.
Several YMCA programs, including aquatics (swim safety lessons, family water recreation, water exercise and therapy), cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation and many health and wellness activities must be offered in a full facility to ensure the highest quality of program and adequate safety. The San Ramon Valley, without a physical facility, has seen an increase in the demand for programs and services. Full facilities are required to meet these demands.
To meet the demand for YMCA programming, particularly in the northern portion of the San Ramon Valley, a new multi-use facility will be established on twelve-acres of land in Alamo owned by the YMCA. Thorough planning and local coordination has resulted in full approval from all regulatory agencies for the project, including zoning, traffic and Environmental Impact Reports.
The new 28,585 square foot facility will include an aerobics/multi-purpose building, family wellness area, a warm-water indoor therapy pool, an outdoor family "splashpark" and teaching pool, teen leadership center, and multi-generational center for teens and seniors, surrounded by an open, park-like setting. The completed project is estimated at $9.1 million.
The San Ramon Valley YMCA will be programmed for community living patterns that invite active seniors during the day and families in the evening and during weekend hours. After-school hours will focus on youth and teens in activities that build developmental assets, strengthen leadership skills and foster the YMCA's core values.
Imagine a day at the new Y!
Early morning finds seniors swimming and exercising, and then enjoying a cup of coffee with friends and neighbors. They start the day connected to their community. Friends at the Y know and care how they are. Seniors stay vital and engaged in the life of the community. Many plan to return in the afternoon to take a cooking class or to mentor teens who need help with homework.
Later in the morning, women with MS gather at the warm water pool and take an exercise class that keeps them limber and helps ease some of the pain of their disease. After their workout, they join friends in the Multi-Generational Community Center who have finished their morning exercise routine. They look to the pool and chuckle over the little ones taking the Mommy and Me swimming class.
Local business people stop by the Y and work out at lunch time. While there, they participate in a brown-bag discussion with a nutritionist on heart-healthy menus.
After school, children come for a variety of programs. While they swim or take a chess class, mom or dad exercises in the wellness center or catches up on e-mails in the community center. Middle school children participate in healthy Y activities, such as taking a class on the climbing wall or taking a lifeguard class in the pool. They may opt to find a quiet place to do homework under the caring supervision of Y staff members. Senior volunteers are available to proof papers or to discuss ideas for school projects.
An important part of the new Y will be teaching children how to give back to their community and how to reach out to those in need. Community service will be a critical component of Y programs. In the evening, the local Rotary holds a fellowship meeting and discusses with teens a project that they will work on together to provide wheelchairs to children in an African village.
In another part of the facility, a delegation of Youth and Government high school students discuss the merits of the legislation that they will be presenting in Sacramento. At the pool, an Adventure Guide circle of dads and daughters is enjoying some quality time while getting great exercise.
The new Y is the heart of the community and is an important part of the daily life of the community, helping to build strong kids and strong families.
