San Diego Oasis Expands Senior Services and Programs to North County

On Saturday, June 24, local nonprofit San Diego Oasis welcomed 1,200 older adults and community leaders to celebrate the grand opening of one of the largest and most modern senior centers on the West Coast. The two-story, 19,000 sq.ft. building is in the San Diego community of Rancho Bernardo, and expands the nonprofit’s programs and courses to North County San Diego seniors in a permanent location. For many years, leaders at San Diego Oasis envisioned expanding to North County and building the most comprehensive, forward-looking, technology-infused center of excellence for adults. They have since worked hard to make their vision a reality. Today, San Diego Oasis at Rancho Bernardo is able to reach an older adult population that may not be benefiting from their offerings due to distance by bringing this thoughtfully curated center to them. San Diego Oasis’ persistent and intentional efforts are now a reality for any older adult looking to start their healthy living mission.

The mission of San Diego Oasis is to foster a positive environment for older adults to thrive by promoting successful aging through lifelong learning programs and focusing on the importance of an active lifestyle and community involvement. The new center, located at 17170 Bernardo Center Drive (92128), is the one-stop-shop for older adults in North County where they can learn, exercise, and socialize all in one place.

The facility is two times the size of its current location in La Mesa and is a testament to San Diego Oasis’ continued commitment to the San Diego older adult community it has served for over three decades. San Diego Oasis at Rancho Bernardo will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For questions and more information, visit sandiegooasis.org or call 858-240-2880.

‘Senior Center of the Future’ is now open in Rancho Bernardo
With 1,200 attendees at the grand opening, Simona Valanciute, president and CEO of San Diego Oasis and San Diego mayor, Todd Gloria, offered inspiring remarks about what this center represents to older adults in the community.

Valanciute welcomed guests and delivered an impassioned speech to encourage attendees to continue to advocate for older adults. “A few weeks ago, Dr. Vivek Murthy, our United States Surgeon General, announced that we have a public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country. He called for a national plan to do the following: strengthen social infrastructure, reform digital environments, and cultivate a culture of connection. That is what Oasis is all about every day,” she said. “Our team of dreamers have been seeking a permanent place where we can take care of each other and our communities. We had a bold vision to purchase the building which would serve the highest concentration of elders within a five mile radius in San Diego now and in the future. We found this beautiful space right here in Rancho Bernardo, and we are ready to welcome and serve 100,000 older adults starting today.”

“The silver tsunami is there, we know it. We know that San Diegans are going to get older and we’re going to enjoy a situation soon where a sizable amount of our population are people who are defined as senior citizens. That’s precisely why we need to make these investments. And that’s why I want to be here today,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “What we have now is a state-of-the-art senior center that is worthy of replication all across the city. Sign me up and count me as a supporter for doing more of this throughout America’s Finest City!”

The ceremony also featured remarks by San Diego Oasis board president Julie Derry, City of San Diego councilmember Marni Von Wilpert, County of San Diego Tax Assessor Jordan Marks, who also serves on the nonprofit’s advisory board, Joel Anderson, supervisor, District 2, Robin Kaufman, Rancho Bernardo community council, and Dr. Ken Druck, who provided an inspirational moment. Members of the North San Diego Business Chamber and the Poway Chamber of Commerce led a ribbon cutting ceremony. Among the attendees were members of the San Diego Oasis board and advisory committee. All guests had the opportunity to get a first glimpse of the state-of-the-art building participating in tours and class demonstrations, meeting instructors and vendors, connecting with community sponsors, enjoying opportunity drawings, and more. More than half of attendees were new guests from Rancho Bernardo and surrounding areas, many of which became members of the new location.

State-of-the-art features for lifelong learning and healthy living
The new San Diego Oasis at Rancho Bernardo promises to be the “senior center of the future.” Older adults in North County San Diego will have the opportunity to experience the variety of programs offered by the nonprofit with its state-of-the-art tech equipment and innovative design. Members will be able to participate in everything from cooking classes, dance and fitness classes, meditation, lectures, music and much more.

Jan Semerad, a 40-year Rancho Bernardo resident, was one of the first to visit the new San Diego Oasis center and is among the first to become a member. “There's other local gyms within our area, but this is different. This is all encompassing. I saw the kitchen and the fantastic view upstairs. It's so much better than other local gyms because they're just for exercising. This is a lot more, a lot more classes,” she said.

San Diego Oasis at Rancho Bernardo is an intellectual, fitness, creative, and social hub with offerings for all. This includes:

• Spacious classrooms for peer-to-peer learning and exchanges through a myriad of compelling and relevant topics, most with ample natural lighting.
• Shamily’s Kitchen & Social Lounge for hands-on experiences in cooking creations and to encourage socialization, friendship and engagement.
• Oasis Innovation Center (OIC), a visionary concept that will feature current technology trends.
• An art studio for inspirational arts and crafts work.
• A health and wellness center for exercise and dance, and health-related classes where members can feel the music and enjoy movement with their peers.
• An assembly hall for presentations with renowned speakers and special events. The hall can hold 310 banquet-style and 400 lecture-style. This room, as well as all other classrooms, will be available for rent for business meetings and special events.
• A resource center where seniors can access a wide variety of useful information.
• A Game Room which will be home to the Bridge Club of North County, and other game-related classes such as Mah Jongg.
• An outdoor patio for meditation, outdoor dining and friendly relaxation.
• Accessibility through easy access from the I-15 freeway and ample parking.

The Rancho Bernardo center’s larger space will allow San Diego Oasis to almost double its class offerings and increase its membership capacity by 50%, giving them a unique opportunity to serve over 100,000 older adult residents in North County. The $8 million project is on a 5-year mission to raise funds for building costs and programming.

San Diego Oasis converts the negative perceptions associated with aging into opportunities for exploring, learning, volunteering, and continuing to grow. Each program at its centers are curated and designed to lead older adults toward healthy living, helping them thrive and age successfully. The nonprofit’s lifelong learning programs cover a wide range of topics based on participants' needs and interests.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, every day 10,000 individuals turn 60 years old. By 2030, Americans over 60 will comprise nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population. Without structured social engagement, life transitions linked to aging such as retirement, children leaving home, loss of friends and family can increase the likelihood of older adults becoming isolated and experiencing preventable declines in health and quality of life. Through years of experience, leaders at San Diego Oasis have seen how members blossom after they enroll and begin attending their classes where they meet other older adults and become active participants of the program.

The San Diego Oasis membership is free and any older adult interested in becoming a member can do so by visiting sandiegooasis.org. Also, anyone interested in donating supplies to the new location, are encouraged to visit their Amazon wishlist under San Diego Oasis Rancho Bernardo at Amazon.com.

About San Diego Oasis
San Diego Oasis, an award-winning nonprofit organization, is on a mission to change the way people age 50 and better experience aging by providing its members with opportunities to pursue vibrant, healthy, productive and meaningful lives through education, wellness, and community service. The community-based organization annually hosts over 3,000 online and in-person workshops at over 40 locations to 5,600 active participants throughout San Diego County. The nonprofit’s Intergenerational Literacy Tutoring Program matches an older adult in the life of an at-risk, low-income student in grades K-4. Its Digital Divide program brings technology to low-income seniors in need through tablets, training and access to the internet. San Diego Oasis now has two locations, one in Grossmont Center in La Mesa, CA and a new flagship center in Rancho Bernardo in North County San Diego. Learn more at www.SanDiegoOasis.org, connect on Facebook and LinkedIn.