San Diego Oasis opens a new Senior Center

By Vince Meehan

Simona Valanciute is the President & CEO of San Diego Oasis, a local non-profit dedicated to giving senior citizens aged 50 or older, a host of programs to keep their minds and bodies both bright and healthy. Valanciute has been with the foundation for ten years and was inspired by her grandmother to help give senior citizens a productive place to go and be an active part of the community.

“I have a passion for helping older adults and at-risk children which is what Oasis is focused on, and I feel they are the two most important generations out there.” Valanciute stated. “Our mission is focused on healthy longevity for the senior population. Also, intergenerational programing where we bring older adults and at-risk children together for the beautiful mentorship and relationship building and improving literacy for the little learners who are anywhere from kindergarten up to the fifth grade.”

Valanciute believes that bringing together motivated seniors and children at-risk, is a natural as well as beautiful way to help mentor kids as well as let seniors feel needed. She says the combination is a win-win, and everybody benefits from the intergenerational relation - ships.

“San Diego Oasis has been around for 35 years and we have been the pioneers and thought-leaders in the aging space. When we first started, it was an antidote to the traditional senior center – which unfortunately has not changed very much in the last four decades. You know, its typically a remote place where if you go there, you wont be exposed to many other people – any other generations – and its not a vibrant, joyous happy place with stimulating programs where you can meet friends and continue learning and stay physically strong.”

San Diego Oasis is a unique educational program for seniors who want to continue to learn and be productive throughout life. Membership is free, and open to anyone 50 or older. Oasis has been operating out of their Grossmont Center campus for years, but recently opened a brand new fun and vibrant senior super-center in Rancho Bernardo, a community that was lacking the kind of programs available at Oasis. The mission of San Diego Oasis is to promote healthy aging through lifelong learning, active lifestyles and volunteer engagement. Their approach is centered on three key core values: lifelong learning, health and wellness, and community involvement through intergenerational programs. At Oasis, seniors can sign up for opportunities to participate in classes, lectures, discussion groups, performances, trips, and off-site adventures. Class subjects include arts, humanities, computers, science, fitness and wellness. And Valanciute says that the new Rancho Bernardo facility will open the door for even more fun classes.

“We’ve just launched our largest location in Rancho Bernardo on June 24, so that is now our newest most comprehensive and largest center of excellence for older adults in the country. And we were building that location for three years so it was a tremendously joyous day to launch this 19,000 square foot facility in Rancho Bernardo that will bring all the elements that Oasis is known and respected for, the life-long learning, the technology learning, the wellness, and the intergenerational programing. But because we have more space in that building, we can do more programing. So were bringing brand new things we’ve never done before like a new teaching kitchen!”

Valanciute says the new kitchen will include chefs, doctors and dieticians to address specific disease related food issues for those on doctor-ordered diets. This is an issue that many seniors struggle with and Oasis aims to help bridge that knowledge gap with these classes. But it will also bring out the sheer joy of cooking that will benefit everyone who participates. Valanciute added that the facility also features an indoor/outdoor events center that can accommodate 440 people because the community let her know that there was a distinct lack of affordable meeting space in Rancho Bernardo. But it’s the intergenerational programs that are really the passion of Valanciute, and she swells with emotion when talking about them.

“Right now, were doing something incredible: were running a five-week summer camp which is an intergenerational summer camp. Its for elementary school children at the elementary school campus – which is their campus they know, the school – it’s the full blown summer fun camp with snakes, and spiders and bubble blowing and theater and reading and books and all the summer fun you would expect, but it also comes with older adults. So children are paired in pods with older adults and everybody has a summer camp experience; it’s amazing!”

Oasis places seniors in local San Diego elementary schools to help children enhance their reading and writing skills. Free training and materials are provided to the mentors and no previous teaching experience is needed. San Diego Oasis Tutors help students improve test scores in reading and math while opening the doors for seniors to put their life skills to work for a younger generation.

“Over nearly two decades, Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring has consistently improved students’ reading ability, academic performance and attitudes about learning. The program taps the tremendous potential of committed volunteers who have the time, patience and life experience to make a profound difference in the lives of children,” said John Dunnicliff, Intergenerational Tutoring Volunteer Coordinator. “Each tutor is paired with a Title One elementary school student, one-on-one, once a week, for an hour, throughout an entire year with the same student. We call it the ‘grandparent’ effect.”

Seniors are encouraged to check out the website to sign up for classes, volunteer for mentoring or helping in the center, or to tutor children or teach the classes. There is something for everybody and the work is as important as it is rewarding.

At a Glance: San Diego Oasis Website: San-Diego.Oasisnet.org info@SanDiegoOasis.org

La Mesa 5500 Grossmont Center Drive Suite 269 (619) 881-6262

Rancho Bernardo 17170 Bernardo Center Drive (858) 240-2880