aloha club Welcomes New Families to Coronado
As the school year gets underway Safe Harbor Coronado (formerly Coronado SAFE) is welcoming the island’s newest residents through their program, the Aloha Club. The Aloha Club aims to empower newcomers in Coronado with the tools, resources, and connections in order for families to build resiliency and thrive. This popular program increases community connectivity while minimizing the emotional toll that moving often has on families, especially in a heavy military community.
Numerous studies show that building social connections is just as important as exercise and diet in the care of good mental health. We are profoundly shaped by our social environment, and we suffer greatly when our social bonds are threatened or broken. Conversely, individuals who feel more connected to others have lower levels of anxiety and depression. They also have links to higher self-esteem and greater empathy for others. With that in mind, cultivating and strengthening connections is at the core of the Aloha Club and each of Safe Harbor’s programs.
Over the next few weeks, Aloha Club volunteers will be hand-delivering welcome bags with relevant resources and goodies from Safe Harbor and its community partners such as vouchers to the Rec Center and small toys from the library. Each new family can also have the option to be matched with a local family who can serve as a local resource to help build connections throughout the year.
Since Safe Harbor’s mission places a strong emphasis on community partners, it’s fitting that the success of the program can be attributed to coordinated efforts with the Naval Base Coronado School Liaison Office, CUSD, Christ Church Day School, Sacred Heart Parish School, and a group of amazing local community volunteers. The program is open to all Coronado families including families whose children are homeschooled or attend school off the island.
Through the Aloha Club, Coronado is able to come together as a community to help new families navigate their new life and build a more resilient Coronado. After seeing the welcome bag on their doorstep one family said, “My family and I were so touched by the thoughtful welcome and gift bag! This is what makes Coronado such a special place to live.”
YOU Can Get Involved:
· For New Families: If you would like to receive a welcome bag filled with resources and goodies and/or be matched with an existing family, please register online at SafeHarborCoronado.org/new-to-coronado
· Looking to Volunteer: If you’re a local family interested in volunteering to help welcome new families, please contact info@safeharborcoronado.org or call 619-522-6884 for information on how you can help with welcome bags and/or be matched with a new family.
· Be Neighborly: See someone moving in on your block, introduce yourself and welcome them to the neighborhood. Sometimes it’s the simple things that make all the difference.
Safe Harbor strengthens youth and families through it's programs by offering community education, youth/parenting programs and low-cost counseling. Visit SafeHarborCoronado.org, sign up for the eNewsletter, and follow Safe Harbor on social media @SafeHarborCoronado. You can reach Safe Harbor’s staff at 619-522-6884. Let’s navigate life together!
