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San Antonio OASIS Named 2007-2008 Center of Excellence
San Antonio OASIS has experienced consistent growth for 16 years. "The staff and volunteers amaze me daily," says Brenda Schmachtenberger, director. "People here really believe in the organization and what we do. And they're proud."
They should be. In the past year alone, San Antonio OASIS has offered programs at 20 sites through the City of San Antonio, WellMed, retirement centers, fitness centers and other non-profits.
Schmachtenberger says wellness is a focus of the center because health is the key to everything else. "If people are healthy, their entire well-being improves," she says. "They're more able to participate in classes, travel and volunteer."
Estelle Zimmerman professes she was a couch potato before she took the Active Living Every Day class. "It changed my life," she explains. "I didn't even know I felt bad until I started losing weight and gaining energy."
Zimmerman is a terrific example of how relationships evolve with OASIS - participate in a class, help out with a program, become a leader. Today, she donates about 400 hours a year and loves it. "There's so much for people to grab onto- education, self-improvement and opportunities to make a difference."
Lisa Gagnon volunteered for Active Generations, a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to reduce childhood obesity through environmental changes and education. She says the program really clicked for the kids. "I think they will make better choices because of this."
Power in PartnershipsLaura Cisneros, director of the City of San Antonio Community Initiatives, says OASIS and the city are a great example of a successful partnership. "City dollars are significantly leveraged when we work with OASIS," she says. "They do so much with so little, and their train the trainer approach multiplies the impact of their efforts." Over the last 12 years Cisneros has witnessed firsthand how dedicated and passionate the organization is about making things happen. Most recently OASIS has worked with the city and other organizations to provide fitness and nutrition classes to pre-diabetics in six underserved neighborhoods. "OASIS is in tune with mature adults and what's going on in the community," she says. Read about more OASIS Centers of Excellence.