- You can read more about the closure of the YMCA in the December 9th Thousand Oaks Acorn article.
- You can read more about the Teen Center renovation in this November 11 Acorn article.
- Two huge classrooms. There are two large bathrooms (locker rooms actually, but closed off from the main building) outside the bungalows;
- An office space which serves as our main “hub”. It holds another classroom, two small study rooms, a foyer, bathroom and a utility area;
- An activity room with hardwood floors and an incredible view! It has a full kitchen, two bathrooms, and ample area for seating and activities;
- A variety of open and covered outdoor classroom spaces, including an outdoor amphitheater with views of the Santa Rosa Valley, two Gaga pits, a basketball court, and a play structure, all on 35 acres of open space that include hiking trails (!!).
Is it Safe?
YES! We would not move here if it wasn’t, and the YMCA would not allow it. We do not have access to the main building, due to it having two empty pools. But we have access to everything else. However, the buildings definitely needed some TLC! They had not been used (except for youth programming last summer) since March 2020, and before that, they were very well-used. In order to prepare the space, the YMCA and OSA made many necessary upgrades, including: carpeting in the two bungalows and new paints throughout; new screens for windows and the replacement of old flourescent bulbs with LED; electrical upgrades, a new dishwasher, and a new water heater in the Activity Room; an industrial handrail for the wooden stairs leading to the Activity Room; and a host of other upgrades and cleaning details, from new dispensers in the restrooms to campus clean up.
Is it Long Term?
We have a month-to-month lease on the space. At this time, we are planning for the year and beyond, and we feel confident that we will be provided plenty of time in the event of any necessary transitions. During our time here, we will ENJOY it, CARE for it, and “sprinkle fairy dust” on it. We also have a beautiful garden at the Las Flores Community Garden that we will continue to use off site. It is about 2.5 miles away.
The future remains to be seen, and that is OKAY. In the meantime, we are enjoying yet another huge OSA Adventure. We are good at this! We are flexible, innovative, creative, and resilient.
(Updated 9/13/22)