City After School Program Helps Less Fortunate Kids This Holiday
Children in the “6 to 6” Program Collect Gifts for Others in Unique Adopt-A-Site Effort

SAN DIEGO – Children in the City of San Diego’s “6 to 6” after school program are learning the true meaning of the holidays is about giving, not receiving.

For the fourth year, students from the Solana Beach Child Development Center, which provides after school program services to Carmel Creek, Skyline, Solana Pacific, Solana Santa Fe, Solana Vista and Solana Highlands elementary schools along with Solana Beach Child Development Center Preschool, collected toys for kids less fortunate than themselves. 

Each Solana Beach CDC site has a tree with special gift tags identifying the gender and age of a student from a sister program site.  The children selected a tag and purchased gifts which were then brought into the Solana Beach site where staff and families wrapped them.   Later this week, Santa Claus will deliver the gifts to the kids at the “6 to 6” program sites around the County.  Solana Beach CDC children who bought the gifts will assist Santa as elves during the deliveries.

“It’s nice to take the focus off of what kids want and focus on what others need,” said June Dudas, City of San Diego’s “6 to 6” Program Administrator.  “The kids in the Solana Beach program have learned a truly important lesson in giving.  This is something that we strive to teach all our “6 to 6” students.”

Dudas continued, “We are very fortunate to have Kelly Johnston, the staff and families from the Solana Beach Child Development Centers.  Without their caring this wouldn’t have been possible.”

San Diego’s “6 to 6” program is overseen by the City of San Diego’s Community and Economic Development Department, in partnership with area school districts.  The program is committed to opening community schools before and after normal school hours to provide a safe place where elementary and middle school-aged children and youth can receive academic assistance and tutoring, and participate in recreational activities such as arts, crafts and sports while their parents are at work.

For more information about San Diego’s “6 to 6” Program contact the City’s Community and Economic Development Department at (619) 236-6312 or visit the City’s web site at www.sandiego.gov/cpci.

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With an emphasis on the City’s urban core neighborhoods and low and moderate income residents, the Community and Economic Development Department strives to improve the quality of life and ensure a healthy economy in San Diego through job development, business development, neighborhood revitalization, public improvements, redevelopment, social services, and revenue enhancement.