New hotel, Kimpton Alma, to open in Gaslamp Quarter
Kimpton Alma San Diego announced it will open its doors to neighbors and international travelers alike when it makes its spirited debut this fall. A vibrant, warm and upbeat addition to Downtown, the 211-room Kimpton Alma will embody the city’s famously relaxed vibe, with an unpretentious, unassuming style that is upscale yet inviting. With authentic nods to the neighborhood — from original street art on the pool deck to the custom local coffee blend served in the cafe — Kimpton Alma is not only in San Diego, it is of San Diego.
Kimpton Alma will rise above the historic Gaslamp Quarter with 174 inviting and upscale guest rooms, 12 studios, 23 suites and two 1,550 square foot penthouses. These include several two-story suites with furnished balconies, spa bathrooms, separate bedroom and living rooms, and a spacious work area, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering breathtaking Pacific Ocean views. Interiors envisioned by design firm Indidesign will pay homage to the rich Mexican heritage directly to the south of the city, with woven textures, graphic illustrated patterns and lush fabrics throughout.
Kimpton Alma’s enticing food and beverage offerings will be brought to life under renowned Chef Jason Neroni of The Rose Venice, serving an exciting, San Diego-sourced range of culinary creations across three dining venues.
With over 20,000 square feet of flexible event space ranging from luxe penthouses to the pool deck and lounge, Kimpton Alma is ideal for both business and celebratory events. The property will be pet-friendly and offer amenities such as a complimentary evening social hour with local wines and craft beer, daily morning coffee and tea, in-room yoga mats, and bicycles for guests’ use.
Kimpton Alma San Diego will be located at 1047 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101. For more information and updates, please visit stayalma.com
RentCafe’s most recent analysis of over 125 U.S. metro areas concluded that no less than 420,000 new apartments are expected nationwide this year. Considering the total deliveries for 2021, apartment construction is at a 50-year high — the last time developers completed more than 400,000 rentals in one single year was in 1972.
San Diego is striving to meet the demand and keeps up with the national trend. The city is the only one from California to enter Top 20 cities by number of apartments built in the first half of 2022, with 1,427 new units delivered so far.
“ The construction industry is finally returning to pre-pandemic levels of activity but is still being hampered by three familiar challenges: labor shortages; material costs and availability; and supply chain issues,” said Doug Ressler, manager of business intelligence at Yardi Matrix.
Taste of Gaslamp Quarter back
San Diego’s original tasting tour returns to the iconic Gaslamp Quarter for the Taste of Gaslamp on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, from 1-4 p.m. The Taste of Gaslamp is a scrumptious self-guided foodie tour that has become a staple for locals and tourists alike who flock to the Quarter to indulge in a culinary adventure stopping at 20+ restaurants across 16 square city blocks.
After registration, attendees will have access to over 20 Gaslamp eateries to explore signature small bites at their leisure through the duration of the event. After a two-year hiatus, participating restaurants will be dishing out their most delectable items yet! For guests twenty-one and older, the Taste of Gaslamp Beer Garden offers up the ideal stop along the self-guided tour to indulge in three complimentary beer tastings at the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation’s Davis-Horton House Park.
General admission for the Taste of Gaslamp tour is $45 in advance and $55 day of event. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit tasteofgaslamp.com or call 619-233-5008.
Vegan, pet-friendly coffee shop opens in Hillcrest
Chiefy Cafe, Gaslamp’s pet-friendly coffee shop, has opened two more locations in Hillcrest and San Diego State University. With an emphasis on healthy, clean living, Chiefy Cafe offers delicious vegan dishes and coffee, as well as a super special protein-packed gluten-free waffle recipe for an amazing price. They welcome pets with open arms and make sure to carry treats for furry friends. Visit chiefycafe.com for more information.
Father Joe’s receives grants to keep pets and people together at shelters
Father Joe’s Villages received a $548,000 grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s Pet Assistance and Support Program . The funds will support efforts to keep neighbors in need and their animal companions together by providing pet-friendly shelter programs.
This grant will support expenses – including staffing, pet supplies and food, veterinarian care, training classes and the creation of a pet bathing area – involved in welcoming companion animals to all Father Joe’s Villages’ facilities.
Along with accepting pets, this grant will also make it easier for clients to leave their pets in a safe, comfortable crate or cage while they search for jobs or go to work.
Pets are a source of comfort for their human companions as well as a part of a client’s family. The acceptance of pets at all Father Joe’s Villages shelters ensures that no one must choose between access to resources or their beloved pets.
“Most pet owners would do whatever it takes to care for, protect and keep their animal because pets are family,” said Jesse Casement, Division Director of Client Services at Father Joe’s Villages. “In order to truly assist our clients, it is absolutely crucial that we welcome their entire family – including those members with fur, feathers, shells or scales into our shelter facilities.”
In 2021, 103 households with 120 animals entered and stayed at a Father Joe’s Villages shelter. 100% of pet owners at a Father Joe’s Villages facility shared that having their companion animals with them helped them work towards ending their homelessness
Interior designers furnish home in Old Town for family emerging from homelessness
The local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, San Diego (ASID), partnered with Humble Design San Diego to design and furnish a home in Old Town for a family emerging from homelessness on Sept. 2.
A design team composed of Humble Design staff designers and an ASID guest designer met the family – a single mom with four boys – earlier that week.
“Based on that interview, ASID volunteers have three days to use their creativity and expertise to design a home that reflects the preferences, interests, color choices, hobbies and dreams of the five-member family,” said Laura Lavoie, city director for Humble Design San Diego.
The designers will have access to Humble Design’s warehouse of donated furnishings, accessories, kitchenware and linens located at 2031 Commercial Street in Logan Heights. In preparation for this sponsored “Day of Service,” ASID also mounted a campaign this summer to collect new and gently used furniture and accessories with drop-off points around the county. Hundreds of items were collected.
“This is DIY design at its finest,” said ASID San Diego president Shannon Rice. “We’re focusing the skills we usually apply to well-to-do clients on a family emerging from homelessness. It is an extremely gratifying experience, especially considering that most Humble Design clients have only a few bags of personal belongings and many are sleeping on the floor.”
“Our mission is to help clients to break the cycle of homelessness by creating beautiful, personalized, dignified homes where families and veterans can find peace, strength and hope,” said Lavoie. “Statistics show that up to 50% of previously unsheltered families return to homelessness within a year of securing housing; by contrast, less than 1 percent of Humble Design’s clients return to experiencing homelessness. Help from Humble Design enables our clients to change their lives for good.”
Humble Design has furnished more than 2,500 homes across five cities since its founding in Detroit in 2009. It has been serving clients locally since 2018, helping more than 650 San Diegans – including more than 350 children – to begin the next hopeful chapter of their lives. The Sept. 2 collaboration with ASID will be Humble Design San Diego’s 226 th home.
Downtown San Diego Lions Club celebrates 100 years, new board members The Downtown San Diego Lions Club announced Douglas Wahl the new President to take over the reins with a renewed vision of “WE SERVE,” the club’s motto. In addition to Douglas, they have elected a new board of directors to usher them into the next 100 years.
For over 100 years the Downtown San Diego Lions Club has served the San Diego community being involved in almost all the major downtown projects in San Diego since its inception. Wahl’s vision is to bring that giving and commitment to the forefront once again to serve the community and to work with his new foundation board to enter the chapter of the club’s next 100 years. In 2021, the club gave away $56k to charities and individuals. Their total contribution to the community adds up to $5 million over the past century.
Wahl has volunteered for the Downtown San Diego Lions Club for several years working his way up the ranks in the Club and now as their new president. He served as a Surface Warfare Officer and an Oceanographer in the U.S. Navy reaching the rank of Commander. Returning to San Diego in 2015, Wahl is heavily involved in the Scouts and has served as Committee Chair for Cub Scout Pack 299 of Clairemont where he oversaw the business side of the coed Cub Scout Pack. Needless to say, he is no stranger to elevating organizations and leading them forward.
Several local residents are also a part of the board. Treasurer Larry Newmark lives in North Park; Liontamer Albert Preciado resides in Redwood Village. Tailtwister Pat Stalnaker is in Talmadge while director Tim Walsh is in neighboring Kensington.
UnitedHealthcare donates $1.5 million to nonprofits in Calif.
UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company, is awarding $1.5 million in Empowering Health grants to seven community-based organizations in California to expand access to care and address the social determinants of health for uninsured individuals and underserved communities.
Grant recipients in San Diego include:
According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, approximately 80% of what influences a person’s health relates to nonmedical issues, such as food, housing, transportation and the financial means to pay for basic daily needs. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused additional social and economic challenges that continue to affect healthy behaviors and exacerbate health disparities.
Since launching its Empowering Health commitment in 2018, UnitedHealthcare has now invested more than $51 million in Empowering Health grants reaching more than 8 million people through partnerships with community-based organizations in 30 states and the District of Columbia.
Additionally, UnitedHealth Group has invested more than $800 million in affordable housing communities since 2011, partnered with food banks and meal-delivery services, and in 2019 joined with the American Medical Association to standardize how social determinants of health data is collected and used to create more holistic care plans. In June, the United Health Foundation, the philanthropic foundation of UnitedHealth Group, made a $100 million commitment over 10 years to advance health equity, furthering its efforts to eliminate health disparities. This was the largest single philanthropic commitment ever made by the United Health Foundation.
School supply drive extended to Sept. 9
United Way of San Diego County (UWSD) is hosting its annual “Back to School Drive” through September 9 to gather new supplies for local students and families in need.
“ With families in our community still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, buying new school supplies can be a challenge, especially with the continued rise in inflation,” says Nancy L. Sasaki, president and CEO, United Way of San Diego County. “We hope to provide some relief to those households in need of support and, in turn, give their students an equal opportunity to start the school year on the right track.”
Since the start of the pandemic, communities across San Diego County have faced increasing hardships, including loss of wages, adverse housing conditions, and more. These challenges placed an unprecedented burden on many families, especially those already experiencing financial instability. Although we may be heading toward an endemic, many families continue to be negatively impacted.
Due to inflation, gas and grocery prices continue to increase, making it even more difficult for families to make ends meet. To help those most vulnerable to these inequities, UWSD is collecting new school supplies to help ensure students in need won’t fall even further behind.
UWSD encourages community members to take part in the positive transformation of students’ lives by donating through its online gift registry or by making a monetary donation directly to the nonprofit to support its ongoing efforts to address inequities in our community and close the gaps in learning and economic mobility so that all San Diegans can thrive. The nonprofit is looking for new school supplies, including pens, pencils, erasers, books, notebooks, backpacks, and much more.
For more information and ways to get involved, visit uwsd.org/B2S .
Feeding San Diego supports school with food assistance
As kids, young adults, and adults head back to school this month, Feeding San Diego is supporting San Diego County schools with much-needed food assistance for students and families amidst high inflation. The county’s leading hunger-relief and food rescue nonprofit organization has several programs that aid students in need of nutritious meals. While California’s Universal Meals Program means that all K-12 public school students receive at least two free meals a day while in school, low-income families still need assistance with meals for evenings and weekends.
“ While we are ecstatic that all kids will be offered meals while in school this year, inflation and residual effects of the pandemic are still negatively impacting families across the county,” said Dan Shea, CEO of Feeding San Diego. “It’s important to also note that food insecurity exists on college campuses and food assistance is needed to help those students achieve their personal and professional goals.”
The programs that support local youth are:
The nonprofit also works with local community colleges and universities to provide food assistance at food pantries on campus. Sites have been established at California State University San Marcos, Cuyamaca College, Mesa College, MiraCosta College, Miramar College, San Diego State University, and University of California San Diego.
Harvest for Hope fundraiser at Coasterra
The Emilio Nares Foundation (ENF) , a nonprofit that helps families navigate their child’s journey through cancer, will celebrate the 19 th annual Harvest for Hope fundraiser event on Sunday, Sept. 18 at Coasterra Restaurant, to help raise awareness during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. ENF invites the community to join them for an afternoon filled with signature food from local San Diego chefs, fine wine and spirits, craft beer tasting and live entertainment from art entertainer, Amy Burkman, and Saxophonist, Brian Pierini. The event will feature food and spirits from more than 25 participating local businesses and all proceeds will go to help ENF continue to provide free services to children battling cancer.
Some of this year’s participating restaurants include Crust Pizzeria , featuring their signature Big Sexy mac & cheese, Great Maple , highlighting with their smoked pork belly and polenta, Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. , sharing their carrot cupcakes and spiced buttercream frosting, and many more signature bites from all over San Diego.
The annual Harvest for Hope event gives the local community the opportunity to help children fighting cancer receive the life-saving medical treatments they need to survive. Since 2003, Harvest for Hope has raised over 3.2 million dollars for primarily low-income and underserved children battling cancer and their families in Southern California. This year’s goal is to raise $300,000 for the Emilio Nares Foundation which will give back to those struggling most in the Southern California community.
Since 2003, the Emilio Nares Foundation’s flagship program, Ride with Emilio, has travelled over 1.2 million miles to safely transport children to their medical treatments. Altogether, ENF has served over 600,000 families in Southern California and continues to support children fighting cancer and their families through fundraisers like Harvest for Hope.
The event will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 18 at Coasterra Restaurant, located at 880 Harbor Island Dr., San Diego CA 92101.
The second annual Afro Con promises to galvanize untapped creativity, elevate critical Afrofuturist thinking, and spark collaborative enterprise. Afro Con 2022 takes place Sept. 3-5 at the Jackie Robinson YMCA (151 YMCA Way, San Diego), with general admission free to the public.
Afro Con, short for Afrofuturism Consciousness Convention, is the brainchild of LaWana Richmond, EdD, aka Dr. LaWana, who also helped launch the Afrofuturism Lounge five years ago as a Comic-Con after party. Now an annual standalone gathering that coincides with the iconic San Diego convention, the Lounge event continues to connect the Black comix community and Afrofuturists across multiple genres.
“ This year’s Afrofuturism Lounge illuminated the growing interest in what Afro Con offers; Afrofuturists are mobilized by their history and uninhibited in their imagination,” Dr. LaWana said.
“Set in Southeastern San Diego at the recently remodeled Jackie Robinson Y, Afro Con 2022 is a reminder that the city has nurtured many Black visionaries including, Makeda Cheatom, the late Willie Morrow, RuPaul, even Whoopie Goldberg,” she added.
Afro Con 2022 is the first post-pandemic platform focused solely on highlighting the diverse talents of emerging Afrofuturists. The event will feature speakers and expert panelists on launching businesses and investing in artistic ventures.
Afro Con 2022 features keynote speaker community artist Maxx Moses , GTET Media developer Winston Shaw , musical artist Kahlil Nash , and concept artist, illustrator and music producer Tony Washington.
“ Afro Con 2022 advances the alliance of Black comix, scientists, filmmakers, techies, intellectuals and artists,” Dr. LaWana said.
Afro Con 2022 is sponsored by AfroCon.net, The Conservancy Corp, Firyali Visions and EDFU Foundation. Learn more about Afro Con 2022 and register at AfroCon.net.
All SD county hospitals accredited for geriatric emergency care
San Diego has become the first county in the nation where every eligible hospital has earned geriatric emergency department (GED) accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), a major milestone that means older adults will now have access to specialized emergency care wherever they happen to live in the region.
Countywide accreditation came about thanks to the San Diego Senior Emergency Care Initiative, a first-of-its kind public-private partnership spearheaded by the County of San Diego and West Health that began at the end of 2019, just a few months before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic.
“ The goal was to ensure that no matter which part of San Diego an older adult was living in, they would have access to high-quality senior-friendly care before, during and after a medical crisis,” said Shelley Lyford, CEO and Chair, West Health and a commissioner on the California Commission on Aging. “The COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affected seniors, only made all our work that much more important and the accomplishment that much more urgent and consequential.”
San Diego is now home to 18 accredited GEDs spread among Alvarado Hospital Medical Center , Kaiser Permanente San Diego , Palomar Health , Paradise Valley Hospital , Scripps Health , Sharp HealthCare , Tri-City Medical Center , UC San Diego Health and VA San Diego Healthcare System . According to county officials, the GEDs have the potential to touch the lives of the over 275,000 seniors who account for roughly one-third of all ED visits in San Diego. In California, only about 29% of older adults live in a city with a GED. Nationally, that number drops by almost half, with only 15% of seniors living in a city with a GED.
“ This is a milestone day for San Diego County health care and its future serving our largest growing constituency: seniors,” said Nick Macchione, Director of the County’s Health and Human Services Agency. “It seems like yesterday, but it was three years ago, during the presentation of the inaugural Aging Roadmap to our Board of Supervisors, that the County prioritized its support of our hospital partners to develop a network of emergency departments for this population.”
Many seniors struggle with frailty and mobility issues, dementias, polypharmacy, as well as other diseases and conditions that make them more vulnerable to medical emergencies. Beyond immediate care needs, GEDs can reach beyond a hospital’s four walls to integrate acute care with essential community supports, services, and programs such as those provided by social services, long-term care facilities, and networks supporting older adults living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
The rise of senior-friendly emergency departments correlates with the rapidly growing population of older adults in America. In San Diego County, people over the age of 65 will make up an estimated 21% of the population by 2030, up from 13% today, which is consistent with what is playing out across the rest of America. Over the same period, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates older people will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history.
ACEP established its Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation Program in 2018 in response to growing evidence that emergency departments are less able to meet health care needs of older persons who often have multiple chronic conditions and social support needs.
The program offers three tiers of accreditation based on multiple factors including geriatric-focused policies and protocols, clinical and patient outcomes and staff, senior-friendly physical environment enhancements and quality improvement initiatives. With the support of West Health, the Gary and Mary West Senior Emergency Care Unit (SECU) at UC San Diego Health was the first in the state to receive the top level of GED accreditation back in 2018.
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