May 2021 | Page 46

SWA Community

SAN DIEGO CENTER FOR CHILDREN Inspiring a world where all children and families live joyful and healthy lives

Southwest Airlines and San Diego Center for Children have had a partnership of over 25 years , working together to enhance programs and initiatives that provide quality care for children and their families . Their work mirrors some of the principles Southwest ’ s founder Herb Kelleher laid out for all Southwest Employees : Maintain the self-confidence and self-esteem of others ; Maintain constructive relationships ; Take the initiative to make things better ; and Lead by example . Southwest Airlines is proud to be the recipient of the Center ’ s PATH Award on May 22 , which recognizes supporters and partners to the organization who have made an outstanding impact , celebrating extraordinary contributions and transformative outcomes .

Kelly Knox Community Outreach Lead
Southwest Airlines

As the oldest children ’ s nonprofit in the region , the San Diego Center for Children provides therapeutic and educational services to children and teens struggling with mental , emotional and behavioral health challenges . The Center serves more than 1,000 underserved individuals each day across 8 program sites and within hundreds of homes and schools across the county .

“ As we enter into Spring , not only are we still coping with the Pandemic , but we are also seeing the impact on mental health of youth in our community . As we have all been fearing , social isolation is leading to an increase in cases of severe depression and anxiety . The pandemic has made a difficult situation even worse . With the support of our community , the Center never stopped providing essential services to children and families , both in-person or online ,” shared Moisés Barón , Ph . D ., President and CEO of the San Diego Center for Children .
At the San Diego Center for Children , they understand that many in our community struggle to gain access to care and that it is our responsibility to create opportunities for youth and families in need . During this past year , in the midst of the pandemic , not only did they continue to provide all of their essential therapeutic and educational services , they were successful in launching three new much-needed programs in partnership with Rady Children ’ s Hospital . To help care for
46 GBSAN . COM | MAY 2021