After fifteen months of closures due to the pandemic, South Bay Community Center is reopening its doors.
July 1 marked the first day the center reopened, and it is now accepting venue reservations. South Bay Community Center, located at 2180 Palisades Ave. in Los Osos, hosts events from quinceañeras to Christmas dinners.
“Pretty much anything people in the community like to do,” says Chuck Snead, the South Bay Community Center’s CFO.
During the long shutdown, the center stayed afloat through a combination of savings and help from Senior Nutrition and People Helping People.
“We do hope that people start coming out in full force,” he says. “We are hoping for a good year.”
South Bay Community Center has a 3,300 square foot assembly room and an outdoor patio. To use the lawn, renters need a permit from the county.
Right now, the center is the location for weekly programs that bring food to seniors and the homeless.
The center is owned by the community—not the county—and it relies on renters to stay open.
“Our whole support comes from our donations and people renting out the space,” says Cherrie Katayama, an organizer at the community center. “The only thing we have been getting money from is People Helping People.”
The nonprofit organization gave grants to the center to help them continue to operate during the closure.
“Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here today,” Katayama says.
The center has announced their reopening on their website. The message is also up on their bulletin board and included in their phone message.
Its message, that all central coast communities are welcome, is loud and clear.
You can get in touch with South Bay Community Center through their office phone at (805) 528-4169. Additional contact options are listed on their website.
