History

In the early 2000s, 30th Street Senior Center became a test-site for the Always Active program as part of the CHAMPS III UCSF project . Since then, the On Lok 30th street senior center has been instrumental in spreading the program citywide to 21 different locations.  We celebrated our 14th year on June 28th, 2021.

This project is made possible by the funding and collaborative efforts of On Lok 30th Street Senior Center (lead agency), San Francisco Senior Centers (SFSC), the University of San Francisco’s Exercise and Sports Science (USF’s ESS) department, and the City and County of San Francisco’s Department of Disability & Aging Services (DAS) previously (DAAS).  

2000

Dr. Anita Stewart (University of California’s center for Healthy Aging) invited 30th Street Senior Center to be a test site for the exercise-based Community Healthy Activities Model Program

2003

30th Street Senior Center revised the Community Healthy Activities Model Program to fit a community-setting and with the help of the participants, renamed the program Always Active

The University of California San Francisco grant from the California Endowment     Fund ended

30th Street Senior Center received a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to keep the Always Active program going

2006

Department of Disability and Aging Services (Executive Director Anne Hinton) funded 30th Street Senior Center to become the lead agency of the Always Active program

2007

30th Street Senior Center partnered with San Francisco Senior Center/Sequoia Living and the University of San Francisco to expand the Always Active program to other sites within the city.

The San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services funded the expansion of the Always Active program throughout the city of San Francisco

The Fall Prevention program became part of Always Active through a partnership with USF, led and created by Dr. Chris Thompson

2016

The Department of Aging and Adult services funded On Lok’s Health Promotion programs for the next 3 years

2017

Always Active celebrated Tenth Anniversary

2018

Always Active celebrated and opened 3 new sites: Miraloma, Midtown Terrace and Inner Sunset


2019

Always Active expanded two additional locations: Canon Kip and Sunnyside

Served the community in 21 locations to 1,000+ participants,  30 exercise leaders and 60 classes per week

2020

Innovated and pioneered classes in Zoom for seniors as early as March 2020, in response to the pandemic

Enhanced online classes to experience the outdoors through virtual backgrounds, music and sound

Registered 500+ seniors, lead classes 5 days per week in English, Spanish and Cantonese.  Attendance reached up to 145 per class. 

2021

The Department of Disability and Aging Services approves a four-year funding period from July 2021 to June 2025. 

Continues to deliver virtual exercise classes for Always Active and Fall Prevention

2022

Re-opened several in-person locations while keeping virtual programming. Always Active is currently has classes in English, Spanish, and Cantonese both in-person and virtually.