Wednesday, July 30, 2008

New Immigrant Orientation

CISC hosted a new immigrant orientation for Seattle area newcomers on Monday. About a dozen folks participated; most had never been to CISC before.

They covered a lot of areas in the 5 hour session (which included a delicious lunch!), learning about employment in the US, childcare resources, the welfare and education systems, and entertainment in Seattle.

A representative from Denise Louie Education Center explained how to complete the application for childcare subsidies. One mother was so grateful for this help as she had been desperately trying to figure out what to do with her newborn so she could go back to work.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Stewarding our Planet

Last week, middle and high school students in our summer youth program spent an afternoon restoring the natural beauty of Dr. Jose Rizal Park on Beacon Hill.








In a service project led by Earthcorps, the youth learned about Seattle’s urban forests, environmental restoration, tool use and safety.

From laying woodchips to rooting out invasive blackberry bushes, our youth worked hard though the heat and impressed both Earthcorps and CISC staff with their positive attitudes!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Summer Festival

Once again, Sunshine Garden seniors kicked off the annual Chinatown/ID Summer Festival with performances on the main dragon stage in Hing Hay Park. They performed sword tai chi, 9 moves of fall prevention tai chi, Cantonese opera, and traditional Chinese songs on 琵琶, 二胡,violin, and alto sax(!?)



There's still time to get down there and join the fun. Lots of activities for kids (including a 3 story high giant slide), shopping for grown ups, and food, food, food! Tonight till 8:00, and Sunday from 11:00 to 6:00.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Chinese Kidneys

Bet that got your attention, huh? This is kind of old news, but the Northwest Kidney Centers just came out with their newsletter, Output, talking about National Kidney Month (in March) and the work they did here at CISC (see page 2).

Over 40 seniors attended a workshop on kidney health and information at the International Family Center-Seattle. Did you know that both Asian Pacific Americans and older adults are at increased risk for kidney disease? And many people with kidney disease don't even know they have it.

Find out if you are at risk but taking this quiz. To learn more about how your kidney works, check out this animated tutorial. By the way, that's Gov. Gregoire meeting with Sidney the Kidney up there...

Monday, July 07, 2008

ID Summer Festival

Once again, it is time for the annual International District Summer Festival - this weekend, July 12 & 13.

Sunshine Garden seniors will be kicking off this Seafair celebration with a performance on Saturday, 11:00 am on the main stage in Hing Hay Park.

Enjoy two full days of entertainment, food, community information, and fun. Enter the 6th annual Karaoke Idol contest and win great prizes!

Come out and support our seniors and marvel at their mental stamina and physical prowess! For a full schedule, click here.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Eastside Cultural Navigator Program in the News

Wednesday's edition of EastsideBusiness featured an article on the Eastside Cultural Navigator Program.

In it, they described how limited and even not-so-limited English speaking immigrants on the Eastside can now get assistance for themselves and their families in Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Russian, and the languages of India.

CISC is the lead agency for this project and we have been happy to work with the Family Resource Center in Redmond, Bellevue Mini City Hall at Crossroads, the Indian Association of Western Washington, local governments, and other providers to finally begin to address the needs of Eastside immigrants.

Come and drop by one of the sites soon and see what we have to offer!

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Phone Scam

Beware! There is a new scam going on targeting Chinese communities around the world. Mandarin speaking telemarketers tell victims they have won a cash prize. But first, they have to wire money to cover "insurance and processing fees."

CISC is working with some of the local victims through its Crime Victims Program. If you or someone you know has been a victim of crime, please report it immediately. And remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Happy 4th!

Wednesday, North Bellevue seniors celebrated Independence Day with singing, snacks, and smiles.

They learned about US history, talked about what it means to be American, and enjoyed a rousing round of bingo.

The Chinese seniors performed 2 songs in Chinese for the other program participants, then led the entire group in a rousing rendition of God Bless America. For many of our seniors, this was their first introduction to this most important of American holidays!

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

IFC-Seattle Rummage Sale

This Saturday, the International Family Center-Seattle held it's first (annual?) rummage sale to raise money for the program, and to give low income families a chance to pick up some great deals.

Over 100 people streamed through the center between 10:00 and 4:00 and sorted through children's clothing, toys, household items, and much, much more.

Everyone, including staff, had a great time hunting for treasures, and over $500 was raised to support activities for Chinese and Vietnamese families!