Chinese Information and Service Center

Parent Recognition

2011-12-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

Every quarter, our after school program holds a Family Night, usually showcasing the students' accomplishments for parents, teachers and relatives. This month, however, we decided to do something a little different and ask the parents to talk about their own kids.

As many of you know, Asian parents don't often compliment their children. In fact, many times the only interactions they have with their kids is to "encourage" them on to do better. As part of the introduction to American culture, CISC worked with parents to show them how encouragement, praise and positive reinforcement can be useful tools in raising their children in the US.

The kids ate it up! Most had never heard their parents say anything good about them in public before. For the parents, this was a huge learning opportunity, both in terms of acculturation, as well as in learning new and useful parenting skills and strategies.

Kudos to all our parents and our outstanding students!

Caregiver Appreciation

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

CISC salutes the untiring efforts of our family caregivers. Caring for a loved one 24/7 is a labor of love, but also a major stressor for those without outside support. CISC's Family Caregiver Program helps provide some of this support through education (like how to move someone safely from bed to wheelchair, how to ensure med compliance), respite services, and counseling.

CISC also provides social outlets like last week's appreciation party for caregivers who are all too often tied to the home, with no opportunity to engage with others. Exercise groups, peer support, and just plain socializing helps ease the stress of a full time, unpaid job done out of love.

Food doesn't hurt either.

1st Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

CISC Pre-K kids getting their first taste of turkey. In fact, none of them had ever SEEN a turkey before.

WARNING: CUTE KIDS!

Not only bilingual (Mandarin/English) instruction to prepare kids for success in kindergarten, CISC focuses on bicultural identity development as well.

November is Family Caregiver Month

2011-11-14T21:43:00.000-08:00

CISC will be celebrating National Family Caregiver Month at the International Family Center-Seattle on Wednesday, November 16 with a thank you for all our unpaid caregivers. A special sharing session will be followed by lunch, and terrific raffle prizes as a small way of showing our appreciation for all the hard work our family caregivers put in throughout the year.

Did you know that in addition to providing emotional and physical support, 40% of family caregivers reduce their work hours or quit their jobs to care for their loved ones? Plus, they spend an average of $5,500.00 of their own money to help provide the care they give.

CISC's Family Caregiver Program has more information and resources for you. Contact Theresa Lam at theresal@cisc-seattle or 206-624-5633 x 4137

Karaoke Party!

2011-11-12T18:54:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday a group of supporters from the International Family Center-Kent organized a karaoke/dance party at Tea Palace to raise funds for the center. Over 200 people were treated to the wonderful singing and dancing talents in our community and raised $7,000 for the IFC-Kent!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, kids from our bilingual Pre-K program dressed up and went trick or treating around CISC. For most of them, this was the first time they had experienced Halloween. The looks on their faces when they realized that all they had to do was say, "trick or treat" and people would give them candy... priceless!

As part of our efforts to connect the generations, the kids ended up their trick or treating at Sunshine Garden. The seniors there had already prepared for the event with their own Halloween celebration, arts and crafts. They exchanged candies with the kids for beautiful autumn leaves that they took home to decorate with.

All in all, it was a fun morning. Even when we overheard one girl telling her friend how she didn't know if she could carry any more candy her bag was so heavy!

Bridging the generations - Sunshine Garden seniors and Pre-K children celebrate Halloween together

National Immigrant Integration Conference

2011-10-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

Last week, CISC's senior management participated in a 3 day conference on immigrant integration. There were over 700 attendees from 38 states and 7 countries talking about all aspects of immigrant integration: active citizenship, English language learning, workforce development, health, rights, youth and education, and engaging receiving communities.

We all came away with terrific ideas, great resources, and new friends who will support us in the work we do - and vice versa. Stay tuned to see how we begin to implement these ideas to create even more opportunities for immigrants and their families to succeed in their new community!

Wii Bowling

2011-10-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

Not to be outdone by CISC staff, who held their first Wii bowling tournament last month, Sunshine Garden Seniors decided that it was time for THEM to learn how to do this virtual bowling thing too.

It took a little bit of practice, but soon we had seniors making strikes and spares galore. Not only were they happy to have a new form of entertainment, they also liked the physical activity involved as well.

Now it's bowling, next time, who knows? Maybe it'll be hula hoops - or skeet shooting!

Ardent Supporters

2011-09-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Some pics of some of our biggest supporters who turned out last week at the home of Dennis and Millie Su. Thank you all for your very generous and continued support of CISC!

Good food, drinks, and great company!

Community Health Fair Sponsored by NW Kidney Center

2011-09-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, CISC's International Family Center-Seattle partnered with ICHS and 21 other organizations to present the 2011 Community Health Fair. The nearly 300 attendees took part in free medical screenings, educational workshops, and outreach navigation to help access health care resources.

They were also treated to samples of healthy soy sauce, kitchen tools, and items to promote physical activity in kids and adults. Everyone enjoyed visiting with NW Kidney Centers' Sidney (the kidney), and practiced dental hygiene on a giant tooth with help from the Tooth Fairy.

A big thanks to all our partners for making this year's Community Health Fair a huge success!

Office Depot Foundation

2011-08-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

Once again, as part of its National Backpack program, Office Depot has donated a number of new sackpacks to help our kids get off to a good start in school.

We'll be giving these new sackpacks in 5 cool designs to families at our International Family Centers in Seattle, and as part of our mid-Autumn Moon Festival celebration on September 10 in Kent. Come join the fun and pick up a bag for your child too!

Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center

2011-08-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

Kudos to the CISC after school program and incredible staff!

"The CISC volunteer site is a great learning experience for me because it allowed me to apply the skills I learned

internally within the classroom walls to the external world. Also, I had a really fun time as a tutor since I got to
engage with a lot of children.

From the latest report out of the Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center

Community Health Fair 2011

2011-08-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Our International Family Center's annual Community Health Fair is coming up - 10am-2pm on Saturday, September 17 at CISC. Take advantage of health screenings and professional advice from the 20 organizations that will be attending. Chinese and Vietnamese interpreters will be available, and a light lunch will be served at noon. Thanks to Northwest Kidney Center for sponsoring the event, and Washington State Hepatitis B Coalition for providing lunch.

For more information, please contact Mabel Kwong at mabelk@cisc-seattle.org or 206-624-5633 x 4151.

Video Project: Adobe Youth Voices

2011-06-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Staff member Karia recently obtained a technology grant from Adobe to teach students to design and produce videos. This grant enabled immigrant youths to express and voice their opinions of critical topics through media production. While the initial stages and coming up with video themes were difficult, Karia was soon amazed by the creativity and dedication the students showed in their work. As a result, three of the videos were shared at the Adobe event on May 17th. Here are links to the three videos:

Don't Waste Food: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/adobe-youth-voices/dont-waste-food/
Shattered Dreams: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/adobe-youth-voices/shattered-dreams/
Encouragement: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/adobe-youth-voices/encouragement/

39th Annual Friendship Dinner and Auction

2011-06-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

Over 350 guests and supporters attended CISC's 39th Annual Friendship Dinner and Auction held at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue on June 4. Guests enjoyed a plated dinner while participating in both live and silent auctions throughout the night. Through generous donations and gifts, we raised nearly $140,000 during the event for CISC programs! Thanks to everyone who came out and supported CISC, making this a very successful night for us.

Photographs courtesy of Dave Greer, Kevin Simans, and Hut Kwan.

Tech Health Day in September - volunteer commitments needed!

2011-05-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

We need your help to make our 1st Chinatown/International Tech Health Day a success! We need to have a rough headcount of volunteers before we complete our proposal and apply for funding. Time commitment is below:

1st Preparation Meeting:    September 03, 2011 from 10:00am to 12:00pm
2nd Preparation Meeting:   September 10, 2011 from 10:00am to 12:00pm
1st Tech Health Day:          September 17, 2011 from 9:00am to 3:00pm.

While a lot of people are enjoying the benefits of improving information technology, there are still people who are not due to lack of exposure, limited access, language barriers, and other reasons. CISC is working on a proposal to host a tech health day for Chinese immigrants. The goals of the 1st Chinatown/ International Tech Health Day are to promote technological awareness and encourage safe adoption of technology among the Chinese community.

There will be demonstrations of various uses of technology such as interactive video consoles, cell phones and smart phones, digital entertainment, and iPads. There will be educational/informational booths and workshops for families as well as individual users. Topics include Cyber Safety for Children, Internet Safety, Online Job Search & Application, Online Shopping Tips, Resources on Government Websites, and Online Translation Tools.

To sign up, or for questions and more information, please contact Karia Wong at (206) 624-5633 x 4119 or at kariaw@cisc-seattle.org.

Bridges to Success

2011-05-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Bellevue Councilmember John Chelminiak has been selected by as the 2011 recipient of the Bridges to Success Award. The award honors one individual’s commendable work that helps create bridges to success for immigrants and immigrant communities.

This year’s award specifically highlights the Councilmember’s dedication and passion towards human services and serving local communities. Mr. Chelmniniak will be presented with the award at CISC’s 39^th Annual Friendship Dinner and Auction on June 4, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.

Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros

2011-05-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

Crossroads Bellevue celebrated Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros on Saturday and CISC was there.

Hundreds of kids and their parents were treated to free entertainment on the Main Stage, lots of prizes and activities focusing on literacy, and information on community resources.

CISC's Cultural Navigator Program used the opportunity to outreach to our Latino neighbors and inform them about services available through CISC.

We also held a raffle for Dora the Explorer books courtesy of our friends at Community Health Plan of Washington. Congrats to the lucky winners!

Center for Ethical Leadership

2011-04-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

CISC's Executive Director Alaric Bien was honored at this year's Legacy Event for the Center for Ethical Leadership. Chosen for his efforts in significantly advancing social, environmental, and economic justice, he shared the evening with fellow awardees Paola Maranan and Judy Pigott.

Listen to why he is so passionate about CISC.
Alaric Bien--2011 Legacy Award winner from Center for Ethical Leadership on Vimeo.

Seattle University Volunteer Outreach

2011-04-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

On March 29^th, CISC’s Jennifer Jan, along with representatives from other local organizations, was invited to an Asian Studies class at Seattle University to speak to Service-Learning students about volunteer opportunities. Although her pitch was short, 5 eager students signed up to become tutors in the After-School Program – not bad for a class of 12! Jennifer says that this will hopefully be the beginning of a long-term relationship with Seattle University. Currently, CISC has already established a strong relationship with the University of Washington – many of our volunteers have been or are current UW students.

The new quarter has just started, and the number of volunteers for this quarter has increased tremendously –there are now 18 volunteer tutors! If you would like to volunteer to become a tutor, please call Jennifer Jan at (206)624-5633 x4155 or email her at jenniferj@cisc-seattle.org.

Family Night: Not Just Dinner and an Awards Show

2011-04-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Every quarter, the After-School Program hosts a Family Night for kids that brings together their families and tutors. The most recent Family Night was hosted on April 1st (after the end of winter quarter) to recognize outstanding students and to host a potluck dinner. After the dinner, parents were treated to a proactive parenting class hosted by Michael Chang that taught them how to be more involved with their children’s teachers and education. They were given lessons in how to ask questions during parent-teacher conferences and how to be more involved with their children’s education through accessing emails and the Source. Parents were also given information on upcoming computer classes focusing on email set-up and login instructions for the Source.

For more information on how to become more involved with your child’s education, you can reach Jennifer Jan (Chinese or English) at (206)624-5633 x4155.

Unemployment Benefits: Who, Where, What, and Why

2011-04-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Recently, the International Family Center hosted an Unemployment Benefits workshop for those interested in seeking government assistance during these tough economic times. The workshop was led by a WorkSource staff member from the Washington State Employment Security Department who provided listeners with information about eligibility, the different ways to apply, and the necessary documents needed when applying.

Interested in learning more? There is an upcoming workshop on Wednesday, 4/27 that will discuss how to fill out the Unemployment Benefits application and how to file a weekly claim over the phone or internet.

Date & Time: Wednesday, 4/27 from 1:30pm-3:00pm

Location: CISC International Family Center – Seattle

611 S Lane St, Seattle WA 98104

For more information, please contact Mabel Kwong (Chinese or English) at (206) 624-5633 x 4151.

Community Travel Ambassador training

2011-03-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

In our Sunshine Garden Senior Day Care program, our staff works hard to help Chinese seniors lead active, healthy, and mobile lives. In that spirit, Sunshine Garden staff member Andes Kong has completed a Community Travel Ambassador Training course, sponsored by Sound Transit, King County Metro, and Hopelink. Community Travel Ambassadors are trained to help seniors, low-income individuals, people with disabilities and those with Limited English Proficiency access appropriate forms of available transportation. Now the approximately 120 seniors who come to Sunshine Garden will have better assistance than ever when they need to see friends, go to the doctor, or just do a little shopping.

National Victim Assistance Academy

2011-03-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

CISC Crime Victims Service Project Director Alan Lai was in Albuquerque, NM last week to attend the March 2011 National Victim Assistance Academy (NVAA). Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, the NVAA provides victim service professionals with skills and knowledge to better serve victims. The trainings were conducted by experts in the criminal justice field and focused on areas such as cultural competence, ethics, resilience, victims' rights, and leadership.

Congratulations to Alan for being accepted into this competitive program. He is pictured here with Carroll Ellis, the new Director of the NVAA.

CISC Commended in Identity Theft Case

2011-03-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

Today we received a letter commending CISC Crime Victims Service Project Director Alan Lai for his exemplary work in helping to crack a multi-state credit card and bank account takeover scheme based in Georgia, which targeted Asian immigrants up and down the West Coast.

Not only did Alan develop trusting relationships with the victims, he helped Department of Justice attorneys bridge the language and cultural barriers, and traveled with the victims to Georgia when they said they needed his support in order to testify.

With CISC's assistance, these Vietnamese, Korean, Laotian and Chinese victims, many of whom are small business owners, saw justice done with eight guilty pleas and one very short trial.

The US Attorney says that without CISC and the services of Alan Lai, "I am certain that we could not have been as successful as we were with the victims and the case."

Students Meeting Students - in Mandarin

2011-03-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

The CISC Step Ahead Preschool program had some special visitors last week - a Chinese-speaking middle school class from Lakeside School. It wasn't the students' first visit to CISC; they've also visited the Play and Learn program as part of their regular service learning trips. The Lakeside class is a mix of students who speak Mandarin at home and students who are learning it as a foreign language, and they had the chance to practice their Mandarin skills, play a few games, and visit the library with the Step Ahead kids. Maybe by the time our Step Ahead students reach middle school, they'll be making their own preschool visits?

El Centro de Información y Servicio Chino

2011-03-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

Cultural Navigator program highlighted in La Raza del Noroeste!

"CISC offers a free Cultural Navigator program that helps Latino families find resources in the community." This article talks about Paula Marin Hernandez and her two year long search for help navigating American systems.

An Unexpected Gift

2011-03-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

At CISC, our clients show their appreciation in many ways. One of our clients, Mr. He, went a little further (and farther) than most: he had a flag specially made in Shanghai! Mr. He is the caregiver for his wife, and the two of them have been coming to our Family Caregiver program for assistance with housing and health insurance. The words on the flag translate roughly as: "Through adversity, I have experienced true compassion. When I face difficulty, CISC is always in my heart."

2011 Walkathon

2011-02-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who took part in our 2nd Annual Lunar New Year Walkathon! Our staff had a lot of support from our walkers, donors, performers, volunteers and sponsors at this year's event. Walkers got to try their hand at Chinese calligraphy, enjoy free massage, watch some great entertainment, and be part of their own lion dance. Watch the video above to see photographs from the event.

Did you attend this year's event? We'd love to hear your feedback for next year. Please contact Dan at danielj@cisc-seattle.org.

CISC ED To Receive Center for Ethical Leadership Award

2011-02-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

From the International Examiner:

Center for Ethical Leadership’s Recipients of the 2011 Bill Grace Leadership Legacy Award
This award identifies and celebrates Puget Sound individuals or groups whose vision, leadership and commitment work to advance the common good in local communities. The Center is particularly interested in celebrating those who recognize the importance of collective leadership, and/or who are often out of the traditional spotlight. This year’s recipients are: Alaric Bien, Executive Director, Chinese Information and Service Center; Paola Maranan, Executive Director, Children’s Alliance; and Judy Pigott, Co-Founder, Personal Safety Nets. The awards will be presented at the 6th Annual Legacy Event, Thursday, March 10, 6:30 – 9 p.m. in the Rainier Room at Seattle Center. Tickets are $55 and include dinner. Tickets must be purchased in advance online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/141887.

Congratulations to all the recipients!

2nd Annual Lunar New Year Walkathon

2011-01-18T11:01:00.000-08:00

Come celebrate the lunar new year with CISC! Join hundreds of other walkers in our upcoming Walkathon and enjoy dance and martial arts performances and free massage, get a fashionable t-shirt, fulfill that New Year's Resolution to get more exercise, and support important CISC programs. You can also form a team and walk with your company, your church group, or your friends.

Registration is $15 in advance, or $20 on the day of the event (starting at 8:45 am). The walk begins at 9:30am. Sign up early and start gathering pledges to support your walk!
To register and learn more, visit the Walkathon website: http://cisc.martysoft.org/.You can also register at the CISC front desk.

Chinese Expulsion!

2011-01-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

On a February day in 1886, church bells rang and filled the Seattle air. A mass eviction was to begin. Bands of men took wagons and headed to Washington Street, near Second and Third avenues, and entered the heart of Seattle’s first Chinatown.

They rounded up anyone who looked Chinese – in neighborhood laundries and restaurants, wooden dwellings, meeting rooms. The vigilante men pounded on doors and ordered Chinese on wagons for a ride to a Waterfront dock – for a forced and frenzied removal by ship from Seattle.

What unfolded was one of the most egregious and lawless acts of hatred against ethnic Chinese in Pacific Northwest history. Similar expulsions of Chinese in Tacoma, Bellingham and Olympia also occurred.

February 7, 2011 will mark the 125th anniversary of this largely overlooked but dramatic expulsion of people living in Seattle and other cities in Washington State. A core community group is planning a public education project aimed at understanding this violation of civil rights, the resilience of the Chinese and the span of events that led to their return and reestablishment in the city of Seattle. This anniversary occurs at a time when the issue of immigration to the United States remains unresolved and a recent Arizona law catapulted the topic to the top of public policy agendas.

For more info, to go http://iexaminer.org/cerp/

CISC FAQ

2011-01-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

Everything you ever wanted to know about CISC as explained by 2 animated robots.

January Promotion at eScrip

2011-01-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

From now until January 25th, the eScrip service is having a "10% Goes Back to Schools" event on selected items. That means that if you have signed up for eScrip or sign up now and choose CISC as your organization to support, an even higher percentage of your purchases at participating stores (Safeway being the big one) will go towards the CISC Bilingual Preschool program. To sign up for eScrip or learn more about it, visit the website at http://www.escrip.com. As you sign up, you will need to enter your Safeway Card number or the credit card number you use to shop, and enter the CISC Step Ahead Preschool (Group ID: 500025005). You don't actually pay anything; instead, every time you shop with that card, Safeway and other participating stores donate a percentage to the CISC preschool.

Christmas at Sunshine Garden

2010-12-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

The Sunshine Garden seniors enjoyed the holidays and celebrated some December birthdays with their own Christmas party. Things really got festive with a visit from Santa Claus himself. Happy New Year from CISC!

Family Caregiver Appreciation Party

2010-12-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

Last Monday, the Family Caregiver Support Program at CISC held a party in appreciation of all the hard work and selflessness of the family caregivers, who spend much of their time taking care of their loved ones. The Family Caregiver program helps these caregivers, who are taking care of their elderly parents or partners, by providing support education, counseling, and creating long term care plans. The unpaid work of a family caregiver can be demanding, and the program works closely with them to ease any physical or mental burn-out. Most caregivers work, and on average caregivers put in 20 hours a week taking care of their loved ones, with almost one in five putting in over 40 hours per week.

Before the party started, there was also a workshop on "How to Ease Muscle Pain" put on by chiropractic physicians Dr. Esther Cheng and Dr. Albert Wu. In the workshop, caregivers learned some simple but effective exercises to ease muscle pain.

Sunshine Garden Funding Restored!

2010-11-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, the Seattle City Council announced highlights of the anticipated 2011-2012 City budget, which will be formally adopted on November 22nd. Funding was restored to a number of human services and community centers that were facing cuts, including the City funding for Sunshine Garden. Thank you to our many community supporters! All the petitions signed and online comments left for the City Council truly made a difference in the lives of our seniors.

You can read more about the budget at the City Council website.

Reaching Out to Victims of Human Trafficking

2010-11-18T14:10:00.000-08:00

CISC’s Crime Victims Project Director Alan Lai gave a presentation in a press conference at the Attorney General’s office this past Tuesday. Alan was responsible for the Chinese translation of a new poster to be widely used throughout the city that aims to aid victims of human trafficking abuses. At the conference, he mentioned that some victims of human-trafficking are hesitant to come forward because of cultural mistrust of the government; the groups behind this poster hope it will encourage more people to ask for help.

For the full Seattle Times article about the poster initiative, please use the link below:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013450263_teenprostitution17m.html

Efforts to Save Sunshine Garden

2010-11-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

As many of our supporters know, the City of Seattle cut its funding for the Sunshine Garden Senior Day Care program from the 2011 budget. Our Sunshine Garden staff has been working with many community supporters and volunteers to collect signatures supporting the restoration of Sunshine Garden's funding (see our Facebook page). The support has been overwhelming! They collected more than 2,400 signatures from the community, with 7 local businesses helping to collect signatures and more than 60 votes and many comments of support on a City Council website for submitting ideas from the community.

CISC staff also made a 5 minute presentation at the City Council budget hearing on October 26th, with the help of a family member of a client. The final budget will not be adopted until November 22nd, so there is still time for the City Council to reconsider the decision to cut Sunshine Garden's funding.

As a former Sunshine Garden worker commented on the City Council website, "From my working experience, I can tell you that all the Chinese elderly treat the center as their second home in US. In the center, they can find their sense of belonging, friendship, care and support. Without the center, they have no where to go to seek support."

To learn more, please contact Andes at andesk@cisc-seattle.org or 206.624.5633 x 4121.

Update on 11/12: To watch the video of the budget hearing, click here. The Sunshine Garden presentation is during 200:06-205:17 of the video.

Staff Retreat

2010-11-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

CISC held a staff retreat at the end of October to do some serious brainstorming in the morning about what CISC is as an organization, and what we want to be in the future. The afternoon, however, was a little less serious: line dancing and self-defense classes. It's good to get a little exercise after a long week at the office.

Halloween at Sunshine Garden

2010-11-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

The seniors at Sunshine Garden had some special visitors this Halloween: a trick-or-treating CISC preschool class, and some students from Lakeside School to help them carve... well, not pumpkins, actually. Take a close look and you'll notice that they are carving oranges. Halloween, Sunshine Garden style.

Baby Boost Information Fair

2010-10-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 1^st, CISC/International Family Center hosted a Baby Boost Information Fair, sponsored by Solid Ground’s Food Security for Children Program. It was an opportunity for participants to learn about health and nutrition resources and connect with local social service programs. We had 40 families sign-in, with around 35 children and 60 adults. Free childcare was provided during the fair. This gave the parents an opportunity to take their time perusing the information tables, talk to each agency representative and meet other parents. In addition to the information tables, there were safety products, refreshments, giveaways and a raffle drawing for participants.

Shop at Safeway, Raise Money for CISC

2010-09-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

CISC has joined a program called eScrip that allows people to support schools through their shopping. In our case, donations from the program will support our Step Ahead Bilingual Preschool program. The Preschool serves 4- year old immigrant children who are English learners speaking Chinese dialects or Asian languages at home, and prepares them for school learning in a bicultural environment.

This is how it works:
1. go to www.escrip.com and click on "Sign Up"
2. Search for CISC Step Ahead Preschool or enter our Group ID: 500025005
3. Complete the sign up process
4. Whenever you use your Safeway card or shop with other participating merchants, the company will donate a percentage of what you purchased to our Bilingual Preschool.

It's free, easy, and your information is completely private. Visit www.escrip.com for more information.

Community Health Fair

2010-09-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

On September 18th, CISC's International Family Center-Seattle, together with International Community Health Services, hosted a Community Health Fair. We had 17 different participating agencies from around King County involved, including Back and Neck Pain Center, Northwest Kidney Center, Rainier Occupational Medical Center, Washington Osteoporosis Coalition, SHIBA, Swedish Breast Care Center, Swedish Hospital,UW School of Dentistry, Within Reach, UW Expanded Food & Nutrition Educational Program, and more. These agencies offered free medical screenings, educational information sessions, and outreach navigation to help patients find accessible health care in the future. In total, 157 participants took part in the event.

Communities Connect

2010-09-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Senator Maria Cantwell announced Thursday a $4.2 million grant to improve technology access to underserved communities in Washington. As part of the Communities Connect Network, CISC has been working with our partners to improve and upgrade our technology services and training to immigrants and their families.

No word yet on specific dollar amounts, but we're excited to be able to continue work to develop and enhance CISC's International Community Technology Center. Stay tuned for more information as we get it!

Cathay Bank

2010-09-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

Monday, CISC received a check in the amount of $15,000 from the Cathay Bank Foundation to support programs that reach across the generations.

Programs with multi-generational impact such as our preschool and youth programs that enhance academic achievement and bicultural identity, bilingual parent education and family counseling, and elder services and caregiver support.

Pictured here with Executive Director Alaric Bien are Cathay Bank employees Thomas Ng and Kenyon Mayeda. Thank you Cathay!

Drivers Needed!

2010-09-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

Do you have any friends who speak Chinese or Cantonese and are interested in being a volunteer driver to give seniors (especially our Chinese seniors who are limited in English) a ride to their medical appointments? You will receive mileage and parking reimbursement and supplemental insurance from Senior Service.

Please contact Theresa Lam at theresal@cisc-seattle.org or 206-624-5633 x 4137, and thanks for your help!

Certified

2010-09-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Sunshine Garden Lead Worker Andes Kong, who just received her AIRS Certificate! This is a professional credential for human services employees who are trained to help connect clients to the services they need. She joins CISC staff members Stephen Lam, Boliver Choi, Meiyu Cheung, and Cathy Lee in holding the certificate.

Getting to Know the Naturalization Process

2010-09-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

Becoming a U.S. citizen is a goal for many of the people who come to CISC, but the process can be intimidating at first. A couple of weeks ago we had some assistance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Four officers worked with us on our USCIS Naturalization Info Session on August 25th, and explained everything from the naturalization requirements to the interview to an audience of about 170. They also discussed the rights and responsibilities of a U.S. citizen and demonstrated a mock interview. The audience appreciated the chance to get an inside view of the whole process, and will hopefully face their own naturalization challenges with an extra boost of confidence.

Baby Boost Information Fair

2010-09-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

Are you a parent of a baby or expecting one? CISC's International Family Center is holding a free Baby Boost Information Fair on Friday, October 1st. At the fair you'll be able to connect with important social services (including housing, employment services, and health care), learn more about health and nutrition for you and your children, try some delicious and healthy snacks, and get free stuff!

When: Friday, October 1, 10:30am-12:30pm (please be on time)
Where: International Family Center, 611 S Lane St, Seattle
Contact: Mabel Kwong (Chinese/English), 206.624.5633 x 4151
Quang Do (Vietnamese/English), 206.624.5633 x 4152

Annual Senior Resource Fair

2010-08-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

CISC's 2010 Annual Senior Resource Fair will be held on Thursday, October 14th at the North Bellevue Community Center. There will be many organizations attending that specialize in assisting and providing resources for seniors, and this is a great chance to agencies and seniors to meet and greet. Lots of give-aways and workshops throughout the day! For more information, please contact Cathy Lee from our Community I&A Outreach Program: 206.624.5633 x 4123.

Date & Time: Thursday, October 14th, 10:00am to 4:00pm
Location: North Bellevue Community Center
4063 148th Ave NE, Bellevue WA, 98007

Community Health Fair

2010-08-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

On September 18th, CISC's International Family Center-Seattle, together with International Community Health Services, will be hosting a health fair. Activities will include acupuncture, blood pressure checks, blood sugar tests, medical insurance information, and mammogram screenings (pre-registration required).

For more information please contact Cheryl Lee (Chinese or English) at 206.624.5633 x 4150 or Quang Do (Vietnamese or English) at 206.624.5633 x 4152.

Date & Time: Saturday, 9/18, 10:00am-3:00pm
Location: CISC International Family Center-Seattle
611 S Lane St, Seattle WA 98104

Summer Field Trips

2010-08-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

Following up on their recent Light Rail trips, the Sunshine Garden seniors have been busy this summer exploring different neighborhoods by public transportation. They've taken advantage of some wonderful historic bus tours to visit Snohomish for the town's annual Kla Ha Ya Days festival in July, and Snoqualmie in August for the railway museum and Snoqualmie Falls. They've also been to the Museum of Flight and Woodland Park Zoo.

These trips have been a great way for the seniors to keep up on all the transportation options that are out there, and enjoy some highlights of the neighborhoods and towns they wouldn't normally visit.

Having Trouble with House Payments?

2010-08-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

Come learn about your options before foreclosure. Wednesday, September 25 at CISC.

Contact Alan Lai alanl@cisc-seattle.org for more information.

More tips on real estate concerns at the International Examiner.

2010-08-20T11:57:00.001-07:00

Just took State Rep Zack Hudgins (11th district) on a tour of CISC, introducing him to our programs, and sharing thoughts on immigrant integration.

Did you know that Rep Hudgins was responsible for each of the light rail stations having a different icon? This idea was based on his travels around the world and experience trying to find his way through systems with signs in languages he doesn't read or speak.

What a great idea! Only, some of the icons don't seem to make much sense. Like the magic carpet for the airport station? This had something to do with the graphic artists' sense of whimsy, we're told...

104 and Still Learning

2010-07-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hearing about the success of Sunshine Garden's field trips to SeaTac Airport via light rail, one of our more elderly clients decided that she too wanted to learn how to get to the airport by public transit.

104 year old Mrs. Lau requested that CISC staff lead another field trip to the airport to see how easy it was to get there by light rail.

Even though she has no immediate travel plans, she wanted to learn how to go - just in case.

Kudos to Mrs. Lau and all the other seniors of Sunshine Garden who never give up on improving their physical and emotional health, independence, fellowship, and lifelong learning!

Lavender Sorbet

2010-07-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

Once again, Sunshine Garden seniors were treated to another culinary delight by volunteer cooking instructor, Christine Ho. This month's treat was Lavender Sorbet.

Non-fat, no dairy, and easy to make! Only 5 ingredients, and one of them is water!

This summertime treat is sure to be a hit with all our friends and neighbors. If you'd like the recipe, contact Andes Kong at andesk@cisc-seattle.org

Better yet, sign up for next month's cooking demonstration (must be 60+).

Website Redesign

2010-07-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

The CISC website is old and tired. Things are hard to find, and other things just aren't even there.

Thanks to the generous support of volunteers from the Executive Development Institute, we are in the process of a major overhaul. But we need your input!

Tell us what you'd like to see on the new site, what you don't like about the current site, and how we can improve. We can't guarantee that all your suggestions will be incorporated into the new site, but we do promise to take each and every comment seriously.

We want to make the website work for YOU!

Emergency Communications

2010-07-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

CISC is partnering with the NW Center for Public Health Practice to research effective emergency communications with limited English proficiency populations.

Funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will help us learn how best to communicate with our populations in the event of natural disasters, terrorist attack, personal emergencies, or any of a plethora of emergency scenarios.

We're proud to be a part of this timely and important research that will benefit our community and others for years to come!

An abstract of the project is located on the CDC website.

Knitting Club

2010-07-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

New knitting club for seniors at the Peter Kirk Community Center in Kirkland Tuesdays, and the North Bellevue Community Center on Wednesdays! Participants will not only learn to knit or improve their existing knitting skills, but all completed pieces will be donated to area shelters for the holidays.

Great way to meet new friends who speak your language, learn new skills, and give back to the community! For more info, contact Cathy Lee at 206-624-5633 x 4123 or cathyl@cisc-seattle.org

New Site!

2010-07-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Meeting community needs is what CISC is all about. And at the request of friends in the Greenwood neighborhood of North Seattle, we are happy to announce a new partnership with the Greenwood Senior Center starting July 20!
CISC will be providing language specific activities and workshops to Chinese seniors who have a hard time traveling to and participating in Sunshine Garden Senior Day Care Center in Chinatown. Information and assistance will also be available every Tuesday for seniors needing help with anything from applying for a Metro pass, to finding appropriate health insurance, to signing up for volunteer opportunities.

The center is located at 525 N 85th St in Seattle and is open 8:30-4:30 Monday-Friday. For more information, contact Cathy Lee at 206-624-5633 x 4123 or cathyl@cisc-seattle.org

Crime Doesn't Pay

2010-07-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

You may not remember this story, but last year 12 year old boy was assaulted in a Bellevue mall restroom. Thanks to his quick thinking and the detailed description he gave to police, the boy escaped unharmed and the suspect was caught almost immediately.

CISC's Crime Victims Service has been working with the boy and his family over the last several months, providing assistance in the aftermath of this horrible incident.

We are pleased to announce that the guilty party is to be sentenced this afternoon - showing that with a little help and perseverance, justice can be served.

Reaching Across the Generations

2010-06-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

2010 Friendship Dinner & Auction at the Hyatt at Olive 8. What a blast!

Sunshine Garden Celebrates "Bite of Dragon Boat Festival"

2010-06-17T09:36:00.001-07:00

On June 16th forty elderly from CISC's Sunshine Garden Senior Day Care Center participated in the "Bite of Dragon Boat Festival". The event was part of a seasonal Chinese celebration program at Sunshine Garden to celebrate some of the more popular Chinese holidays. The participating seniors had the opportunity to try over ten different traditional Chinese dishes related to the Dragon Boat Festival from different provinces all throughout China.

Look at all of this delicious food!

Events like "The Bite of the Dragon Boat Festival" are just some of the activities that CISC provides for immigrant seniors and helps them to gradually ease in to their new lives in America by providing culture that is familiar to them.

MAST at CISC

2010-05-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

The IFC will collaborate with AlcoSmart to have a Chinese Mandatory Alcohol Server Training (MAST). A MAST permit is required by law to serve alcohol anywhere the State of Washington. Classes are just 3 hours long, offered in Chinese, tests are available in Chinese. After completing the course and exam, participants will receive their MAST permit on the same day.

Date: 6/14, 7/12 or 8/9 (Monday)

Time: 2-5pm

Permit fee: $40

Location: CISC's International Family Center- Seattle

For registration or details, please call 206-624-5633x4150 Cheryl Lee

Or go to www.alcosmart.com

CISC Students Featured in Youth Art Works Exhibition

2010-05-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

The artwork of CISC students is currently being featured in a special exhibition put on through the Pratt Fine Arts Center’s Youth Art Works Program. at the Triangle Art Gallery in downtown Seattle Each year, Pratt provides free art classes to over 600 kids and youth from Seattle’s Central District and surrounding neighborhoods, helping these students develop their individual voices and build skills to succeed in school and life.

These pictures are from a reception that was held on May 20^th at the downtown Seattle YMCA where the kids got to show off their work to the public. The exhibition runs from May 1^st-31^st so there is still time to visit and see the work of these talented young artists if you haven’t already.

Redmond Play & Learn

2010-05-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

Just found out today that one of the participants in this play and learn group, a grandfather, finds it so worthwhile he takes a $20 cab ride to Grasslawn Park every week so he can participate in the group with his grandchild.

Now, that's dedication!

To learn more, contact Saulai Cheung at saulaic@cisc-seattle.org or just stop by any Thursday from 10:00 to 11:30.

Adobe Youth Voices Live 2010

2010-05-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

On May 13^th high school students from CISC’s after school program were selected to participate in the Adobe Youth Voices Live 2010 event at the Seattle International Film Festival Cinema in Seattle Center. Over the course of several months the students worked with Adobe Premiere and Flash software to produce a short video entitled “Welcome to the USA”. The video gives advice to new Chinese immigrants about what they can expect in the

United States

and features many CISC staff as well as other students from the after school program.

Launched in June 2006, Adobe Youth Voices is the Adobe Foundation's global signature philanthropy program designed to provide youth in underserved communities with the critical skills they need to become active and engaged members of their communities and the world at large. Thanks to Adobe, CISC is able to provide high tech video production training for new immigrant youth who would otherwise have limited or no access to professional production software.

Watch their video here! Welcome To The USA: "immigration advice"

International Family Center - Kent

2010-05-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

Chinese Information Service Center’s International Family Center-Kent has moved to a new, larger space in order to meet the growing needs of families in South King County. IFC-Kent is now located at:

18123 East Valley Highway, Suite 105
Kent, WA 98032
425-251-4300

The new center has more than double the space, is easily accessible via public transportation (Metro bus lines 153,155,161, and 247) and has plenty of free parking. As a result the new IFC-Kent is able to help and serve more families than ever before. Improvements in facilities allow CISC to better assist families who are in need and are only possible thanks to your generous contributions. Thank you again for your support!

Please visit our new Kent center Tuesdays, or Thursday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. For more information, contact Gilbert Leow at 425-251-4300 or gilbertl@cisc-seattle.org.

CISC Receives 2010 Hepatitis B Outstanding Leadership Award

2010-05-12T16:40:00.001-07:00

On May 6^th, 2010 CISC was honored to receive the 2010 Hepatitis B Outstanding Leadership Award at the 2010 Annual Hepatitis B Forum. Given by the Hepatitis B Coalition of Washington State, the award is presented to organizations and/or individuals who demonstrate leadership and commitment to raising hepatitis B awareness in the API community.

The Hepatitis B Coalition of Washington State is dedicated to reducing hepatitis B disease and its complications through innovation, education, and community partnership. Currently, CISC is partnering with the Hepatitis B Community Engagement Workgroup in order to assess hepatitis B awareness levels in the API community and address gaps, barriers, and take advantage of potential opportunities in health services. Ultimately, this partnership allows CISC to expand its current efforts to improve the health of the API community. International Family Center Coordinator Mabel Kwong (pictured) accepted the award on behalf of CISC

Asian Pacific Islander Celebration at Seattle Center

2010-05-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

On May 2nd the Seattle Center House hosted the Asian Pacific Islander Celebration to commemorate the beginning of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The event was put on by the Asian Pacific Directors Coalition in partnership with Seattle Central Festal and included performances from Asian-American soul and R&B artist Dawen, the Chinese Community Girls Drill Team (pictured), Seattle Matsuri Taiko, Filipino Youth Activities Drill Team, Apna Bhangra Crew, and Cambodian Dance Preservation Group, among many others.

CISC Executive Director and Chairperson of the Asian Pacific Directors Coalition Alaric Bien delivered the event's opening remarks. In his speech, Alaric focused on the growing disparities in education and healthcare within the Asian American community and the need to address those issues.

The event was well attended with people from a variety of different backgrounds coming together to celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Rice for Seniors

2010-05-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Once again, Brownie Troop 52844 is using proceed from their cookie sales to purchase and distribute rice to low income seniors.

They're here at CISC this morning, bagging and giving away 400 pounds of rice! Way to go girls!!

Some of these seniors came early for the noon event - before 10:00. And we hear one woman was actually waiting at the door at 7:00 a.m.!

Understanding Insomnia

2010-05-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

Did you know that 30-50% of Americans are affected by insomnia? One of the major causes is stress, and being a full-time caretaker of a loved one can certainly be stressful. On April 24th, our Family Caregiver program had a seminar that focused on the emotional factors that lead to insomnia, and how to achieve a better quality of sleep in the future.

Youth Art Works Exhibition

2010-05-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

CISC after school youth will have their art on display this month at the Douglass-Truth branch of the Seattle Public Library.

The Pratt Fine Arts Center provided free art instruction to help our students develop their individual voices and build skills to succeed in school and life.

Come take a look at some of the fine examples of art, now through May 30 - 23rd & E Yesler!

Emergency Preparedness Workshop

2010-04-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

Disasters happen everywhere. Even in Seattle, where we have earthquakes, windstorms, and flooding. An emergency safety plan can save lives, which is why the International Family Center-Seattle will be having a workshop on Emergency Preparedness on June 3rd. It will be conducted by staff from the City of Seattle's Office of Emergency Management. During this workshop, clients will learn about the hazards we are most likely to face in Washington, how to be safe in different disasters, how to put together an emergency supply kit, and more. Details below:

Date: Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
Time: 9:30-11:00am
Location: International Family Center, 611 S Lane St, Seattle WA 98104

For registration and further information, please contact Cheryl Lee at 206.624.5633 x 4150.

Starbucks

2010-04-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

A big THANK YOU you to Starbucks and manager Ken Song for supporting our After School Program and donating pastries and goodies for their afternoon snack each week!

Graham crackers and juice gets old real fast when you get it 5 days a week.

If there are leftovers, maybe the staff will get a shot at it??

Elderly Case Management

2010-04-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

This update from our monthly staff meeting: CISC saw a first quarter jump in the number of seniors it is providing case management services to from 526 to 539.

Now this may not sound like very much, but county-wide, there were only 40 new cases, and CISC had 18 of them!

Thank goodness we have a corps of incredibly dedicated and passionate case managers who ensure that each of their 100+ clients gets the proper services and attention they need and deserve! They help our seniors live healthy independent lives for as long as possible and in their own homes.

New Donation Options

2010-04-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

Here's something new. Now, with Click&Pledge, you can make your donations easier than ever!

You know how on PBS, they always say you can pay your pledge in installments? Like $10 per month for a total of $120? Or 4 easy payments of $250? Well, now you can do the same with CISC!

OK, so we don't have mugs or umbrellas to give you. But that just means that more of your donation goes directly to services for Asian and other immigrant clients and their families.

Just click on the Donate Now button on our blog or on our website, enter the amount, and choose the frequency of payment. It's safe, it's easy, and it's 100% tax deductible!*

Go ahead - give it a try! You know you want to!

*Please consult with your tax professional as your individual situation may vary.

Flooring Done

2010-04-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Flooring at the new International Family Center-Kent was installed over the weekend - and it looks great!

A big thanks to our friends at KT Building Supply for donating all the flooring! Versatile, good looking, and durable.

Our line dancing participants will love its dancability. Our play and learn families will love its warmth. And our staff just love its attractiveness and easy maintenance!

Next time you're ready to do a little home remodeling, be sure to check out KT Building Supply!

CPR Workshops

2010-04-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Fire Department Medic II Program will be holding the following two CPR workshops for Vietnamese clients on Monday, April 19th at the International Family Center-Seattle. All participants will become certified after training. Please contact Mabel Kwong at 206.624.5633 x 4151 with any questions.

Infant/Child CPR class (including injury prevention and safety): 10am-12pm
Adult ESL CPR class (including recognizing and understanding heart attacks): 12:30pm-2:30pm

Fall Prevention Certificate Course

2010-04-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Sunshine Garden Senior Day Care center at CISC is working with Senior Services to hold a fall prevention course in Mandarin. The program, known as "A Matter of Balance," is an award-winning program designed to manage falls and increase activity levels.

The 8-session class is being held every Wednesday from 1-3pm at the International Family Center-Seattle, at 611 S Lane St., starting on April 7th. A $15 fee for the workbook and snacks will be charged.

For more information, please contact Andes Kong at 206.624.5633 x 4121.

Kudos to Our Play and Learn Group!

2010-04-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

This from our partner at the Beacon Hill Library:

Your hard work has paid off! I was at a Getting School Ready planning meeting at Maple Elementary last night. They will be starting a Play and Learn in the CDSA space at Maple School, starting April 19, so the coordinator told the group that they had visited our Play and Learn at the library. She was full of praises for your program--how well run it was, how smoothly it went, how diverse our families were, how it met all goals they hope to achieve, how much fun everybody was having. I had to let you know how impressed everyone was and how they will no doubt try to replicate your success.

Thanks for your good work,

Diane

Free Nutrition Cooking Course in Mandarin

2010-04-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

The Washington State University King County Extension Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) will be providing a series of 6 nutrition cooking classes at International Family Center-Seattle. Participants will learn how to keep up a healthy, delicious, and affordable diet according to the latest nutrition guidelines. Anyone who takes part in all six classes will receive a small gift, certificate, and a recipe. The presentation will be in Mandarin.

Dates: 4/15, 4/22, 4/29, 5/13, 5/20, and 5/27
Time: 1:30-3pm
Location: CISC/International Family Center-Seattle (611 S Lane St, Seattle, WA 98104)

To register or for more information, please contact Mabel Kwong at (206) 624-5633 x 4151.

Line Dancing Class

2010-04-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to try line dancing? CISC's International Family Center held a class last Saturday, and the next session will begin on May 1st. The cost is $24 for 8 weeks. And if you've never seen a line dance before, check out our class in action in the video below.

For more information, contact Mabel Kwong at (206) 624-5633 ext 4151 or mabelk@cisc-seattle.org.

Where Are We?

2010-04-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be wondering where the International Family Center-Kent is moving to.

We used to be located in the Great Wall Shopping Mall, near 99 Ranch Market. But we found a larger (and more affordable) space across the street next to Staples.

This new space is closer to bus stops, has plenty of parking, and is still just across the street from all the great shopping and dining options at the old site.

We'll be located at 18123 East Valley Hwy, Ste B105 in Kent, between Image Family Dental and Happy at the Bay Teriyaki.

The phone number remains the same: (425) 251-4300.

Construction Update

2010-04-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Work continues on the new International Family Center-Kent.

Increasing in size from 600 to 1,400 square feet, we're adding two offices, meeting/classroom space, and a restroom to the main activity area.

Light and bright, this new center will give us more flexibility to provide multiple activities at the same time - play and learn groups, ESL classes, recreational and social activities, and information and assistance services to our Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Latino friends and neighbors.

International Family Center-Kent

2010-03-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

Work has begun on our new space for the International Family Center-Kent. We're moving to a larger space across the street from the Great Wall Shopping Mall where we have been located for the past 3 years.

This new and enlarged space will allow us to provide even more programs and activities serving our South End neighbors.

Check back often to see the progress!

Here are some "before" pictures.

Riding the Light Rail

2010-03-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

To address the new changes in bus stops at Sea-Tac Airport and the extended service of the Light Rail to Sea-Tac Airport, staff and volunteer's from CISC's Sunshine Garden recently led a group of 20 seniors to the airport by light rail.

As more than 20 seniors are still on the waiting list, another trip will be scheduled in April. Seniors over 60 are welcome to join, but advanced reservation is required.

Minority Issues in Seattle

2010-03-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

As part of its program for nonprofit leaders visiting from Thailand, CISC's Crime Victims Program Director Alan Lai will be part of a panel discussion on minority issues in Seattle hosted by the World Affairs Council on March 26.

Admission is free, but reservations are requested. RSVP here or call the Council at 206-441-5910.

Block Prints

2010-03-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

Check out these cool block prints done by our after school program youth!

Last one is actually a collaborative project by 6 different kids making one unified picture.

Thanks to the Pratt Fine Arts Center for sponsoring this project and making it all possible!

Human Trafficking

2010-03-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

For those of you interested in what is being done to address human trafficking across the US, or for those of you just looking for a little light reading, here's the final report on a study CISC participated in with the Department of Health and Human Services.

One of the main findings was that many in our community still do not have a clear understanding of what human trafficking is, and how victims can be identified and helped.

If you'd like to learn more about human trafficking, or just want to talk about CISC's crime victims services, give us a call!

The full study can be downloaded here.

Census 2010: A New Portrait of America

2010-03-03T08:37:00.001-08:00

1st Annual Lunar New Year Walkathon

2010-02-27T19:24:00.001-08:00

Photos from our first walkathon at Safeco Field. Nearly 500 participants, perfect weather, and amazing performances! Walkers spanned the generations, from 2.5 months to 93 years old.

A huge thanks to our sponsors: Cathay Bank, Community Health Plan of Washington, Pepsi Bottling Group, PCC Natural Markets, 2010 Census, Gee Oak How Tin Association, and Massage Envy!

This festive family event raised over $15,000 for CISC programs to help immigrants and their families transition to a new life while keeping later generations in touch with their rich cultural heritage.

Join us next year on February 5, 2011 and get the new year off to a great start!

Legislative Day

2010-02-24T16:31:00.000-08:00

On February 4th dozens of staff, clients, and volunteers represented CISC at Asian Pacific American Legislative Day in Olympia. CISC was just one of several organizations providing a voice for Asian Pacific Americans in Washington State, as the state government considers solutions to its current budget crisis. Further cuts to the budget would undermine the services that CISC and other organizations provide to the Asian Pacific American community, and this event was an opportunity for CISC to make the Governor and state government aware of our clients' concerns. It was also a chance for our clients to educate themselves about the legislative process and the budget issues facing our state.

Cancer Workshops

2010-02-14T13:26:00.000-08:00

New! Monthly cancer workshops every 3rd Thursday at the International Family Center-Kent 2:00-3:00 pm. Learn about cancer prevention, treatment and support. For more information, contact Gilbert Leow at 425-251-4300 or gilbertl@cisc-seattle.org

http://www.cisc-seattle.org//Content/PDF/Schedule/2010/SS_ifc-k.pdf

Choosing the Right College

2010-01-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

Last week, CISC Clinical Director Hueiling Chan (second from left) took part in a panel discussion at Interlake High in Bellevue on finding the best college for your child.

Her basic message was this: don't forget to look beyond the high status, big name universities to find the colleges that fit your individual child the best. You may be surprised.

Too often, families get sucked into the trap of multiple AP courses and pinning all their hopes on admission to highly selective, big name schools only. Their individual student may have different interests, strengths and needs that also should be considered.

Think about it.

CISC Lunar New Year Walkathon

2010-01-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

CISC is excited to announce our 1st Annual Lunar New Year Walkathon! This is going to be a large Walkathon event at Safeco Field on Saturday, February 20th. Registration will begin on that day at 9am, with the event kick-off at 9:30am. We aim to bring people together for a fun community celebration of the Lunar New Year, while raising donations to support the programs at CISC. As the participants take an approximately 3-mile walk around Safeco Field, there will be traditional Asian performances around the concourse, as well as free massages, T-shirts, a raffle drawing, and giveaways.

To take part in the Walkathon, you can grab the registration form from our office at 611 S Lane St or download it on the homepage of our website: cisc-seattle.org. Forms will also be available at the event. Over the next few weeks ask people you know to sponsor you on the walk, and keep track of their names and donations on the registration form. Remember to bring the registration form, $15 registration fee, and any money you have collected from your sponsors to the event. You are also welcome to form a team at your workplace, as we will have several corporate and community teams competing before and during the event to raise the most money. We hope to see you there!

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Dan Jones at danielj (at) cisc-seattle.org.

Chinese and Other Immigrant Kids

2010-01-13T16:50:00.000-08:00

In data just released by the City of Seattle, children in various types of preschool programs were tested on English language vocabulary. Children who score lower than 85 points in this test are known to have more difficulty learning to read and to write in the future.

Not surprisingly, native English speaking kids scored highest, averaging 99 points.

More interesting is that Asian kids scored lower than immigrant children from Africa (but still slightly higher than Spanish speaking kids), further dispelling the myth of the Model Minority.

This further demonstrates the need and importance of CISC's bilingual Step Ahead preschool program - helping to prepare our children to be ready to succeed in school!

Take Care of Those Who Cared for Us

2010-01-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, CISC participated in a press conference along with other senior service providers facing cuts of up to 77% in the governor's first proposed budget. This all-cuts budget would further reduce services for our vulnerable seniors by:

Reducing or eliminating programs that provide support to more than 300,000 families including information and assistance, senior foot care, senior transportation, nutrition, and falls prevention.
Eliminating home care for 1,400 seniors and people with disabilities.
Cutting an additional $55 million from in-home care.
Eliminating adult day health services for 600 seniors and people with disabilities.
Slashing health benefits for low-income caregivers, leaving thousands without needed health coverage.
Eliminating dental, vision, hearing, hospice, podiatry, and physical, occupational and speech therapy for seniors on Medicaid.
Eliminating Medicare Part D copayment reimbursements so 85,000 elderly medicaid clients will not longer be able to afford their prescriptions.

What can you do? Please contact the Governor by mail, phone or e-mail with the following message AND send the same message to your legislators via the legislative phone hotline (800-562-6000):

"Please propose sufficient new revenues to preserve the Senior Citizens Service Act. SCSA funding makes it possible for the most frail and vulnerable seniors to stay in their homes."

Chinese New Year Lunch in Redmond

2010-01-08T15:02:00.000-08:00

CISC will be holding a Chinese New Year Lunch featuring the cuisine and culture of China at the Redmond Senior Center on Friday, February 5th at 11:30am. Tickets are $5 and on sale now at the Senior Center:

8703 160th Ave NE
Redmond, WA 98052
(425) 556-2314