Did you know that CISC has been serving the Russian immigrant community on the Eastside for the past 5 years?  http://www.bellevuereporter.com/news/151020925.html

Another great article about the Cultural Navigator Program just came out on BellevueKOMO's webiste. Take a look! click here

Cultural Navigator program highlighted today by both the RedmondPatch and the BellevuePatch.

City council members from Bellevue, Redmond and Kirkland visited our two Eastside sites and learned about the services CISC provides to immigrants in Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese and the languages of India.

For more information, click here.

Shoe Day

Last month CISC partnered with Priority Footwear for a Diabetes Workshop and Shoe Fitting Session. There our clients with diabetes learned how to get proper shoes and prevent injuries. 8 of our clients were also eligible to have their feet fitted by a specialist and receive custom-made shoes through Medicaid or Medical Coupons. There's really nothing like a new, comfortable pair of shoes to put a spring in your step!

Mid-Autumn Festival

On September 30th CISC held a Mid-Autumn Festival Luncheon at North Bellevue Community Center. Those who attended enjoyed musical performances, traditional lantern riddles, and games.










The Mid-Autumn Festival, or zhongqiu jie, has been celebrated in China for over 3,000 years. It is the time when the full moon is said to be the biggest and brightest.

And no celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival is complete without mooncakes, one of China's tastiest holiday treats.

Annual Resource Fair

At the beginning of October more than 60 clients visited the North Bellevue Community Center for the Annual Resource Fair. There they attended three workshops, covering changes in the naturalization process, food stamps and how to apply for them, and changes in Medicare and Medicaid.




Find out more about Medicare and Medicaid from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You can also learn about food stamps from the Department of Agriculture and becoming a citizen from the USCIS.

Standing Tall

Over 60 CISC seniors attended an Osteoporosis Health Fair at the North Bellevue Community Center on Monday.

Participants not only got information about osteoporosis, they learned about disease prevention, nutrition, medications, preventing falls, and exercises.

There were also free bone density screening to measure bone density, followed by individual consultations with an experienced pharmacist to review their results.

Remember, even if you're over 30, it's still not too late to take steps to prevent this debilitating disease:

• Get your daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D
• Engage in regular weight-bearing exercise
• Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol
• Talk to your healthcare provider about bone health
• When appropriate, have a bone density test and take medication
• 

For more information, check out the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Fan Dance Tai Chi

Check out CISC's class on fan dancing at the North Bellevue Community Center.



Great for exercise and for walking down dark alleys at night!

Dragon Boat Festival

May 28 was Dragon Boat Festival day 端午節 and over 120 seniors, both Chinese and non, celebrated at the North Bellevue Community Center.

Participants enjoyed singing, raffle prizes and a rice dumpling 粽子 wrapping contest. Legend has it that after the exiled poet and statesman Qu Yuan 屈原 killed himself by drowning in the Miluo River 汨羅江, the local people, who admired him, threw food into the river to feed the fish so that they (the fish) would not eat his body - hence the origin of rice dumplings.

They also raced out in boats to retrieve the body, beating on drums to scare the fish all the while. This tradition continues on today with our annual dragon boat races.

The seniors all enjoyed this celebration, some commenting that they had not had a chance to celebrate in over 10 years. And now they can share this tradition with their new American friends and neighbors!

Bellevue Connections

The Spring issue of Bellevue Parks & Community Services' Connections just came out. Now's the time to sign up for fun and enriching activities!

A number of CISC's programs are listed, including Information & Assistance Services for Seniors, Mandarin Book Club, tai chi, and more.

Check it out by clicking here and don't forget to register online at www.myparksandrecreation.com

As always, you can see all the activities for our Eastside seniors
on our main web site.