More Mandarin Storytimes

The Newport Way branch of the King County Library System will be adding story times in Mandarin.

They will be held at the KidsQuest Museum in Factoria Mall through mid-February, then at the library itself after that.

Come join the fun. Hear stories, sing songs and participate in activities. And, as always, it's free!

Click on the image to see more information, or click here for directions.

Happy New Year!

On Monday, we celebrated the Year of the Ox, 4707.

The year of the Ox is just what’s needed to clean up the mess and clutter left by the Rat. The Ox is not as he appears and should not be underestimated or considered slow or unaware. The Ox is the quintessential hardworking, cleaner-upper who will put everything back in order and turn chaos back into reason. Thank goodness!

There is no room for anyone looking for a free ride during an Ox year. Hard work pays off, not laziness. It’s a year to get papers in order and your life back on track, and to do whatever it takes to budget and plan for your financial future, lessening the stress and securing your position.

The kids in our after school program learned these lessons as well as other traditions and values while at the same time preparing themselves to succeed in the US.

Updated Info

We have just updated our organization information on GuideStar - THE place to go for information on nonprofit agencies. Their goal is to publish information that provides transparency, enabling donors to make better decisions, and encouraging charitable giving.

Especially now, in these uncertain economic times, you want to be sure your gifts are being well spent. And this is one tool you can use to help.

Please check it out. And remember, if you have any questions at all about our programs, our business practices, or anything else, we welcome your inquiry and will do our best to provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions. Just contact Alaric Bien, Executive Director, at alaricb@cisc-seattle.org or 206.624.5633 x 4101 - any time!

Community Safety Fair

In response to the many recent burglaries on Beacon Hill, the City of Seattle, CISC, Seattle Police Department, and Seattle Public Schools held a community safety fair at Cleavland High on Saturday.

Topics covered included calling 911, emergency preparedness and home security, and neighborhood nuisance concerns. CISC crime victim advocate, Alan Lai was there - as well as some CISC staff who live in the area and wanted to learn more.

Imagine Saving a Life

Did you know that every two minutes someone in Western Washington needs a blood transfusion? And for some people who need multiple transfusions, perfectly matched blood can help them avoid serious, even fatal complications.That's why it's so important for people in the Asian Pacific Islander community to give blood. Our blood is especially precious to people of our own heritage.

Kirby Wong, son of long time CISC supporter Ed Wong, needed 544 units of blood following heart surgery when he was just 44. Because the blood was mostly from people of European descent, his body developed complications which prevented him from receiving a life saving heart transplant.

Nine years later, Ed carries on his son's wishes to hold regular blood drives in the Seattle API community. YOU can save a life by giving blood on Saturday, February 28.

It takes less than an hour, it's easy to do, and nearly painless. Really! You may never know whose life you saved, but you will know you are saving lives.

Please call 206.721.3630 x 126 to set up an appointment right now. Or e-mail hwong@kinon.org - don't wait!

We Got Out the Vote!

This just in...

According to exit polling result just released by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and reported by APIA Vote, Asian Americans did get out and vote in the last election and made a showing of growing political clout.

In the survey, nearly 1/3 of Asian American voters were voting for the first time. Four out of 5 were foreign born citizens. One out of 3 had limited English proficiency. And Asian Americans interviewed shared common political interests across sub-ethnic lines.

Thanks for all our partners for their efforts to mobilize our community and make a difference! CISC continues to work on voter education and helping individuals become citizens so they can make their voices heard.

Multicultural Access Project

Today, CISC participated in a press conference with Seattle Mayor Nickels and other community based organizations working together to provide domestic violence services to immigrants whose native language is not English.

The Multilingual Access Project has a website providing information 9 languages: Chinese, Korean, Amharic, Russian, Khmer, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Somali and Spanish.

A new toll-free phone number was launched today with capacity in 14 different languages! 1-888-847-7205 is the number to call if you or someone you know is in need to specialized services. Or go to www.map-seattle.org for more important information.

Mandarin Storytime

In their efforts to provide more community outreach, the King County Library System is adding another Mandarin storytime in Bellevue. This one's at the Kidsquest Museum in Factoria Mall on Friday evenings.

Click on the flyer above to enlarge.

Come join the fun with other 3-5 year olds as you listen to stories in Mandarin and English. Great for developing early literacy and bilingual skills. Best of all, it's free!

And if you miss this one, you can go to the Library Connection @ Crossroads for storytimes in Mandarin and English on Friday nights at 7:00 and 7:45 pm too.

Winter Festival

So what else has been going on at CISC? On December 5, over 75 people attended the Winter Festival talent show at the International Family Center-Seattle.



Potluck dinner and entertainment by CISC Afterschool Program students, some of whom had been practicing for months.




There was a wide variety of talent displayed, including both vocal and instrumental musical acts.

For a grand finale, parents went up on stage to have a group singing performance, much to the delight of their kids.

The night ended with a raffle drawing in appreciation of the students and their families for their support and participation in our program.

Immigrant Integration, Part II

Long time, no blog. That's because we were busy in Europe wrapping up the US-Belgium Cultural Crossing exchange program this month, and then dealing with snow in Seattle.

Earlier this month, all US and Belgian participants of the program returned to Liege to discuss findings and experiences from our various trips across the US and Belgium.

Of particular interest was the European Union's official policy on immigrant integration, which surprisingly, the majority of Belgian practitioners of integration services were unaware of. As in the US, there seems to be a long way to go to get from the reality on the ground (what we see every day) and the goals of the policies. But it was heartening to hear from the primary author of the document, Iwona Piorko, on the last day in Brussels, the work that continues to be done to bridge the gap.

These principles, which had to be approved by all 27 member nations (a significant feat in itself), may provide a useful framework for our own discussions on immigration reform here in the US. Also useful may be the Handbook on Integration for Policy-makers and Practitioners which addresses services, civic participation as well as evaluation.

As we all struggle with the global economic downturn, trying to protect those immigrant services and programs we already have, we can use this time and the relationships built with our colleagues across the US and in Belgium to strategize how we may reconfigure or improve our programs to better meet the needs of immigrants in the future. Creating opportunities for immigrant success - that's what CISC is all about.

Family Caregiver Appreciation

Last week, to close out National Family Caregiver Month, CISC held a health education seminar and appreciation party for our caregivers.

Over 35 caregivers listened to a physician from Nan Cheong Medical College in China explain how to maintain and improve one's health after age 55. He also demonstrated special massage techniques on participants.

Starting January, two new support groups will be held for Chinese caregivers - in Seattle at the International Family Center and on the Eastside at the North Bellevue Community Center. Many caregivers signed up on the spot.

For more information on these groups or to learn more about this program, please contact Theresa Lam at theresal@cisc-seattle.org or 206.624.5633 x 4137.

Thanksgiving at IFC-Seattle

Last week while the rest of us were stuffing ourselves with turkey and pie, the International Family Center-Seattle staff were teaching some of our youngest friends and neighbors just what Thanksgiving is all about.





Over 100 people joined us for a Thanksgiving celebration for kids that included stories about the first Thanksgiving, arts and crafts, fun and games, and of course food!

We at CISC are thankful for all the support we have received this year from our donors, funders, clients and friends. Without you, we couldn't do the work we do, helping ease the transition to a new culture for over 8,000 immigrants and their families. For that, we are truly thankful.

Early Thanksgiving

This year, we give thanks to Catherine Wong for 10 years of service in building and running our Eastside Senior Outreach program. This will be her last Thanksgiving here as she and her husband will be returning to Hong Kong to care for elderly parents.

This program started here at the North Bellevue Community Center in 1999 and now has expanded to 9 different sites across the Eastside and South King County.

One of the most positive things about this program (and there are many) is the interaction between our Chinese seniors and the mainstream community. Because the activities are integrated into the local Parks & Rec Departments, participants and community members have many opportunities to make new friends and learn about new cultures and traditions.

We are so grateful to Catherine for all her passion and dedication. We're sad to see you go, but wish you the very best in the next phase of your life!

We Appreciate our Donors!

Last week, we thanked some of our most loyal supporters with a small get together at the home of Omar and Christine Lee. Also with us that night was the Seattle Youth Symphony's Ragazzi String Quartet, adding to the atmosphere with some beautiful chamber music.

We depend on all our individual and corporate donors to support our work helping Chinese and other immigrants make the transition to a new life, while keeping later generations in touch with their rich heritage. Thank you!

Kids' Activities

October was a busy month for kids at CISC. Our preschoolers went trick-or-treating through our offices, collecting candy and treats, many for the first time.

Free candy?! What a concept!!

The seniors particularly get a kick out of the kids, and just love handing out goodies. Moms and caregivers had a good time putting together costumes for their little ones.
And over in Redmond, we've started our 7th play and learn group this month. After literally months of waiting for the city to finish construction on the new facility, we are now happy to be able to bring play and learn to family, friend and neighbor caregivers in Redmond at Grass Lawn Park.

Many Microsoft families, grandmothers and young children utilize this park on 148th Ave NE. And with the newly refurbished play area (with a really cool rock and water feature), it's going to be awesome on sunny summer days!

Please help us spread the word about this new resource on the Eastside!

Lots Going On @ CISC

Haven't had a chance to blog lately, but that doesn't mean we haven't been doing anything!

In the last couple of weeks we have held an auto maintenance seminar, a workshop on energy conservation, and a family health fair attended by over 120 people!

A big thanks to all of our community partners, including Cornerstone Automotive Services, Seattle City Light, Public Health, International Community Health Services, and many more! We couldn't do it without you.

More Resources

Continuing our efforts to educate the community on disaster preparedness, yesterday we recorded a disaster preparedness DVD into Mandarin with the help of our friends at the Office of Emergency Management.

We already have a Cantonese version, but since so many of our newer immigrant families are Mandarin speaking, we felt it is critical to have the information in both dialects. They will be posted to our web site.

Next up, Vietnamese!

Sunshine Garden Gets Out the Vote

Last week, members of Sunshine Garden Senior Day Care Center performed at a Get Out the Vote luncheon hosted by several Chinatown community groups.




Over 400 people were in attendance.







The lunch was followed up this week with a voting workshop and visit to the new King County elections office.





Seniors learned how to fill out their ballots (but not what to fill out) and what happens to the ballots once they are mailed in.

America from a Flemish Perspective

One of our Belgian friends recently shared this with us: "Looking for America" Flemish photographers' views of the essence of America.



To read the descriptions of the photos and why the artist chose the picture, go to Flanders Today. Don't you love the expression on the Costco lady's face?

And just in case you didn't know, Flanders is the name for the northern, Dutch speaking part of Belgium, distinct from Wallonia, the southern, French speaking part of the country.

Fall Cleaning

It's that time of year again, and time to clean our building. We can't believe it's already been 2 years since we moved into our new building! And now it's time to clean 2 years' worth of accumulated grit and grime.

Don't know if you've noticed, but the seagulls seem to have a proclivity for bombing our windows. We still can't figure out how they do it, but we're glad they're finally getting cleaned!

A big thanks to the workers who have been pressure washing the building with anti-graffiti solution for the past two days. It looks great!

Lifelong Giving

You've heard of lifelong learning? Well at CISC, we also have lifelong giving.

Long time supporter and former board member Katty Chow now volunteers at CISC after having retiremee from a long career in the banking industry. She works with the SHIBA program (State Health Insurance Benefits Advisors) and teaches others how to navigate the vast, confusing system of health insurance.

Here, she is conducting a seminar one Saturday afternoon on the changes to Medicare Part D in 2009. Over 20 people took advantage of this opportunity and were grateful to learn about Medicare changes in a language and dialect that they could understand.

Thank you Katty for all you do!