Internet Basics

Our friends as CenturyLink hosted an Internet Basics workshop yesterday that reached its maximum of 30 RSVPs then had 90 people show up anyway! Much scrambling, creativity and grace under pressure as staff from both organizations figured out how to accommodate the crowd. Great presentation by Stella Leong and colleagues who stayed one hour after the scheduled end time to answer questions!

Friendship Dinner 2012

Our first corporate sponsor for the 40th Anniversary Friendship Dinner & Auction is Tai Foong USA! Many thanks to owner Davy Lam for his long time and generous support as a Gold Level Sponsor!

And if you happen to see some of their products at Costco, please try them! They're sold under the Northern Chef, Northern King and Royal Asia brands. Delicious and healthy frozen seafood of the highest quality. Dine well, feel well, live well! 

Everyone Gives

On February 22, 2012, CISC will participate in a revolutionary eight-day global giving campaign spanning more than 60 countries around the world. “Everyone Gives” promises to be the most extensive and inclusive global giving event ever attempted, benefitting more than 200 non-profits around the globe.

“This is an easy way for our supporters to donate to CISC and to tell their friends and family about why CISC is important to them,” says Alaric Bien, Executive Director. Donating is simple and secure, and one hundred percent of all donations made through Everyone Gives go directly to the non-profit selected by the donor.

Participants make a small donation, as little as $5, to CISC through the Everyone Gives website at www.everyonegives.org and then tap into their social networks via email, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to invite friends, co-workers, clients and family to support CISC. “I think of it as a giving tree,” explains Doug Frye, President of Colliers International and a founding sponsor of Everyone Gives. “One donation becomes five, five becomes 25 and 25 can become hundreds. And you can track your giving tree and your friends’ giving trees on the Everyone Gives website.“

Everyone Gives grew from a seed planted by the leaders at Colliers International, one of the world’s largest commercial real estate firms. The idea germinated and grew through collaboration with other like-minded organizations, seeking to create sustainable good. Joining Colliers International and CISC together with hundreds of charities around the world.

Jiao Liu Community Engagement

Yesterday, CISC hosted a viewing party for US Citizenship and Immigration Services' Jiao Liu web stream. Over 50 people attended and staff from the local USCIS office answered questions in Mandarin and Cantonese for over an hour after the web stream concluded.

A Civics and Citizenship Toolkit was awarded to the eldest student there, who was 84 years young. And everyone appreciated the opportunity to talk to USCIS in their native langauge.

仁人家屬照顧者支援計劃﹕給家屬照顧者的好消息

新的一年祝各位新年快樂！ 希望大家有一個健康及幸福的2012年。有一好消息要與您們分享，仁人家屬照顧者計劃的工作人員成為了認證的健康舞步教師。到底什麼是「健康舞步」？

It's fun and easy!

「健康舞步」(Healthy-Steps) 是一種附有治療作用並配以輕鬆愉快音樂的簡單運動。此運動適合任何年齡的長者，不論是否行動不便或患有長期病患。此運動對整體健康均有幫助。特別是改善身體的平衡和增加身體的活動範圍。研究証明此運動有助改善癌症病人或其他長期病患者的整體健康狀況。(詳情請瀏覽以下網址﹕http://www.gohealthysteps.com/)

仁人家屬照顧者計劃將會在未來的數月舉辨一個健康舞步班給我們的照顧者(詳情請向職員查詢)，您還可以帶同患者一同參加此活動。假如他們不能出席的話，你常常能夠在舞步班完結後跟患者分享班上所學的一切，這樣，您及所愛的家人健康便得以改善。

For young and old alike

雖然這個舞步班在醫院及社區中心廣泛舉行，但教授的語言主要為英語及需要收費的，家屬照顧者支援計劃是唯一有合資格的健康舞步導師以中文教授！名額有限及必須預先登記。如有意參加者，請盡快致電206.624.5633 內綫4300 江嘉賢小姐及 內綫4137 林碧霞小姐登記預留位置。

We Start 'Em Young!

Our youngest walkathon fundraiser this year is 6 year old Alvin, shown here with his parents Hoi Cheung and Janice. Mom works at CISC as an Elderly Information and Assistance Specialist in Seattle and on the Eastside. We're all very proud of Alvin and all he has done to help other kids and families making the transition to a new life in America. Thanks Alvin!!

Happy Year of the Dragon!

A beautiful day, a great turn out, fun, food and prizes! Thanks to all who came out to support CISC!

Parent Recognition

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.