CFL Summer Camp participants. Art designed by local Sunset Park artist, Mei Zheng.

Happy Holidays!

by News and EventsUncategorized

We are so grateful for all our supporters and community members. It’s been a challenging year, but Sunset Park is an incredibly resilient and resourceful community!

 

 

Center for Family Life continues to be a beacon of hope, hub of civic engagement, and resource point for economic livelihoods in our neighborhood.  

 

This year, our Center helped:

  • 2,435 families obtain $1.6 million in benefits like SNAP and health insurance.
  • 5,426 people file their tax returns through our VITA Tax Filing Program, securing $8,500,000 in refunds for low-income community members (interested in volunteering with our tax program?).
  • 1,159 youth earn close to $2 million in earnings this summer through our Summer Youth Employment Program.

 

We couldn’t have done this without your help. Thank you, and we wish you a very happy, healthy, and peaceful holiday season. 

 

Warmly,

The Staff and Board of Center for Family Life in Sunset Park

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PS – we’re nearing our $100,000 year-end goal, can you help us get there? 

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November: The Season of Giving

by News and EventsUncategorized

We love this season because it reminds us to be thankful for all of the things we enjoy and the people we are grateful to have in our lives.

However, for many of our community members who have limited incomes, unstable housing, food insecurity, or are far from loved ones at home, it can be hard to feel the joy of the season.

At Center for Family Life, we work to make every individual in our Sunset Park community feel warmth, love, and appreciation now and year-round. But our programs are only possible with your incredible generosity.

Today, we’re excited to kick off our end-of-year fundraising goal to reach $100,000 by January 10th, 2026. Your donations will directly support our free food pantry, afterschool programs, legal services, ESOL classes, family counseling, and so much more. 

DONATE
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Council Member Avilés helping with our annual turkey distribution.

Just last week, our amazing food pantry team partnered with District 38 Council Member Alexa Avilés and City Harvest to distribute 175 turkeys to families in need. An annual tradition at CFL, our turkey give-a-ways are in addition to our regular food packages which this year have reached 2,628 families so far.

Centering support in the heart of Sunset Park is exactly how CFL delivers warmth to our neighbors who may be experiencing a very challenging time this season.

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The CFL food pantry team with Council Member Avilés.

Join us today to help us reach $100,000 by January 10th and ensure no interruption to our community programs in the new year.

No donation is too small!

DONATE

From all of us at Center for Family Life, we wish you a safe and restful Thanksgiving holiday.

We appreciate you!

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January: Celebrating Sunset Park’s Immigrant Community

by News and Events

 

This month, Center for Family Life lifts up the incredible energy, potential and accomplishments of our immigrant community members who have come to Brooklyn from countries around the world. Our neighbors in the community honor us with their trust and with their willingness to share their authentic selves. Whether they come to us to look for jobs, to learn about public benefits, to participate in our afterschool programs, or to find support to build strong and loving families, our neighbors teach all of us at Center for Family Life so many invaluable life lessons about resiliency, determination and the joy of actualizing one’s fullest potential. We are grateful beyond words for the partnership of our community members and for their willingness to share their life stories, accomplishments, and challenges with us.

The community members whom we serve have contributed so much to making Sunset Park a truly exceptional place to live and grow. Our very newest community members, working with our employment counselors, have found their path to success in hospitality, homecare agencies, food service, security, construction, and as bilingual teaching assistants. We are thrilled to have welcomed several to the staff of Center for Family Life!

Undaunted by learning a new language and undeterred by learning to navigate a huge and complex city, our participants have inspired pride in their families and neighbors with the work that they have chosen to do and the contribution they have chosen to make to this city.

This month we remember the wise counsel of the founders of Center for Family Life, and we submit that it is our honor and privilege to be given the opportunity to serve our neighbors. Our charge is to work in solidarity to encounter the grace, the dignity, and the inestimable beauty of all people as they make their way through their lives in community.

We continue our work with resolute determination and optimism, and we thank all who support our work for sharing their resources and encouragement as we draw strength and wisdom from fellowship with our neighbors.

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March: Advocacy Day in Albany

by Family and Community SupportNews and Events

On March 14th, a group of Center for Family Life staff and program participants in our Community Study Circles ventured to Albany to present their advocacy priorities to elected officials!

Through funding provided by the Thriving Families, Safer Children Youth, Family, and Community initiative, we offered a series of Chinese and Spanish Community Study Circle (CSC) workshops, which were co-created and led by program staff with lived experience. These eight-week workshops used a popular education methodology to introduce community participants to community-specific and citywide data on education, housing, economic development, environmental issues, public sanitation, food access and child welfare participation. Group members explored the “story” that data tells about community experiences, contextualizing this data “story” in their own immediate and personal life experiences. Workshops culminated in final presentations to policy makers and elected officials, where participants shared their personal experiences and ideas for community strengthening!

A significant highlight of our Community Study Circle program was our advocacy trip this March. CFL staff, including CSC group leaders, and Spanish and Chinese program participants travelled to Albany where they engaged directly with state officials to discuss policy recommendations and to elevate community priorities. Our team was incredibly grateful to meet with the offices of Senators Iwen Chu, John C. Liu, and Roxanne Persaud. Together, our team presented the collective concerns of the Chinese and Spanish communities in Sunset Park.

After their day of advocacy, we asked participants to share their reflections. Here is what they chose to share:

“Having participated in study circles at CFL gave me the opportunity to develop my leadership skills and proudly represent our Latino community in Albany. It was an experience that will be unforgettable for me. Our voice was heard, we carried a message and we were heard. Now it is up to the senators to work for our needs so that our community’s goals can be met!”

“For me, it was a wonderful trip and a great learning experience. It was my first time going to Albany, I am satisfied with my small contribution to our community. It is a phenomenal experience because of La Union Hace la Fuerza (strength in unity). God willing, the official electors can commit themselves to work for us and provide us with support for each topic and solution that we have presented.”

“It was great working with the Spanish speaking group, which allowed two marginalized groups to unite for such special cause. Thank you for inviting me!” 

This trip truly emphasizes the power of diverse communities coming together to expand their reach and impact. We are so proud of our CFL staff and program participants for voicing their concerns and advocating for changes in our community and throughout NYC!