Thursday, January 29, 2009

Metro Planning

Last week, King County Metro held a community meeting at CISC to solicit input on proposed changes to bus routes in Southeast Seattle including Beacon Hill and the Rainier Valley.

This needs to be done in advance of the opening of the light rail later this year. Many attendees expressed their opinions and will let their friends and neighbors know that they can still give their input online until February 6.

Go to their website by clicking on this link and let them know what you think!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

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.

Monday, January 19, 2009

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!

Monday, January 12, 2009

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.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

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!

Thursday, January 08, 2009

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.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

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.


Monday, January 05, 2009

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.