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October: Self-Employed Tax Program

by News and Events

Center for Family Life’s Self-Employed Tax Program (SETP) was proud to present at the annual Prosperity Summit in Washington DC. This prestigious event unites thousands of professionals who are dedicated to ensuring that everyone has a clear path to financial stability, wealth, and prosperity. Our SETP staff were invited by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to share our experience providing professional tax services to self-employed workers.

Our presentation highlighted key challenges that our community faces when going through the tax filing process, including financial constraints, language barriers, lack of understanding of tax obligations, insufficient knowledge of record-keeping and income tracking, distrust of government agencies, and the need for a filing history to access credit and capital for business growth. To address these challenges, the SETP offers free professional tax preparation, consultations, and workshops to low-income communities in Brooklyn. Last year, our SETP hosted 15 workshops, filed over 400 tax returns, and saved over $246,000 in service fees for clients.

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To ensure these services reach those who need them the most, the SETP relies on a network of community outreach efforts, including partnerships with other community-based organizations, referrals from the IRS, and word of mouth. With services available in English, Spanish, Urdu, and Bengali, the SETP is committed to bridging the communication gap and building trust within diverse communities. 

An SETP Impact Story (name changed for client confidentiality): 

After newly arriving to the United States, a housekeeper named Maria faced challenges filing her taxes for the first time. With limited English proficiency and little understanding of tax compliance, she was unsure how to navigate this unfamiliar and convoluted system. Maria was grateful to work with the SETP in her native language, and to receive assistance preparing and filing her 2023 tax return. She was pleasantly surprised to learn that she was eligible for refunds from both the IRS and the state of New York, and she feels confident that she will meet her tax obligations now that she has the knowledge and tools to track her income.

By providing free reliable and professional tax services, the SETP empowers individuals to build a strong financial foundation, paving the way for economic growth and sustainability in our communities. If you or someone you know is self-employed and could benefit from these free services, we encourage you to make an appointment with the SETP by calling 718-438-9500 or by visiting us at our Main Office.

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September: Summer Youth Employment Program

by News and Events

Each year, Center for Family Life in Sunset Park coordinates paid summer work opportunities for youth ages 14-24 through the Department of Youth and Community Development’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). These work opportunities prepare youth for future careers by giving them the tools they need to build essential job readiness skills while earning money for their families and giving back to their community.

We are thrilled that this summer we connected over 1,150 youth to work opportunities, generating over $2,110,000 in earnings for youth and their families!

A total of 318 younger youth, ages 14-15, in ten cohorts participated in Project Based Learning (PBL) activities that developed their leadership skills and advanced their understanding of civic engagement. Six groups engaged in social justice projects and four groups promoted youth development through intergenerational workshops with elementary-aged children. Our PBL youth gained confidence as they collaborated and developed their capacity to plan and implement innovative community projects.

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Social justice participants researched issues related to mental health, homelessness, poverty, and gender and racial inequality. They decided to center their project on providing support for newly arrived families who are facing poverty and homelessness. Social justice participants connected with CHiPS, a non-profit soup kitchen and food pantry in Park Slope. Participants worked together to create, package, and deliver more than 360 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to community members in need. Later, participants designed a map and brochure for newly arrived families with information on local shelters, clinics, employment services, family activities, and food pantries.

This summer, we placed 854 older youth, ages 16-24 at 79 worksites in Brooklyn, giving them the opportunity to gain experience and explore careers in many different fields of work.

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At one worksite, Groundswell, youth apprentice artists created beautiful large-scale murals to bring key community issues to life and uplift the neighborhood. These young artists immersed themselves in a collective, start-to-finish public art project, while gaining design skills and forming lasting friendships.

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At the historic Green-Wood Cemetery, participants located, mapped, cleaned, and restored broken graves and monuments. SYEPs also led tours for the public and gave presentations about the cemetery and their work.

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SYEPs also served as counselors at summer programs across the neighborhood. At Center for Family Life, SYEP camp counselors worked alongside our dedicated year-round staff to engage children in a range of creative educational enrichment activities. SYEP camp counselors formed positive relationships with younger children while leading field trips, engaging in intergenerational workshops, and collaborating on visual and performing arts projects.

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To celebrate the end of this summer’s program, Maimonides Medical Center held their 2024 Summer Youth Program Recognition Ceremony. This year, they recognized CFL participants Jenny Vazquez-Flores and Arno Zheng, for their outstanding service at the hospital. We are so proud of Jenny and Arno for going above and beyond this summer.

Thank you to all of the worksites with whom we partnered with this summer and to our wonderful SYEP participants for their incredible work!

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August: Summer Camp in Sunset Park!

by News and Events

This month, our newsletter highlights the action-packed days of our CFLSP summer camp programs. We are thrilled that this summer, we served a total of 1,814 children from Kindergarten through 8th grade! Our full-day, 5 day per week camps ran in July and August and engaged children in a diverse range of activities that promoted social, physical, academic and artistic development and provided opportunities to practice and master skills while having fun and building community.

Here are some of this summer’s highlights!

Campers engaged in many hands-on art projects led by CFL Arts Specialists. For one project at our PS 1 camp called “A Summer Souvenir”, campers fostered creativity by designing unique and colorful friendship bracelets, that will be a token by which they can remember a fun-filled summer.

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All CFL camps take weekly field trips to museums, parks, and other cultural, recreational and educational sites throughout NYC. Above, campers from PS 516 visit the American Museum of Natural History.

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Four groups of campers from PS 169 traveled to Brooklyn Urban Garden School (BUGS) twice per week to tend the outdoor gardens and harvest produce from the hydroponics lab. Campers created their own herb satchels, sampled indoor and outdoor grown cucumbers, learned how to weigh produce, and took home fresh vegetables to their families! This fun and engaging project taught campers sustainable urban food growing practices in a hands-on, delicious and nutritious way.

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A highlight of our camp program is our annual summer Olympics. With the goals of promoting sportsmanship and building community, campers engaged in healthy competition through water relays, classic field games, sports, obstacle courses and more.

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Campers also explored their creativity in dance, music, acting, and visual arts activities with culminating performances delighting family and community members! Above, the PS 516 campers perform in an original show entitled “CFL through the Decades.”

In addition to our summer camp participants, we are thrilled that 397 young people gained paid work experience as SYEP camp counselors through the NYC DYCD Summer Youth Employment Program.

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With love from all of us at Center for Family Life in Sunset Park
to everyone who made this a most magical and memorable summer!

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July: Our Cooperative Business Development Program

by News and Events

At Center for Family Life, our Cooperative Business Development Program (CDP) organizes community members to create worker-owned cooperative businesses with the mission of economic and social justice. Through Center for Family Life’s holistic, neighborhood-rooted approach, CDP builds leadership and coaches cooperative members, cultivates relationships to strengthen the cooperative movement, and generates and shares best practices and models for cooperative growth. 

Here are some of the program’s recent highlights!

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Click the photo above to learn more about Up & Go’s services!

Up & Go celebrated its 7-year anniversary in May! When Up & Go launched in 2017 with the support of the CDP, it was the first worker-owned web platform for booking cleaning services in New York City. Since its inception, the cooperative has expanded to all five boroughs and beyond New York State. Last June, Up & Go officially launched in South Philadelphia and currently, Up & Go is looking to onboard new members in Detroit!

To book an appointment with Up & Go, click here.

The CDP offered new free workshops to cooperative members and to the broader community! These include computer literacy and English classes for domestic workers, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) trainings. These classes and trainings are important to cooperative entrepreneurs because they help them to build concrete skills that are essential to start and grow a small business.

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Our CDP joined The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) as they celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI). The event included a panel discussion comprised of cooperative members who shared inspiring stories and program reflections. We are incredibly grateful for the WCBDI for supporting the creation, growth, and sustainability of cooperative businesses which provide a path for New Yorkers to access employment, build wealth, and gain entrepreneurial skills.

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Our Cooperative Business Development Program has helped incubate over 20 cooperatives since its inception and it continues to provide essential supportive resources, trainings, and classes to cooperative members and the broader community. Through this work, the CDP helps cooperative members obtain access to jobs with fair and stable salaries and to gain control over their time and the business.

Thank you for supporting us and our Cooperative Business Development Program. These highlights wouldn’t be possible without all of you!

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June: Cross-site Soccer League

by News and Events

With generous funding provided by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), Center for Family Life launched our first-ever cross-site soccer league in February of 2024. Our free program operated across 6 Center for Family Life sites in Sunset Park at PS 1, PS 503/506, PS 94, PS 169, PS 516, and PS 971. Our Neighborhood Youth Soccer Program served elementary and middle school youth, who otherwise may not have had the financial resources to join a soccer team or the experience to be selected for a competitive league.

At the start of the program, CFL staff organized 14 co-ed teams of youth, from ages 10 to 13. All participants were registered on a first-come-first-serve basis and no prior experience was required.

Staff also recruited high school students to assist in implementing sports practices, games, and other activities for participants. This provided high schoolers with the opportunity to build leadership skills and to earn an incentive of up to $400 while serving as mentors to younger youth in the program.

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During the first two months of the league, participants attended weekly practices where they received skill-based instruction from CFL coaches, who were trained by Street Soccer USA, a national nonprofit. In addition to offering coaching and safety trainings, Street Soccer USA provided neutral referees for cross-site games.

Official games kicked off in April, as teams faced off against other sites. The league centered on fellowship and community-building, allowing youth to engage in friendly competition with no scores being recorded. In addition, all participants played for equal time, regardless of athletic ability or skill level. This created a safe and inclusive environment, where all players felt valued and appreciated.

Each game was highly attended by family members who came to support youth and to cheer on their teams. Throughout the season, parents shared valuable feedback that led to ongoing program improvements. They expressed how thankful they were to have this opportunity for their children. Our partnership with parents and their investment in the program’s success were a major highlight of this new initiative.

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Teams enjoyed playing on professional soccer turf at Soccer Roof in Sunset Park!

After a series of cross-site games and a final grand tournament, the program came to a close with our Award Ceremony on June 7th. At the ceremony, players and their families came together and enjoyed a shared meal to celebrate the accomplishments of participants over the past several months. Players were thrilled to connect one last time with coaches and fellow teammates as they proudly collected their certificates and awards.

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We are incredibly grateful to DYCD’s Neighborhood Youth Team Sports Program for funding that provided 120 young people with the opportunity to join a soccer team and gain valuable skills while strengthening our community.

We are eager to build on the enthusiastic engagement of youth and families and on the success of this year’s inaugural soccer league. We appreciate any donations to support our capacity to continue cross-site sports programming in the future.