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October: Volunteer Partnership with the Brooklyn Oratory

by News and Events

This past summer, a group from the Brooklyn Oratory inquired about volunteer opportunities at Center for Family Life. This led to a beautiful partnership that we are excited to highlight in this month’s Stories from the Field! 

The Migrant Accompaniment program, operating under the Oratory’s Social Justice Action Committee, focuses on supporting recently arrived New Yorkers and was eager to engage with Brooklyn’s immigrant community.

They conducted a needs assessment through a series of interviews, surveys, and meetings—including with CFL’s Adult Employment program—to determine how their volunteering could be most effective. Ultimately, they decided to facilitate English conversation circles in partnership with our ESOL classes!

In Fiscal Year 2025, 223 students enrolled in our free English classes, making conversation circles an excellent addition to our programming.

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Snapshots from some of the conversation circle sessions!

For two and a half months, a dedicated group of 15 volunteers facilitated 4 English conversation circles weekly. The aim was to create a foundation of care through accessible and relevant conversations, making the experience comfortable for learners. 

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These sessions provided essential opportunities for learners to drive the discussions, fostering genuine connections among participants.

One volunteer remarked that “the conversations quickly morphed from the recommended topic of the day to what happened in people’s lives during the week, like a group of friends catching up”.

After breaking the ice, the sessions also evolved into a space for resource-sharing and mutual aid, where both volunteers and learners exchanged knowledge on topics like low-cost lunch options, neighborhood events, library assistance, and more.

Another volunteer noted “the most positive aspect for me was the enjoyment everyone in the group seemed to feel: there were serious explanations, and laughter, at each session”.

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Brooklyn Oratory volunteers celebrating their partnership with CFL Co-Executive Director Julia Jean-Francois and Adult Employment Program Director Maria Ferreira. 

We are so grateful to our partners at the Brooklyn Oratory and look forward to continuing our collaboration.

Thank you to all our supporters and volunteers, you make

Center for Family Life’s vital work possible!

Learn more about volunteering with Center for Family Life

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Thank You! | Celebrating Community 2025

by News and EventsUncategorized

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your support of the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park.

You helped make Celebrating Community 2025 a huge success! It was an unforgettable night spent with friends of CFL, old and new, honoring Julie Stein Brockway’s enduring legacy.

We are thrilled to announce the establishment of the Julie Stein Brockway Innovation Fund, which will enable CFL’s next generation of leaders to power Julie’s creative vision long into the future.

DONATE TO THE JULIE STEIN BROCKWAY INNOVATION FUND
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“Words cannot begin to express the depth of my love and appreciation for the incredible people with whom I have partnered in this remarkable, vibrant community over the past 43 years.

I leave with my heart full to overflowing, knowing that the strong and resilient Sunset Park community and Center for Family Life will continue to thrive in the most capable hands.” – Julie Stein Brockway

With your generous support, we engage more than 20,000 children, youth, and adults through our programs offered at 14 different locations.

Here are some of CFL’s 2025 highlights:

  • We served 2,130+ youth through our afterschool programs and 1,600+ children through our summer day camps
  • We connected 1,150+ youth to summer work and service-learning opportunities, generating close to $2 million in earnings for youth and their families
  • We served 135,612 meals through our food pantry
  • We provided free immigration and legal services to 430+ community members through ActionNYC
  • We helped community members file nearly 6,000 tax returns with our VITA tax filing team, securing refunds totaling more than $8.7 million
  • We placed 190+ participants in jobs with our Adult Employment program
  • We have incubated 25+ cooperatives, with the Cooperative Business Development Program recently launching Cooportunity Cleaning
Your doations will ensure that the Center for Family Life continues to innovate and extend Julie’s legacy.
DONATE TODAY
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Current and former “Life Lines” participants and staff – accompanied by maracas of “joyful noise” from the crowd – brought a perfect ending to the night with a spirited rendition of “The Heat of Sunset Park”!

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Click through our virtual journal from the event!

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September: Summer Youth Employment Program

by News and EventsYouth and Community Development & School Partnerships

Every summer, Center for Family Life in Sunset Park coordinates paid work opportunities for youth aged 14 to 24 through the Department of Youth and Community Development’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). 

This critical program empowers young adults to explore future career paths, acquire essential job readiness skills, earn paychecks to support their families, and make a meaningful impact in their communities. 

We are incredibly proud of the 1,159 participants who generated close to $2,000,000 in earnings this summer! 

Among them, 318 Younger Youth participants, aged 14 to 15, engaged in Project-Based Learning (PBL) Groups. These groups collaboratively address community needs by creating projects focused on social justice or youth development. PBLs provide participants with opportunities to practice civic engagement and enhance their leadership skills.

This summer, PBL participants conducted five intergenerational workshops for over 100 elementary-aged students. One of these workshops was a carnival-style event at Sunset Park High School!

Other PBL participants worked with community-based organizations like Community Help in Park Slope (CHiPS) and City Meals on Wheels to address food insecurity through packaging and delivering meals.

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For our Older Youth participants, the SYEP experience begins before summer even starts!

In early June, hundreds of students attended CFL’s annual in-person Job Fair. With resumes in hand, they participated in informational interviews with a variety of worksites. Partner worksites included medical centers, political offices, arts organizations, and CFL’s own programs! This unique event helps young people discover opportunities that align with their career goals.

In total, 841 Older Youth participants, aged 16 to 24, worked at 83 different worksites across the South Brooklyn area.

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One of our newer SYEP worksites is Socceroof, an indoor space where soccer meets community through youth and adult programming. Participants got the chance to explore what a career in athletics would be like by supporting the classes, events, and pick-up games!

The Green-Wood Cemetery is a beloved worksite where SYEP participants help restore the 478-acre landmark while learning about the intersections of horticulture and history. This also included a cumulative research project presented to staff and parents.

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We even had our very own group of SYEP participants working in the Center for Family Life offices! These wonderful participants helped Community Service Staff with food vouchers, stocked the food pantry, observed benefit enrollment, and assisted with Maimonides and NYU health studies.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our partner worksites and our utmost congratulations to all SYEP participants for their amazing work! 

If you would like to support the Center for Family Life and this kind of programming, please consider making a donation today.

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August: CFLSP Summer Camp 2025

by News and Events

Center for Family Life’s campers had a spectacular summer filled with laughter and adventures! 

This year, a total of 1,618 bright and eager children from grades K-8 immersed themselves in our summer programs. For 5 action-packed days a week throughout July and August, participants were engaged in a diverse array of full-day activities that fueled their growth in social skills, physical fitness, academic exploration, and artistic expression.

Here is a peek at some of the unforgettable highlights from CFLSP Summer Camp 2025! Let’s reminisce on the joy of summer!

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Campers had a blast diving into exciting skill-building activities led by CFL staff! Their curiosity blossomed in the community garden, they fashioned t-shirts in a hands-on tie-dye session, and they channeled their inner entrepreneurs by designing their very own storefronts.

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This summer, all campers took unforgettable trips that blended fun and learning! Campers took to the field for a thrilling behind-the-scenes tour of Citi Field. They got the ultimate baseball fan experience; campers stepped inside the dugout, looked into the exclusive VIP rooms, and even met a player.

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Another highlight was visiting FDNY Engine 201 right here in Sunset Park. Campers loved climbing aboard the fire trucks, exploring the equipment, and trying out the fire extinguishers!

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The Prospect Park Zoo was a site of exploration for many campers. Participants enjoyed meeting the different animals that call the zoo home.

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Olympics are a beloved tradition at CFL Summer Camp! During this week-long event, campers don their team colors and engage in a variety of team-building and cooperative games, fostering fun, friendship, and friendly competition.

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The excitement culminates in an awards ceremony and the symbolic end-of-the-day activity, Tug of Peace.

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As is CFL camp tradition, campers celebrated the end of the season with performances, dazzling family and friends with the skills they developed in dance, music, and acting.

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Summer camp at CFL was once again filled with joy, community-building, and lasting memories.

The parent of one camper remarked that their child “came home every day excited, full of new stories and learning experiences that have clearly motivated her to keep exploring and growing”.

We are deeply grateful to the staff, families, and community partners who made this summer truly special!

If you would like to support the Center for Family Life and this kind of programming, please consider making a donation today.

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Celebrating Community 2025: Honoring Co-Executive Director Julie Stein Brockway

by News and Events
PURCHASE TICKETS

You can purchase tickets for Celebrating Community by clicking the button above or by visiting this website. 

We are thrilled to announce that our annual Celebrating Community event will take place on October 21st from 6–8 PM at 501 Union in Brooklyn, NY 11231. 

Please join us in honoring Co-Executive Director Julie Stein Brockway before her retirement (or, in her words, “rewirement”) in December 2025. 

Together, we will celebrate Julie’s leadership over the past 43 years, including the founding of the nationally-recognized “Life Lines” Community Arts Project, her decades-long advocacy alongside community members for the creation of Sunset Park High School, and the growth of free, high-quality programs that today engage 8,000 youth and family members across 11 Sunset Park schools. 

Learn more about purchasing event tickets, placing a tribute ad, and/or donating!

Watch A Reflection on 40 Years | Life Lines Community Arts Project Documentary  to learn more about Julie’s work at CFLSP and within Sunset Park over the past four decades.