Uncategorized Archives - Center for Family Life

SNAP benefits are in jeopardy and New Yorkers are furloughed.

Center for Family Life in Sunset Park’s food pantry serves thousands of people each year. Last year we served 11,000 neighbors alone and have seen a 40% increase in need over the last three years. We are facing longer pantry lines, and our stock is depleting at a much quicker rate.

We need your help to meet this increased need. No amount is too small.

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Hear from CFL’s Community Services Program Director, Cathy Vargas, on what her food pantry team is experiencing on the ground:

“Since the threat to snap benefits, our phones have been ringing off the hook, asking for pantry services. Our lines are increasing. We see more stress in the faces of these families. And to add to the need, we’re now serving federal employees who are working without paychecks since the government shut down.”

Since 1978, Center for Family Life has been a trusted resource for the Sunset Park community.

When families visit CFL for food support, they are also connected to the many holistic services our settlement house offers.

Please help today.

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.

“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.

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”!