CC25-photo7

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
CC25-photo5

“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
heatofsunset

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”!

CC25-TitleSlide-Correct
Slide2
Slide3
Slide4
Slide5
Slide6
Slide25
Slide8
Slide9
Slide10
Slide11
Slide12
Slide13
Slide14
Slide15
Slide16
Slide17
Slide18
Slide19
Slide20
Slide21
Slide22
Slide23
Slide24
Slide7
Slide26
Slide27
Slide28
Slide29
Slide30
Slide31
Slide32
Slide33
Slide34
Slide35
Slide36
Slide37
Slide38
Slide39
Slide40
Slide41
Slide42
Slide43
Slide44
Slide45
Slide46
Slide47
Slide48

Click through our virtual journal from the event!

cc25_inv-EventPage-1270x740

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.

Sun Rays _ Houses - Retreat 2023 _1_

November: Our Annual All Staff Retreat

by News and Events

On November 7th 2023, Center for Family Life held our Annual All Staff Retreat at MS 136/821. More than 325 staff from across our main office and ten neighborhood school sites engaged in a day full of thought-provoking and team-building activities. The Annual Retreat is a unique opportunity to refresh staff’s commitment to our agency mission while enhancing their knowledge about the community we serve and the different programs within CFL.

Prior to the Retreat, each program created a visual art piece to communicate what their program does and how it contributes to our work in the community.

School children's artwork in a collaborative art mural.

These pieces were then combined into one collaborative art mural that welcomed staff when they arrived in the auditorium.

The event began with a “Take a Stand” welcome activity where staff commonalities were highlighted, and each program team was introduced. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and staff were transported to the “Universe of Sunset Park,” as brave “superhero” staff flew down the aisle ready to take on leadership of 15 discussion groups (D Groups). As members of these smaller cross-program leagues of superheroes, staff joined forces in the mission to dismantle systemic inequity, promote social justice, and unleash the potential for growth and change.

Three women smiling with superhero masks.
Our superhero D Group leaders are energized and ready to guide staff on their mission.
An African American woman with a purple super hero cape and eye mask.

Once in their D Group headquarters, staff got better acquainted as they took on mini missions and group challenges. Together, they analyzed community district data, identified and mapped special features in Sunset Park, and pooled their knowledge about CFL’s different programs, sites, and staff roles. They then brainstormed ideas for new cross-site collaborations to meet the emerging needs in our community.  

Each staff member designed a personal emblem that became part of their

D Group’s colorful ray of energy. Later, as a final reveal at the culmination of the retreat, the full spectrum of sunrays created a spectacular backdrop combining each individual staff member’s “superpower” into an unstoppable force for good in Sunset Park.

Staff shared their final reflections in their D Groups over a delicious meal catered by Sea & Soil, a cooperative sandwich shop in Brooklyn formed by two former CFL staff members.

Our neon green D Group proudly displays their map of notable locations in Sunset Park that reflect our vibrant community.

The All-Staff Retreat concluded back in the auditorium with a recognition ceremony where staff members with educational milestones, including those who had recently graduated and those currently in college or grad school, were enthusiastically cheered and congratulated for their achievements.

Multi-Site Supervisor and SPHS Program Director Kristie Mancell recognized for her 20 years of service.

Staff were also recognized for longevity milestones including 16 staff celebrating 5 years. We were especially excited to honor 8 of our longest staff members with heartfelt speeches and personalized videos showing their journey and growth over 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of service.

Co-Executive Director Julia Jean-Francois awarded for her 20 years of service.
Program Coordinator (PS 503/506) Wanda Williams honored for her 25 years of service.

Thank you to our Board members, special guests, and dedicated staff for joining us on this special day and

Happy 45th Anniversary to Center for Family Life!

LLs

Celebrating Community 2023

by News and Events

On October 5th, we celebrated our annual Celebrating Community event at the Stone Park Cafe, where we honored Leroy Street Studio as well as Charlie Allen and the firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.

In addition, we were thrilled to recognize the 40th anniversary of “Life Lines” Community Arts Project!

In celebration of the nationally-recognized program Life Lines, we created a documentary showing how the program has grown since 1982 and exploring its impact on Sunset Park youth and the overall community over four decades. We would like to thank all Life Lines staff members and participants, both past and present, for being a part of this program and everyone who contributed to this documentary for making it so incredibly special!

To watch the full documentary, click here!

Our 2023 Honorees

Our Community Hero
Leroy Street Studio

In 2018 we partnered with the designers of the interim Sunset Park Library, Leroy Street Studio, who collaborated with participants in our Life Lines Visual Arts Troupe to create a welcoming and vibrant space with the use of art. In 2021, the library was recognized as one of the winners of the Library Building Design Award, one of only five libraries selected in the United States.

We are so glad that Leroy Street Studio has remained a dedicated partner to Center for Family Life in Sunset Park and are honored to have worked on such an important community project together.

Our Corporate Hero
Charlie Allen & Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

After becoming an independent organization, Center for Family Life in Sunset Park sought the expertise of Charlie Allen and his team at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP on our governance project. This project was a complex and time-consuming undertaking and we would like to thank Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Charlie Allen for providing exceptional pro bono service to our organization.

Special Acknowledgements

Thank you to our Board of Directors, esteemed guests State Senator Andrew Gounardes, Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes, Congressional Field Representative Mayra Molina from the office of Congressman Dan Goldman, Deputy Borough President Kim Council, Deputy Commissioner Susan Haskell form the Department of Youth and Community Development, Deputy Commissioner Jackie Martin from the Administration for Children’s Services, along with CFL staff members and all of those who attended and supported our event.

We are so grateful to have such wonderful partners to help us serve the Sunset Park community!

Our school-based staff speakers! From left to right: Taide Acevedo, Stephanie Ruiz, Shanice Peters, Johnny Tapia, and Andy Li

The Extra Mile 2023

by News and Events

On June 7th, we celebrated our incredible school-based staff and leaders-in-training at our annual Extra Mile event! We are so glad that our guests were able to hear the unique experiences of these outstanding young adults and to appreciate their journey along our “ladder of leadership.” 

 

Our Co-Executive Directors Julia Jean-Francois and Julie Stein Brockway with our school-based staff presenters and Councilmember Alexa Aviles, who personally congratulated our staff on behalf of City Council!

Read below to learn about our school-based staff members’ journeys up the ladder!

Taide Acevedo: Taide was born and raised in Sunset Park, starting her journey with CFL as a 5-year-old participant in the afterschool program at

PS 503/506. As a teen, Taide started volunteering her time at PS 503/506 and joined the Counselor-in-Training Program. Later, she graduated from Sunset Park High School, the first public high school in the neighborhood, and climbed just about every rung of leadership in the school-based programs. Taide is now the Program Director at PS 971 and has a MSW from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.

Andy Li: Andy is a junior at Telecommunications High School. He is a graduate of Sunset Park Prep (M.S. 821), where he participated in the “Life Lines” program for all three years. Andy has been a Leader-in-Training (LIT) since 10th grade and still participates in the Life Lines high school program.

Shanice Peters: Shanice was part of the first graduating class from Sunset Park High School where she spent all four years involved in the Life Lines program by participating in their performing arts troupes. Throughout her time at CFL, she has been a participant, group leader, high school advisor, LIT supervisor, an assistant and director of the Life Lines Summer Arts Camp, and a Program Coordinator for Life Lines. Shanice is now the Program Director at MS 136 and holds a MSW from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service.

Stephanie Ruiz: Over the years, Stephanie has climbed up the ladder of leadership in the school-based programs including office aid, assistant group leader, group leader, CIT coordinator, high school advisor, and activity specialist. Stephanie is now the PS 169 Co-Director, has her BSW, and is attending Hunter College to obtain her MSW!

Johnny Tapia: Johnny started CFL in 2015 as a Life Lines group leader. He has also been a high school advisor, LIT supervisor, parent liaison, activity specialist, CIT supervisor, and an AmeriCorps supervisor. This summer, Johnny has been promoted to Program Coordinator and will co-lead the PS 94 program.

 

Bonnie Greaves, Vice-Chair
Our Board Vice-Chair, Bonnie Greaves
Tim Sheehan, Chair
Our Board Chair, Tim Sheehan

Thank you to our Board of Directors, esteemed guests NY City Councilwoman Alexa Aviles and Congressional Field Representative Mayra Molina from the office of Congressman Dan Goldman, along with CFL staff members and all of those who attended and supported our special event. We are so proud of our young leaders and are excited to see them continue to grow!