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December: Holiday Season at the Center

Support CFL in the last two days of 2024!

This holiday season, the Center for Family Life is so grateful for supporters like you who make the work we do possible. With your support, at this special time of year we go above and beyond in all of our programs to share holiday foods, gifts and clothing with the families who come to our doors.  

Thanks to your contributions, between Thanksgiving and Christmas the Center was able to provide over 400 turkeys to neighbors in Sunset Park! We are especially grateful to NYC Council Member Alexa Aviles, New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes, City Harvest, and the Skanska company for their generous contributions to the Center for Family Life’s food pantry this holiday season. Donations of turkeys and all the trimmings helped more of our neighbors to have festive and fulfilling feasts this year.

 We are also grateful for the generosity of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church — who donated so many toys to the Center — and for our case planners in the Family Counseling Program who distributed the gifts to parents.  

Our Adult Employment Program also provided toys and hosted a toy giveaway, where families picked up wrapped presents for their children. Some parents came to the Center while their children were in school, and sometimes it was a family affair to pick up gifts!

CFL’s School Based Youth and Community Programs were also busy this holiday season hosting holiday sing-alongs, plays, and gingerbread house-making events in the 11 schools where we offer afterschool programming to in Sunset Park. 

Additionally, we are grateful for our wonderful Board of Directors who donated scarfs and gloves to the Center, and for a holiday grant from the United Neighborhood Houses which allowed our Family and Community Supports Program to buy winter coats and holiday gifts for community members in need. As we head toward the coldest months of winter, it’s more important than ever that our neighbors have protective and warm clothing to get them through this winter. Your end of year donation today will help us to ensure that there is one less neighbor without food or warm winter clothing. If you haven’t already, please consider donating to the Center. 

It’s always been our mission to be a resource to our neighbors in Sunset Park; seeing everyone come-and-go from the Center — whether to give or receive gifts — made us grateful to be in a community where we all strive to include each other in our festivities and celebrations. The ways we support each other in our community is, in and of itself, something to celebrate as we end 2024 and enter a new year. 

In utmost gratitude, and with warmest wishes for the New Year, 

The Center for Family Life in Sunset Park  

A box of fresh produce, including lettuce, carrots, and other green, from Mimomex Farms

October: Farm Fresh Produce & Eggs in our Food Pantry

We are thrilled to announce that we received a New York Food for New York Families grant award from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. This grant has made it possible for us to distribute produce and eggs at our food pantry- direct from the farm to our doors!

Through the New York Food for New York Families grant award, we have partnered with Latinx immigrant farmers to supply clients with vegetables and fruits that are commonly used in Latin American cooking traditions, and that are nutritious, and sustainably grown. With this innovative partnership, we hope to improve the health and wellness of our community members while supporting immigrant farmers based in New York State.

Our partners on this project include Mimomex Farm, who provide our pantry’s produce and herbs, and Tello Farms, who provide fresh eggs.

Mimomex Farm in Goshen, New York
Mimomex Farm in Goshen, New York

Mimomex Farm is owned by Martin Rodriguez and Gaudencia Gonzalez, who at a young age started farming in their native country of Mexico. Martin and Gaudencia both strongly oppose the use of pesticides, and believe in the importance of naturally grown produce and sustainable farming practices.

Beets delivered to our food pantry last week by Mimomex Farm
Beets delivered to our food pantry last week by Mimomex Farm
Eggs from Tello Farms
Eggs from Tello Farms in Red Hook, New York
Tello Farms in Red Hook, New York

Another incredible partner on this project, Tello Farms, is owned by Nestor Tello, who immigrated to the United States from Colombia in 1992 to escape political violence in the country. Nestor Tello started his farm in 2000 with his wife Alejandra, where he raises chickens to produce eggs and grows various crops.

CFL food pantry clients picking up their produce and eggs
CFL food pantry clients picking up their produce and eggs
CFL food pantry clients picking up their produce and eggs
CFL food pantry clients picking up their produce and eggs

This effort to provide fresh produce and eggs to our community members has been extremely well received, as both the Latinx and Chinese communities who make up the vast majority of our neighborhood population, prize the inclusion of eggs, fruits, vegetables, and herbs in their cooking and diets.

We appreciate our Food Pantry Project funders for allowing us to serve our clients nutritious foods and are proud to report that in calendar year 2023 to date, we have served nearly 3,200 clients and over 2,600 families in our food pantry!

Center for Family Life’s Food Pantry Project helps individuals and families who are experiencing food insecurity to meet basic needs for nutritious food. We provide clients with packages of dry and canned goods, fresh and frozen proteins, fruits and vegetables that will support 3 meals a day for 3 days for all members of client families. Our food pantry operates for 52 weeks a year and distributes food packages Tuesday through Thursday and by appointment on Monday and Friday. In addition, the Food Pantry Project offers a portfolio of onsite supportive social services that help clients to regain household and financial stability.

We are grateful for the generous funding provided to our food pantry by United Way of NYC, the NYC Department of Social Services’ Human Resources Administration, and City Harvest.

Thank you to all of our supporters for giving us the opportunity to promote our philosophy of food justice and equity.

Colorful bird drawing

Center for Family Life in Sunset Park Wishes You A Healthy and Happy Holiday Season!

For over 40 years, Center for Family Life has been committed to enriching the lives of individuals in Sunset Park through community partnerships and a dedication to service. Today, our comprehensive range of services engage more than 13,500 people at 10 community locations!

Children at PS 503/506 participating in Lights on Afterschool, which highlights the benefits of afterschool programs. Your holiday donations support these programs!
Children at PS 503/506 participating in Lights on Afterschool, which highlights the benefits of afterschool programs. Your holiday donations support these programs!

Thanks to your support, Center for Family Life achieved the following 2022 Highlights:

Our Benefits Access Program helped 851 clients obtain nearly $831,000 in benefits like SNAP and health insurance for their families!

Over 3,000 neighborhood residents were provided with meals from our food pantry. Between January and June of 2022, CFLSP was able to distribute over 14,000 pounds of food to our community members!

Our Child and Family Services provided child maltreatment preventive services and public benefits eligibility screenings to 265 families with 519 children!

Our ActionNYC team provided free immigration and legal services to 603 members, screening clients for immigration risks and all possible forms of relief.

We were able to assist in filing 3,127 returns for tax year 2021, generating a total refund of $4.4 million!

Our new 5-year NYS Education 21st Century Community Learning Center contract will allow us to serve 2,500+ youth at 10 school sites in the coming year!

"Life Lines" Community Arts Project Exploring "Art as Nourishment." They chose to share the message "We can rest our mind" with community members!
"Life Lines" Community Arts Project Exploring "Art as Nourishment." They chose to share the message "We can rest our mind" with community members!

Center for Family Life in Sunset Park is dedicated to promoting positive outcomes for youth and their families. Our services enrich the quality of life of individuals in our community and beyond, supporting families and increasing opportunities. We are honored to assist our community members in any way possible and are so thankful for all of your support. Our 2022 highlights are a testament to the generosity of each and every one of you. We hope to do even more in 2023!