Family in Transition (FIT) April Newsletter
- Charity Cultural Services Center (CCSC)
- Apr 2
- 7 min read
Charity Cultural Services Center - Family in Transition Monthly Newsletter
April 2025
Earth Awareness April
Welcome to the FIT program! Spring has sprung, and so has our April edition of the FIT Monthly Newsletter! 🌿 Inside, you'll find fresh updates, exciting events, and opportunities to blossom this season. Whether you're looking for this month’s FIT events, April activities in SF, or summer programs, there's something for everyone!
REMINDERS
👋A few reminders for events!
By registering for an event, you agree to actively participate in all aspects of the program, because failure to do so would undermine the purpose of the event. Therefore, we ask that you minimize distractions and remain focused on the assigned tasks. For volunteering events, please keep breaks to 15–20 minutes and remain at your designated station unless instructed otherwise. Noncompliance may result in one or more strikes, depending on the severity.
Be respectful of the spaces that we are in, especially when the event is in an office, where staff personal belongings may be. If you need something, like a material or access to an area outside of the designated event area, please ask for permission from a staff member, because we want to respect others’ property and private spaces.
If you sign up for an event on a Thursday or later before the event date, please notify us by emailing fit@sfccsc.org, because we may miss your registration, and need a headcount. Otherwise, you may be rejected from the event when you arrive, since the organizer may not have proper preparations for you.
Thank you for reviewing these reminders and for your cooperation! Your actions affect not just you but everyone in the FIT program. Following these guidelines helps you make the most of each event while also building community with our partners and each other.
GRATITUDE CENTER
👾 Level Up Your Life 👾
Thank you very much to all 11 participants who came to the Level Up Your Life event on March 15th. We hope you gained a better idea of your values and how to use them as the foundation for solid goals, as well as smart techniques for financial wellbeing and time management. Many of you liked the game aspect of this presentation, and we listened, so you can look forward to more games and group activities in future workshops!
Thank you to the 13 volunteers that helped make Bloom Shaboom a success on March 23rd! Your support made it possible to run this event successfully, and bring an engaging experience to the community. Between helping families decorate tote bags, making popcorn bags, and instructing kids on how to plant a seed, we hope you had plentiful meaningful interactions.
THIS MONTH’S FIT EVENTS
🐶 Dog Fest 2025 🐶
Support the McKinley Elementary School by volunteering at their annual Dog Fest! It is the school’s biggest fundraising heritage event to raise money for McKinley’s PTA and meet necessary fundraising goals. Funds support existing programs that help their kids, teachers and staff. Unless given other directions from the organizers, you will be running a carnival activity with a friend, so if you want to be paired with someone, make sure to mention them in the registration form! Please see this link for more information about the event and pictures from the previous years.
Time: Saturday, April 26th from 1 PM to 3 PM
Location: Duboce Park, Scott St, San Francisco, CA 94114
* This event counts as 1 FIT volunteer credit.
Note: If you sign up for Dog Fest and How to Choose the Best Fit College, you may leave the latter at 12pm to head to Dog Fest with Sabrina.
🧑🚒 Meet the Fire Dept. 🧑🚒
Come with us on a field trip to the Station #13, a fire station in the Financial District. We will explore the station through a guided tour and hear about careers and career journeys from the staff. (Hint: Firefighter is only one of the many positions that work in the fire department!) Sign up with the QR code in the flyer or go here. A SIGNED WAIVER is required to attend this event.
Time: Saturday, April 12, 2 - 3:30 PM
Location: Station #13, 530 Sansome St, San Francisco, CA 94114
* This event counts as 1 FIT workshop credit.
How to Choose the Best Fit College - Cantonese Presentation
Are you or a parent/guardian a Cantonese-speaker looking for more information on how to choose the right college? Ms. Serena Chan is holding a Cantonese presentation with the answers. Topics covered in this workshop include:
Admission requirements by different types of colleges
Current trends, pros & cons of each college system
How to be competitive for colleges
For current 11th graders, what can you do now to get ready for the college applications
Time: Saturday, April 26th from 10 AM to 12:30 PM
Location: 735 Commercial St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Ms. Chan has a wide range of experience to share from. She received her degrees from UCSC and SFSU for Community Studies & School Counseling. She's been a school counselor at different high schools in the Bay Area for about 18 years; in addition, she was also an application reader for UCB. Because she's from an immigrant family, she understands the struggles and the needs Chinese immigrant families face in regards to higher education. To sign up for this presentation, please use this link.
Note: If you sign up for Dog Fest and How to Choose the Best Fit College, you may leave the latter at 12pm to head to Dog Fest with Sabrina. Lunch is provided for those who sign up for both events. After registering for both, please email fit@sfccsc.org with your preferred lunch option and food allergies, which may be used to determine the lunch.
LOCAL EVENTS
🚛 Hello Kitty Cafe Truck 🚛
Hello San Francisco! The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is returning to Stonestown Galleria on Saturday 4/5! If you are a big fan of Hello Kitty, drop by the Main East Entrance near Marugame Udon between 10am-7pm and pick up some supercute treats and merch, while supplies last!
🌷 Tulipmania at Pier 39🌷
If you are a big fan of tulips and spring, Pier 39 will have a colorful display of them, accompanied by a self-guided tour that will share information about each type. More than 20,000 blooming tulips and other seasonal garden favorites will turn PIER 39 into a colorful floral wonderland! This comprehensive display features over 50 different tulip varieties aesthetically arranged in groups throughout The PIER’s Entrance Plaza, Upper and Lower Levels. You can check out Pier 39’s Instagram for more information.
🌎 2025 Earth Day Festival 🌎
Join the fun and kick off Earth Month and SF Climate Week with a bang at the Yerba Buena Gardens 2025 Earth Day Festival! 🌎 The San Francisco Green Business Program is hosting an exciting Green Business Expo in partnership with the Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy on Saturday, April 19 from 10am-3pm at Yerba Buena Gardens.
Discover awesome sustainable products and services from local Green Businesses while enjoying live music from teen musical brothers Swami 3 and family-friendly DJ Lamont, delicious food, a tree planting demo on our living rooftop, and other educational activities from SF Environment, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, and partners. Free admission, but please RSVP here. Let’s celebrate and take action for a greener planet!
RESOURCES
ACCAA Chinese Culture & History Contest
The American Chinese Cultural Art Association (ACCAA) invites youth ages 15-18 to participate in a Chinese culture and history competition on May 17th at 2 PM at CCSC. No prior knowledge is required! Simply register, and you'll receive a study guide with everything you need to prepare. However, knowledge of Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese) is required, because the questions will be given in Chinese. The four prize categories are as follows:
First place = $300
Second place = $200
Third place = $100
5 Merit Awards = $50 each
Sign up or find out more information using the link here.
2025 San Francisco Summer Jobs, Programs & Opportunities
If you are looking for a summer opportunity for teens and young adults, you can check out this list compiled by SF Dept. of Children, Youth, and their Families. The website is constantly being updated, so make sure to check it out regularly. There are all types of opportunities, including internships, paid jobs, volunteering work, fellowships, and more. Click on this link to find out more.
2025/26 San Francisco Youth Commission
The Youth Commission is excited to announce that their application to serve on the 2025/2026 San Francisco Youth Commission is now open! To be eligible to serve, you must be a resident of the City & County of San Francisco and be between the ages of 12 and 23 years old.
Youth Commissioners serve one-year terms beginning in August and ending in July. 11 out of 17 Commissioners are appointed by each of SF's City Supervisors, and 6 are appointed by the Mayor. Applicants should expect to spend at least 10 hours a month on Youth Commission work, and will be supported by three dedicated YC staff.
The YC application consists of 6 essay-style questions, as well as demographic information, and an optional letter of recommendation. There's also an alternative choice to submit a video answering the 6 questions instead of the written format. The deadline to submit the application will be Wednesday, April 30th at 11:59pm. If you have any questions, please reach out to staff at joshua.rudy.ochoa@sfgov.org.
To learn more, please RSVP to their upcoming recruitment events using this link.
INSIGHTS
🌱 2025 Earth Day 🌱
On April 22, we celebrate Earth Day once again! It is a reminder that we are the caretakers of the environment, and our actions can change it dramatically. While this month highlights the importance of environmental protection and climate action, there are simple ways to help the environment every day. You can choose reusable items, use public transportation or walk, recycle and compost, conserve water, and more.
Here are fun environment-themed activities to get into the spirit of Earth Day:
Feel free to email us at fit@sfccsc.org about how you plan to take action for Earth Day!
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
💡 Your Event Ideas 💡
We want to hear from you! What kind of workshops and volunteer opportunities would you like to have at FIT? Just fill out this survey and let us know. We would greatly appreciate it.
Charity Cultural Services Center 731-747 Commercial St, San Francisco, CA, 94108 415-989-8224 | website: www.sfccsc.org | email: fit@sfccsc.org Want to be included in the FIT mailing list or to unsubscribe? Email the FIT Program at fit@sfccsc.org to let us know. |
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