CARES Inclusive Art Event in South Bellevue Community Center

On January 12, 2025, members Eric, Jerry, Elissa, Emily, Kevin, and Joey—volunteered at the CARES Inclusive Art Event in South Bellevue Community Center. This fun and interactive Lunar New Year-themed event focused on creativity and inclusivity for special-needs children. Our branch members dedicated their time from 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM, contributing a total of 5 volunteer hours each to support this meaningful activity.

In November 2024, we launched a new project called “CARES We Care” in partnership with CARES(Chinese Autism Research and Empowerment Services ) to provide services for children with autism. Our members participated in a series of training sessions led by CARES professionals to better understand how to work with children with autism effectively.

This marked the second event with CARES in which our branch volunteered. Six members participated in the activity, contributing to the event’s success through various roles. They assisted with event setup and cleanup, in addition to taking on specific responsibilities:

– Eric and Jerry managed snack distribution and service for the children and their parents.

– Kevin and Joey oversaw and maintained the mat activities.

– Elissa and Emily were in charge of reception and providing information to attendees.

By contributing to this event, our members gained valuable hands-on experience working with special needs children while fostering empathy, compassion, and a deeper understanding of their unique needs.