Evergreen School Back in Action!

Evergreen School participants 'shake their groove thing'

Tuesday marked the start of the new season of Evergreen School. The excitement was felt throughout the day as senior participants entered the building hugging and reconnecting with friends after a summer hiatus. New active seniors were welcomed with open arms. Evergreen School classes include yoga, sports dance, Evergreen Choir and singing in English. Those interested in Evergreen School still have time to sign up!

"Little Voices" Benefit Concert

Executive Director Katie Kim (center) poses with Little Voices musicians, Suebin Hong and Jeffrey Kim

A BIG THANKS to all who came out to the "Little Voices" Benefit Concert last Saturday to benefit the YW-Access program! The Little Voices musicians raised $2,700 to support their peers in need of free GED education and job readiness training. Concert goers were charmed by the young musicians' renditions of classical and contemporary music, which included a lovely performance of "Over the Rainbow" from the Wizard of Oz film.

The YW would also like to thank the wonderful musicians below whose dedication to bettering our community is an inspiration to us all.

The 2010 Little Voices orchestra members

Violin: Jeffrey Kim (12th Stuyvesant High School)
Justin Kim (10th Cardozo High School)
Sueun Hong (9th Hunter College High School)
Sora Kim (9th Stuyvesant High School)
Sharon Lee (11th G.W. Hewlett High School)

Cello: Suebin Hong (12th Queens HS for the Sciences)
Korrey Shin (12th Schreiber High School)
Austin Kim (10th Herricks High School)
Junghun Pak (9th Bronx HS of Science)
Julia Suk (9th Queens HS for the Sciences)

Flute: Heidi Shin (11th Schreiber High School)
Ha Eun Kim (9th Francis Lewis High School)
John Yi (8th Louis Pasteur Middle School)
Hyun Ju Lee (7th Nathaniel Hawthorne Junior HS)

Project C.I.T.Y. Presidential Volunteer Awards Ceremony

Congratulations to many of our Project C.I.T.Y. volunteers!

25 Project C.I.T.Y. volunteers were recently awarded with the President's Volunteer Service Award for their commitment to and assistance with the YW's Summer Day Camp program. The award was created by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation to honor those who contribute 100 hours or more of community service. Last Friday the YW held an award ceremony celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of these Project C.I.T.Y. volunteers where parents of the volunteers were also in attendance to applaud their children.

Members of the media also recognized the volunteers' achievements and included coverage in their media outlets:

Korea Times:

http://www.koreatimes.com/article/614692

http://www.koreatimes.com/article/614669

TKC-TV:
http://www.tkctv.com/newscontent.asp?idx=2449
Korea Daily:

http://www.koreadaily.com/news/read.asp?art_id=1081968

"Little Voices" Benefit Concert - Saturday, September 11

Join us this Saturday for the 4th annual Little Voices Benefit Concert! An extremely talented group of 14 teen musicians will delight audiences with splendid renditions of classical music favorites like Mozart, Vivaldi and Beethoven. The Hyo Shin Junior Orchestra will make a special guest performance. The event will benefit the YW-Access GED and Workforce Development program to help youth achieve academic and professional success.

When: Saturday, September 11, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Hyo Shin Bible Presbyterian Church of New York
42-15 166th St, Flushing, NY 11358
Cost: $10
Questions: Call 718-353-4553

The Little Voices musicians are Project C.I.T.Y. (Community Involvement Through the YWCA) volunteers who donate their time helping the YW and its programs such as Summer Day Camp. These members are not only musically talented, but are dedicated to making a positive impact on the community.

Project C.I.T.Y. Volunteer Testimony

Volunteer Paul Oh (far left) performs Michael Jackson's "Beat It" dance with Summer Day Campers and other volunteers

Paul Oh, a Project C.I.T.Y. volunteer, gave a moving speech of his experiences with the YWCA Summer Day Camp at the Presidential Volunteer Awards Ceremony. We wanted to share with you his kind words:

"Good afternoon everybody. As many of you probably already know, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to volunteer here at YWCA. To be honest, I signed up for this summer day camp expecting little but after the two months, I am glad to have volunteered here and I cherish the time spent with this great community of counselors, teachers, children, and friends.

I stand before you today to discuss my experience here at YWCA. Since the first week of July, I have been working with children ranging from five to eleven years old at YWCA's Summer Day Camp 2010. Though the kids can be difficult to maintain and are quite easily distracted, I have grown to respect their knowledge and maturity that is seldom seen in today's generation of children. Sure, there have been moments where children would get out of hand, but those instances are largely overshadowed by their great display of interest and enthusiasm with the day camp. It is always fun to watch the large number of kids interact with one another, even if it's a mere game of chess or a quiet conversation while waiting in line for the bathroom.

What struck me the most about this day camp were the various cultures and backgrounds that the children had come from. I came into this program thinking I would be working exclusively with Korean-American kids, but found myself in a room full of Korean, Chinese, Indian, African-American, German, and even Nepalese children. Even the counselors that worked there alongside me were of many different nationalities, and watching them all work together made the experience truly special. Although it has only been roughly two months of volunteering, it feels as if I have known these children for much longer. I hope that through the short time I have spent with these children I was able to inspire and inspire them as they have done so to me. Thank you." - Paul

Open Casting Call for "illumiNATION"

Calling all young actors and actresses! YWCA of Queens is looking for 5-10 year olds to perform in the organization's new, drama club, illumiNATION.

Does your daughter or son have a knack for impressions? Does she set up mini-performances for you in the living room? Does he try to make everyone laugh? Or do they just like to have fun?

illumiNATION offers children a place to express themselves through creative performance. Improv! Role playing! Expressive movement! Your kids will have a great time acting while also gaining news friends, confidence and interpersonal skills. And be prepared to bust out your cameras! At the end of each semester, these young actors will star in a live performance to show off their talents.

For Ages 5-10
Dates: Fall/Winter October 2 - January 15
Spring February 5 - May 14
Time: Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Registration: Pick up and submit registration forms at the YW front desk

Steps to Respect: Teen Anti-Violence Program

Did you know that 1 in 10 girls in NYC is a victim of physical violence by a partner?

Don't be a statistic!

Join YWCA of Queens' new, free program Steps to Respect to arm yourself with the knowledge to prevent partner abuse from happening to you. Through the program's monthly workshops designed for all high school aged females, you'll learn how to recognize abuse, how to protect yourself, how texting and the internet can be another way to be abused, and much more.

If you are being or have been abused, the YW is also offering a weekly support group for abused teens to know that they are not alone. This support group will help provide comfort and relief through difficult times in an understanding environment.

Take the step to respect through empowerment, confidence and strength. Don't be afraid to speak up. Say NO to abuse!

Registration is currently open to all females between ages 13-19. The program will begin in October. Members can choose to join one or both of the workshops or weekly support group. Parental consent is required. To register, call 718-353-4553.