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My Experience at the Chinese Cultural Festival

By Iris Li

Growing up as a Chinese-American, I always felt a bit out of place with my heritage. Not knowing the language well and feeling awkward with my appearance and food was a common struggle, and I always felt like I was too different from the Chinese kids that lived in China and were familiar with their culture. I remember the days in elementary school where I would be slightly embarrassed about my home packed lunch. While I had noodles and dumplings, the other kids had lunchables. I envied them and wished deep down that I could fit in like the rest. As I grew older and moved around to different places with my family, I could slowly feel the Chinese roots disappearing away from me. I no longer had home packed lunches, my Chinese soon got worse and I noticed myself speaking English more. As a child, I didn’t mind it much, but as a teenager now I wish I had learned Chinese and appreciated my culture.

On 3rd and 4th Street……

By Michael Li

It was a sultry afternoon on Penn Ave. Tents were assembled side to side on the asphalt road, hanging colorful flags and showing off vibrant signs. Not a single car passed through that street; at least not for the duration of such a special occasion. T’was the day of the Chinese Cultural Festival at the heart of Washington DC. T’was also the day for volunteers at their own tent, ready to attract passerby living in DC and outside tourists alike.

携手社区公益，共创美好未来

—–记华府青年（CYOC）2023 “Helping Hands Haul”夏季公益捐赠活动

作者：Joseph Shi (史庭灏)
编校：Jennifer Wan

2023年7月29日上午，阳光灿烂，热气逼人。我们华府青年（CYOC）的志愿者们不畏酷暑，在Wootton High School大门前停车场举办了主题为 “Help Hands Haul”的公益捐赠活动。

捐赠活动从9点开始。许多CYOC成员家庭和周围社区的爱心人士带着装满衣物、书籍和玩具的袋子，早早地来到活动现场。他们脸上洋溢着喜悦和关爱之情，纷纷表示愿意为有需要的人尽一份力。一时间，捐赠点热闹非凡。CYOC的志愿者们身着统一的志愿者服装，热情地招呼着前来捐赠的人们。他们个个神采奕奕，主动帮忙搬运衣物，为捐赠者提供帮助，用实际行动诠释着“Helping Hands Haul”的爱心精神。

Volunteer at “Helping Hands and Haul”

July 29 2023

By Ruichen Feng ( 6th grader)

Today is a hot summer Saturday, but helping with the used item donations made me feel it is a good day. At 9:00 am, I headed to Wootton high school to join a group of volunteers from Capital Youth Outreach club which I just joined a few weeks ago. We are doing a collaborative donation drive which is called “Helping Hands and Haul”—triple H which I thought was a pretty cool name. My job as a volunteer is to help people to load their donations into a pile. The donations would help underprivileged people get clothes, books, shoes and toys.

CYOC Helps Needy Families

Words and photographs by Matthew Wong

On July 29th, 2023, CYOC (Capital Youth Outreach Club) organized a used items drive at Thomas S. Wootton High School. Despite facing scorching temperatures and a high heat index warning issued by the National Weather Service, the volunteers persevered to make a difference. The primary objective of the drive was to extend a helping hand to families in need by collecting and donating used items. The event saw numerous donors arriving to contribute various commodities, including clothing, books, toys, and other essential items, all of which will significantly benefit those in need. The parking lot was filled with an impressive array of items generously donated by the community. From used clothing to a diverse selection of books and various other essential items, each donation reflected the spirit of care and empathy that illustrates the significance of CYOC’s mission. The success of the drive goes beyond the immediate impact on the recipients. It stands as a testament to the power of collaborative action and the importance of community-driven events. By coming together and supporting one another, the community demonstrated its commitment to building a more compassionate and equitable society.

CYOC Helping Hands Haul

By Jaylynne Yang

On the morning of July 29th, CYOC (Capital Youth Outreach Club) held a donation drive at Wootton High School for families in need. Many families pitched in and brought bags of clothes, toys, shoes, etc. to be donated to the needy. I, along with the help of other students, helped unload and carry items out of people’s cars. This experience made me feel good as I knew that my work would help the people in my community who are in need. It was great to know that our cooperative hard work would be for a good cause. Additionally, we were able to expand our mission with the help of the organization “So What Else?”. By collaborating with them, it was much easier for us to successfully transport all the items to their destination.

Cyoc Does a Donation Drive

By Jeffrey Ji

On 29 July 2023, The Capital Youth Outreach Club, or CYOC, held a donation drive at Wootton High School, at 2100 Wootton Pkwy, Rockville, MD. Over a dozen people donated over four thousand items, including clothing, shoes, toys, and books.

2023 CYOC Donation

Author: Sophie Xu
Photographer: Sophie Xu

“赠人玫瑰，手有余香”，捐赠不但能帮助他人，还能提升自己，尽我们所能去帮助那些有困难、有需求的人，哪怕只是一点点奉献，也有可能发挥很大的作用。CYOC每年的捐赠活动给予了大家一个帮助他人的机会，让我们的爱心通过捐赠传达出去。

7月29日，一年一度的CYOC捐赠日在大家的期盼中到来。小义工们和大义工们都热情高涨，早早地来到捐赠现场布置。大家为本次募捐活动准备了水、椅子和帐篷。有设计绘画天赋的义工还手绘了精美的指路牌，各尽所能为活动做贡献。大小义工们齐心协力地布置场地，很快帐篷搭起来了。接着大家挂上CYOC的旗子，摆好捐赠的表格、纸和笔，很快一切准备就绪。白底红字的CYOC旗帜在蔚蓝的天空下迎风飘扬，吸引着前来捐赠的好心人，捐赠活动开始了。

CYOC and the Giant Flag at the National Independence Day Parade

By: Peishi Yu

This year is America’s 247th birthday, and the July 4th parade is nothing but extraordinary. This annual event takes place on Constitution Avenue, one of Washington DC’s most vibrant and bustling streets.

(Photo By Dechun Feng)

CYOC Independence Day Parade

By: Jaylynne Yang

My name is Jaylynne Yang, and I’m a high school student who participated in the parade at Washington DC with the organization CYOC. First off, I had a very fun time participating in the march with other CYOC members. The staff were very caring and prepared, as they made sure we were hydrated and provided water, food, and a good spirit. It was also very organized and lively, and this experience was very fun because of the hard work that the parents put in. Many thanks to the adults and parents that kept everything organized, sprayed water on everyone to cool us down, and carried food, water, and other materials.