On June 3 from 4-7 p.m. at the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Milpitas, FCSN hosted their annual family day celebration, gathering members across the Bay Area for an eventful evening of performances, recognition of achievements, and reflection of the memories made in the past year. With approximately 100 more attendees than last year, the evening blossomed with the joyful unification of friends and families. 

Starting the evening off, South Bay Percussion Group set the cheerful tone with playful melodies, ending the performance with a wave of applause from the audience and welcoming Vice President Anna Wang and Co-Chairmen James Chiao out from behind the curtains to present FCSN’s annual report. In the past year, FCSN achieved numerous accomplishments, including increasing the number of employees from 140 to 160, updating hardware (staff notebooks, devices in 3 computer labs, and centers’ servers) and software (improving BambooHR, the organization’s human resources information system), as well as extending FCSN services to more high-need clients. After piloting an adaptive skill training (AST) program in 2021-22, the past year marked the program’s kickoff, along with the planning of a new service: coordinated family services (CFS). With a wealth of resources, CFS aims to provide support and training for clients and their families to maximize client independence and assist in future planning. In the previous year, FCSN also dedicated countless hours towards the Osgood Project in an effort to expand FCSN facilities to accommodate more programs and office space for staff.

The next part of the event was parent sharing; Wei Li, a proud mother, shared her experience and advice on raising a special needs child, revolving her story around the key words of love, patience, teamwork, and learning. With the mindset to grow and learn with her child, Wei has walked every step of the journey with him and witnessed how FCSN, in the past 5-6 years, has become a family for them. “Raising a kid takes a village. You work with the therapist, work with the whole family, work with the community,” Wei said. As the chair of the parent committee, Wei also expressed her gratitude for all the wonderful mothers she has met in the process, “As mothers, we best know our children (知子莫若母).”

Afterwards, it was soon time to celebrate the contributions of dedicated volunteers at FCSN. The 2023 FCSN volunteer awards included the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA), Outstanding Volunteers Awards, Volunteer of the Year, and 10 Years Employee Service Award. In the 2022 year, 31 youth volunteers qualified for PVSA’s teen (11-15) and young adult categories (16-25), devoting from 50 to more than 250 hours to the organization. Among all of FCSN’s youth volunteers, a selected few were also recognized as outstanding volunteers for their exceptional service in various programs at FCSN. “[Receiving these awards] is a great achievement, and it motivates me to do more for our FCSN family,” Aarav Sharma, a PVSA and FCSN’s Outstanding Award recipient, said. “I feel proud to be a part of the FCSN community.”

Additionally, two individuals were selected as FCSN’s 2023 Volunteer of the Year: Shelley Li, FCSN Voices team lead and tutor/instructor for various programs and camps, as well as Bob Carlson, who has been integral in connecting FCSN with communities in the Campbell area. Following their beautiful speeches about their experiences and time spent with the organization, FCSN then gave its gratitude to 10-year employees for their countless hours spent caring for clients and supporting the mission of FCSN. “It couldn’t have been done without their help,” Co-Chairmen Yee-Yeen Wang said. 

During the event, the new president, chairmen, and board members for the upcoming year were formally introduced. Joining alongside CK Lee (continuing for his 6th term) is Jason Hwan, who will work with Lee as co-presidents. Leading the board will be co-chairmen Yee-Yeen Wang and James Chiao for their fourth term together. 

Nevertheless, going into a new year, FCSN still faces the challenge of a staff shortage. With around 30 job openings available, FCSN encourages interested and qualified individuals to send their resume to jobs@fcsn1996.org or for members to recommend candidates for a referral bonus of $1000/$500. Leaving the pandemic’s impact slowly behind, FCSN has also made it a priority to invite all members back to in-person events. “The first [important] thing is to see each other [in-person] because FCSN is getting bigger and bigger. We need everyone’s help to build a better life for special needs kids,” Yee-Yeen said. 

As announcements and the awards ceremony came to an end, the audience enjoyed performances by South Bay Choir (Special Melodies) and East Bay Sign Language. Accompanying their beautiful voices, South Bay Choir performers also danced to a graceful choreography, including forming mini bridges that performers walked through. East Bay Sign Language then invited the room to dance along with them to “Mamma Mia!.” As hundreds of hands clapped to the beat of the song, audience members once more witnessed the incredible talent that FCSN individuals possess.

With the event coming to a close, raffle prize winners were announced and prizes were redeemed. As an annual tradition, Dream Achievers also performed FCSN’s song, “Friends with Dreams,” along with three special performances of Fight Hard to Win in Taiwanese, Under the Lion’s Rock in Cantonese, and Moon Represents My Heart in Mandarin. Amidst the soothing voices and loving atmosphere, FCSN’s 2023 Family Day was eventually brought to a closing remark — yet the memories and achievements made will forever remain a reminder to look forward to the great things the next year will continue to bring.