- Genre:social science
- Sub-genre:People with Disabilities
- Language:English
- Pages:248
- eBook ISBN:9798317847432
Book details
Overview
"Building a Dream Community: Expand Our Dream" is the second volume in the history of Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN), a nonprofit organization founded in Silicon Valley in 1996 by Chinese American parents seeking support and opportunities for their children with special needs. Covering the years 2021 to 2025, this book chronicles a transformative period in FCSN's development as it emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, expanded programs and services, opened the Osgood Center in Fremont, California, and continued to pursue its vision of building an inclusive community where individuals with special needs can learn, work, live, and thrive.
Drawn primarily from articles published in "FCSN Voices," the organization's digital newsletter, the book presents a collection of stories, reports, and reflections written by volunteer leaders, staff members, reporters, and community supporters. It highlights the dedication of families, volunteers, and professionals, whose collective efforts helped FCSN grow into a thriving organization serving more than 1,500 families and over 600 children and adults with special needs.
More than an organizational history, this volume is a story of perseverance, leadership, and community building. Together with the first volume, it documents three decades of FCSN's journey and preserves an inspiring record of how a shared dream grew into a vibrant and compassionate community.
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"Building a Dream Community: Expand Our Dream" chronicles the remarkable growth of Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN) during the years 2021-2025 and celebrates the organization's 30th anniversary. As a sequel to "Friends of Children with Special Needs: Building a Dream Community," this volume continues the story of how a small support group founded by Chinese American parents in Silicon Valley evolved into one of the largest nonprofit organizations serving individuals with special needs in Northern California.
Presented through a carefully curated collection of articles originally published in "FCSN Voices," the organization's digital newsletter, the book documents a pivotal period in FCSN's history. Readers will follow the organization's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the expansion of programs and services, the acquisition and transformation of the Osgood Center in Fremont, California, and the continued pursuit of the Dream Project—a vision of an inclusive community where individuals with special needs can learn, work, live, and thrive with dignity. The book highlights the dedication of parent volunteers, board members, staff, families, and community supporters whose collective efforts helped FCSN grow from a grassroots organization into a thriving community serving more than 1,500 families and over 600 children and adults with special needs. Through stories of leadership, resilience, innovation, and service, it captures the challenges and triumphs of building a sustainable nonprofit while remaining true to its mission.
Beyond documenting the history of FCSN, this volume also offers a unique perspective on the experiences of second-wave Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants in California and their commitment to community building, volunteerism, and social responsibility. Richly illustrated with photographs and historical records, "Building a Dream Community: Expand Our Dream" serves as both an organizational history and a testament to the power of vision, compassion, and collective action. Together with the first volume, this book preserves three decades of FCSN's journey and provides an inspiring record of how families, volunteers, and professionals came together to build not just programs and facilities, but a dream community for individuals with special needs and their families.
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