On Sunday, August 3rd, 2025, from 10 am to 4pm, volunteers from AYLUS Oakland Gardens Branch participated at the Harvest Church of New York’s fun day for their 182nd event. The event took place in the church’s garden area, where a vast array of activities such as a petting zoo, bouncy houses, and raffles took place. After setting up the stations, AYLUS volunteers were separated into three groups: balloon animal making, face painting, and general area cleanup.
The balloon group first set up their table by organizing the balloons by color, which made it easier for carnival-goers to identify the color they wanted. They also taped paper on the table that showed what they were able to make. Included in this list were a variety of animals and accessories; the options ranged from easier things like swords and dogs to more advanced balloons like lollipops and bunnies. Despite the sun, which also caused some balloons on the table to have holes, the volunteers were able to efficiently manage long queues and multiple requests at once.
Across from the balloon station was the face painting group. Before the event started, they had set up a tent for shade and two rows of chairs that faced each other. The volunteers there not only used stencils, but also hand-drew designs onto faces and hands. Quickly following the requests of the carnival-goers, the artists learned and experimented with drawing animals, characters from popular franchises, and more. The last group went around to dispose of trash, keeping the carnival grounds as clean and sanitary as possible. They also helped at an inflatable water play area, where they made sure that the children were playing safely and that there was enough water inside. Despite working on different tasks, all three groups engaged and participated in the carnival to the best of their ability, helping the carnival be as inviting as it can be.
Thank you to the Harvest Church of New York for organizing this event and allowing us to participate today. Not only did they provide us with delicious food and drinks, but they also gave us an opportunity to give back to the community. We would also like to thank the Little Neck Chinese Community Center for helping our members at today’s event. Finally, we would like to thank all the members of AYLUS Oakland Gardens who dedicated their time to practicing their crafts before the day of the carnival.
Our Volunteers:
1. Vicki Lin: 6 hours
2. Sabrina Gao: 6 hours
3. Sophia Gao: 6 hours
4. Iokseng Lin: 6 hours
5. Hong Hao Liu: 6 hours
6. Stephanie You: 6 hours
7. Linke Peng: 6 hours
8.Sophia You: 6 hours
9. Jia Qi Liu: 6 hours
10. Zhengyilan Fang: 6 hours
11. Mohan Luo: 6 hours
12. Zhanger Li: 6 hours
13. Ioklee Lin: 6 hours
14. Ioknor Lin: 6 hours
15. Matthew Lin: 6 hours
16.Tian Xiang Ding: 4.5 hours
17. Ricky Song: 4.5 hours
Parent Adviser Team:
Fannie Li: 9 hours
Karen Liao: 9 hours
Faye Liu: 9 hours
Report Written by: Iokseng Lin
Reviewed by: Jia Qi (Angela) Liu
