COMCAST INTERNET ESSENTIALS

WHAT: Comcast’s Internet Essentials program is the largest, most comprehensive, and most successful broadband adoption program in the nation. It provides low-cost internet ($9.95/month) to low-income families and individuals within the Comcast service area.

Eligibility: To qualify, applicants simply need to show they participate in one of more than a dozen different government assistance programs, including: ⇒Medicaid, ⇒Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and ⇒Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Comcast also accepts applications from households that: ⇒have a student eligible for the National School Lunch Program, ⇒live in public housing, ⇒receive HUD Housing Assistance (including Section 8 vouchers), or ⇒participate in the Veterans Pension Program, as well as low-income seniors in select pilot markets.

MORE INFO/TO APPLY: Visit the Internet Essentials website for eligibility information and an application – or call 1.855.846.8376.

COUNT YOURSELF IN ONLINE! 2020 CENSUS

WHEN: Thursday, March 12 – Friday, October  31, 2020

WHERE: Everywhere in the United States!

WHAT: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Census Bureau is extending the online response option through the end of October! It only takes a few minutes to complete, and doing it NOW will help you avoid being contacted in person by a field representative. You have three ways to self-respond: 1) phone, 2) mail, or 3) online – but the easiest way to be counted is online via the Census 2020 website.

Why is the Census important? It’s a tool to create more equity in our country! Census data helps the government decide where to allocate funds for things like food stamps and affordable housing – and it helps determine public transportation routes, where to build new homes and improve neighborhoods, and where to build businesses to create new jobs. Also, the results determine how many seats in Congress each state gets – so your response directly influences our political power!

How to self-respond to the census:

• From now through October 31, log on to the Census 2020 website and fill out the short survey for your household.
• Complete the Census by phone, mail, or online by July 31 to avoid being contacted in person. (From August 1 – October 31, census takers will visit residences to help count anyone who hasn’t responded.)

Everyone counts: Your safety & privacy

• The 2020 Census does not ask whether you or anyone in your home is a U.S. citizen.
• The 2020 Census does count everyone living in the country, including noncitizens.
• The law prevents the Census Bureau from sharing your information with law enforcement.
• Your answers are only used to create statistics about our country – they cannot be used to impact your eligibility for government benefits.
• The Census Bureau is bound by Title 13 of the U.S. Code to protect your personal information and keep it strictly confidential. That’s every answer, to every question.

MORE INFO: Visit www.2020census.gov for lots of information, including Census 2020 Language Guides in many different languages. You may also call one of these toll-free language lines to be counted and/or ask questions about the census.

⇒Arabic: 844.416.2020
⇒Chinese (Cantonese: 844.398.2020; Mandarin: 844.391.2020)
⇒English: 844.330.2020 (Puerto Rico residents: 844.418.2020)
⇒French: 844.494.2020
⇒Haitian Creole: 844.477.2020
⇒Japanese: 844.460.2020
⇒Korean: 844.392.2020
⇒Polish: 844.479.2020
⇒Portuguese: 844.474.2020
⇒Russian: 844.417.2020
⇒Spanish: 844.468.2020 (Puerto Rico residents: 844.426.2020)
⇒Tagalog: 844.478.2020
⇒Vietnamese: 844.461.2020
⇒Telephone Display Device (TDD): 844.467.2020

DACA-SEATTLE SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE

WHEN: Until funds run out

WHERE: No walkins; apply online or by phone; must have capacity to video chat

WHAT: Through a partnership with the City of Seattle Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs (OIRA) and Facebook, El Centro de la Raza will administer DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) scholarship funds on a first-come, first-served basis until funds run out. Successful DACA scholarship grantees will receive a check made out to the Department of Homeland Security to submit with their DACA renewal application.

There is no minimum or maximum income requirement. While the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recommends filing for renewal between 150 and 120 days from when your DACA expires, requests received earlier than 150 days and up to 365 days in advance are currently being accepted. However, this could result in an overlap between your current DACA and your renewal.

Scholarship funds are available to individuals who:

• Have or previously had DACA status AND
• Have a completed DACA renewal application AND
• Who reside, work, or go to school in Seattle

TO APPLY:

1) Complete your DACA Scholarship Application (download in Word or PDF)

• Note that the address on your scholarship application must be the same as the address on your DACA renewal application.
• You must have a copy of your Employment Authorization Document (EAD)available during your appointment.

2) Schedule a Phone Appointment (no walkins, and you must have the capacity to video chat)

• Go to El Centro’s DACA scheduling webpage OR
• Call Dulce Gutierrez Vasquez at 957.4605x 305 OR
• Email dgvasquez@elcentrodelaraza.org

DACA Renewal Resources:

• USCIS page for DACA forms
• NWIRP’s free DACA renewal clinics
• City of Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs website

QUESTIONS/MORE INFO: Contact Dulce Gutierrez Vasquez at dgvasquez@elcentrodelaraza.org or 206. 957.4605x 305 or visit El Centro’s DACA webpage.

FAMILY MATTERS CLINIC FOR LGBTQ+ FAMILIES

WHEN/WHERE: Ongoing; meeting times and locations are set when families are matched with attorneys

WHAT: QLaw Foundation supports all of the ways that our community makes families. We serve parents who are low income, QTPOC, formerly incarcerated, trans/nonbinary, poly, immigrant/refugee, and/or living with disabilities. We have no limitations based on citizenship or income level.

The Family Matters clinic for LGBTQ+ families in King County is a full-representation clinic for:

• people who are parenting, but who don’t have legal recognition of their role
• families recognized under Washington law who want an adoption or parentage order just to be safe
• families parenting kids from their partner’s prior relationship
• parents not married to the kids’ other parent who want to make sure their relationship with the children is protected in a worst-case scenario
• families with three or four (or more!) people parenting children who want to make sure each parent has legal recognition

REGISTER NOW!

MORE INFO: Contact info@qlawfoundation.org or 206.483.2725.

TANF: HAS YOUR FAMILY LOST ACCESS TO TANF?

If you were kicked off TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) due to:

• sanctions that led you to be permanently disqualified OR
• the 60-month limit, and you and your family are currently homeless

… you are again eligible for TANF, due to changes in the law effective July 28, 2019.

To reapply for TANF, you must submit an application either in person, by mail, or online. Visit washingtonconnection.org for an online application, or bit.ly/dshs-offices for a list of DSHS offices throughout the state.

If you’re being denied these new benefits, here are some legal support resources:

• King County residents: Contact Solid Ground’s Benefits Legal Assistance: 206.694.6742.
• Residents outside of King County: Contact CLEAR Legal Hotline: 1.888.201.1014.

WA STATE PAID FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE

WHAT: New Washington state legislation means Paid Family & Medical Leave is available when you need time off to care for yourself or a family member. There are three main types of paid leave available: Medical Leave, Family Leave, and Military Leave. Each one is related to a different type of “qualifying event” – the thing that happens to you or a family member that qualifies you for paid leave.

MORE INFO/TO APPLY: Visit the Washington state Paid Family & Medical Leave website to find out how it works and to apply, or email paidleave@esd.wa.gov with your questions.

WA STATE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE (UI) ELIGIBILITY

WHAT: WA State Employment Security has new information to help you find out if you’re eligible for unemployment benefits. Here are the steps:

1) Find out what you’re eligible for.

• Visit Employment Security’s Unemployment Benefits webpage.

• Download the Eligibility Checker.

2) Eligible for regular UI? Apply as soon as possible! Before you apply:

• Download the Unemployment Benefits Application Checklist
• Gather all the info you’ll need for your application.
• Make sure you read and understand all the materials.
• Can’t get regular UI? You might be eligible for expanded benefits under the federal CARES Act (see below).

3) Set up your Secure Access Washington (SAW) account.

• Watch Creating a SAW Account for Unemployment Insurance: This 9-minute video tutorial may save you a lot of time – especially if there’s a chance you may already have a SAW account. That can cause issues that are tricky to fix down the road.

CARES ACT INFO: Everyone receiving a weekly UI benefit will get the additional $600 included in the federal CARES Act. This applies to full-time workers, part-time workers, those already on UI, and those who are eligible for expanded benefits under the CARES Act. Also, $600 payments are retroactive to March 29. You do not need to request it; the additional $600 will be added to your benefit. (One exception: People who receive in-training benefits won’t get it.)

‘YOUR NEXT JOB’ SERVICE

WHAT: Your Next Job is a new service at The Seattle Public Library that can help job seekers: ⇒Get started with unemployment, ⇒Search​ for jobs, ⇒Apply for jobs, and⇒Learn new job skills. Through one-on-one appointments via phone, text, or online conferencing, we can help job seekers to be successful on career and educational pathways, including job seekers with little or no digital literacy skills and those with limited English proficiency in Mandarin and Russian (and hope to add additional in-language services in July).

We can help people with:

• computer basics, such as using email
• creating a SAW (Secure Access Washington) account to start an unemployment claim
• navigating online resources

Please note, we cannot help troubleshoot devices, fill out unemployment applications, or answer questions about existing claims.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT: To make a Your Next Job appointment for yourself or someone you are assisting, please call 206.386.4636, email ask@spl.org, or complete the intake form on our website. We can answer questions by phone in the following languages: Amharic, Arabic, Cantonese, French, Hindi, Hmong, Italian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Oromo, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Tagalog, Thai, Tigrinya, and Vietnamese.

MORE RESOURCES:

• For access to job resources, visit The Seattle Public Library Job Resources webpage.
• For assistance with unemployment claims, contact the Employment Securities Department.
• For assistance finding shelter, food resources, or other help with basic needs, contact our Community Resource Specialist.

Your Next Job is offered in partnership with King County Library System and Seattle Jobs Initiative.