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Category: Resource Wire

Jobs & Community Resources – 9/9/20

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CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES FOR SEATTLE, KING CO, & WA STATE

WHAT: Solid Ground has helped our community overcome crises for over 45 years – and we’re here now to help people and our community during the pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Resources webpage with regularly updated resources and information for Seattle, King County, and Washington State, or call our main phone line at 206.694.6700.

New this week:

New South King County COVID-19 Test Sites 

In September, Public Health Seattle King County opened new testing sites in Renton and Auburn to bring additional free COVID-19 testing to south King County, where communities have been disproportionately impacted the pandemic.

Auburn Testing Site 

Hours: Mon-Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm

2701 C St SW
Auburn, WA 98001

Register for Auburn

Renton Testing Site

Hours: Mon-Sat, 9:30am-5:30pm

805 SW 10th Ave
Renton, WA 98057

Register for Renton

FREE KING COUNTY EMPLOYMENT & JOB SEEKER RESOURCES 

WorkSource: Most sites are physically closed, but many are offering remote and virtual services.

WorkSource WIOA Adult & Dislocated Worker Program service providers

Other Free Adult Employment Resources

Free Youth/Young Adult Employment Resources

Free Tech Jobs Training Programs – Nonprofit Organizations

  • Ada Developers Academy – Coding boot camp offering women and gender diverse people training in Software/Web Development (Full-time M-F, 6 month class/5 month internship)
  • Apprenti – Offers diverse, underrepresented populations training & apprenticeships in: Web/Software Development; Network Security; Windows or Linux Systems Administration; IT or Cloud Tech Support (Full-time M-F, 4 month class/6 month paid apprenticeship)
  • Year Up Puget Sound – Offering low-income, young adults (18-24 years old) job training & internships in: Software Development/QA; IT/Helpdesk Support; Business & Project Management Support (Full-time M-F, 6 month class/6 month internship)
  • Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle InfoTech program – Offering long-term unemployed adults job training to become certified in Cloud Computing via the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform (Full-Time M-F, 6 week class)

Tech Jobs Training programs – Community & Technical Colleges

Costs depend on eligibility for reduced or free tuition through available workforce support programs.

Free Construction Trades Apprenticeship Training programs

MORE INFO/QUESTIONS? Please contact Dan Bernard at dan.bernard@kingcounty.gov.

**COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES **

EVICTION & RENTAL ASSISTANCE

WHEN: Tenants selected via lottery weekly starting September 14

WHERE: Virtual/online

WHAT: King County has combined its CARES Act funding with several other sources and announced the Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program. If you or someone you know in King County is in need of rent assistance due to the coronavirus pandemic, this funding may be able to help. To be eligible, tenants must earn 50% of the area median income or below and have at least one month of rent fully or partially unpaid since March, plus meet at least one additional risk factor. Unfortunately, there are not be enough funds for everyone who needs help.

The programs goals are to:

  • Prevent evictions
  • Target limited resources to people most likely to become homeless after eviction
  • Target limited resources to people most likely to suffer severe health consequences as a result of eviction
  • Promote equity in who is served, with a focus on equity for groups of people who historically have not been provided equitable access to rent assistance and those disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak

King County will use several approaches to quickly serve as many households as possible.

  • The rental assistance program will pay some large residential landlord properties and manufactured home parks in bulk payments for eligible tenants.
  • The program will also seek to distribute tenant rental assistance to smaller landlords whose eligible tenants qualify for assistance through a lottery process.
  • Funding will be prioritized for the highest-need individuals and zip codes in King County. High need zip codes are the zip codes in the top 20% of zip codes with continued unemployment claims per capita and/or the zip codes in the top 20% of COVID-19 deaths per capita.

TO APPLY: Visit Information for Tenants to learn more, and complete a Tenant Interest Form for King County Rental Assistance.

QUESTIONS? Contact CommerceRAgrant@kingcounty.gov.

UNEMPLOYMENT Q&A SESSIONS

WHEN: Wednesdays through September 16, 10:30-11am

WHERE: Virtual/online

WHAT: If you are unemployed, furloughed, or soon-to-be laid off, you may be looking for guidance as you navigate the unemployment insurance benefits process. Shoreline Community College has a local Employment Security (ESD) representative embedded on its campus, and we are here to help as you plan out your next steps. Attend a 30-minute virtual session to connect with an ESD expert, ask questions, and get insider tips on:

  • Unemployment claims or appeal process
  • Job search ideas and assistance
  • Free job training programs to prepare for a new career
  • Hosted by ESD and Shoreline Community College

RSVP NOW! Contact Inez Olive at iolive@shoreline.edu; Remote Line: 206.480.0051.

Shoreline Community College is committed to nondiscrimination. To request this information in an alternate format or for disability accommodation, contact Student Accessibility Services (206.546.4545, 206.546.4520 TTY, sas@shoreline.edu) or visit www.shoreline.edu/accessibility.

RENT SMART WEBINAR: ORDER OF LIMITED DISSEMINATION

WHEN: Wednesday, September 16, 2020, 2-4pm (please register by 1pm)

WHERE: via Zoom

WHAT:  This workshop on general tenants’ rights information covers Order of Limited Dissemination. If you are currently living in King County and being threatened with eviction, contact the Housing Justice Project for legal assistance at 253.234.4204 or hjpstaff@kcba.org.

REGISTER NOW! Space is limited to 25; register by 1pm on September 16.

QUESTIONS? Contact Julia Gibson at jgibson@kcls.org.

Tenant Services – Rent Smart 2020  Webinar Series (all dates are Wednesdays from 2-4pm)

Rent Smart is offered in partnership with Solid Ground’s Tenant Services and the King County Library System (KCLS).

ROADMAP TO SUCCESS (RTS) FOR PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS

WHEN: 3-week course, Monday-Friday, starting Monday, September 21 (Weeks 1 & 2: online classes, 9am-1pm; Week 3: intensive case management/ employment support)

WHERE: Held entirely online via Zoom; students will receive a link to the Zoom meeting prior to 9am on the first day.

WHAT: At Pioneer Human Services, we believe employment is fundamental for helping formerly incarcerated individuals realize they have a chance for change. This 3-week course focuses on overcoming barriers to employment through cognitive thinking transformation, soft-skills development, professional communication, conflict resolution, time management, job searching, targeted résumé building, interviewing techniques, handling different management styles, computer skills, and vocational assessments. Further, students will receive long-term support from our Vocational Case Managers and Employment Specialist focused on barrier reduction, job search, and employment retention.

Goals & outcomes:

  • Comfortable using and applying basic computer techniques
  • Understand and design professional résumé
  • Personal development through soft skills
  • Learn and apply advanced interview techniques
  • Obtain hard skills and occupational training
  • Full-time gainful employment

Students eligible for our program MUST:

  • Have a criminal background
  • Be referred by a probation officer, corrections officer, case manager, or self-referral
  • Interview with Pioneer Workforce Development staff
  • Pass a urinalysis (UA)
  • Willing and able to comply with classroom policy and procedures

TO APPLY: Complete a Roadmap to Success Application Form.

MORE INFO/QUESTIONS? RTS courses are offered monthly, with additional start dates of October 19, and November 21. Contact Rudy (they/she), Pioneer Human Services Community Outreach Coordinator, at 206.538.2666 or Rudy@p-h-s.com.

NORTH SEATTLE COLLEGE (NSC) – FALL QUARTER 2020 ONLINE

WHEN: Enroll NOW for Fall Quarter: September 29 – December 15, 2020

WHERE: Virtual/online

WHAT: Join our online classes now! NSC offers Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL), and College-Ready Math Classes. (Tuition: $25 / Laptops available to borrow)

1) Adult Basic Education (ABE): ⇒Prepare for college ⇒Earn a high school diploma or GED ⇒Start career training in Health Care, Business, IT, or more ⇒Improve your college reading, writing, and math skills

  • Daytime (online): Monday- Friday, 10am-1pm (includes HS+/GED/College Prep Courses)
  • Evening (online): Tuesdays & Thursdays 6-9pm (includes HS+/GED/College Prep math courses)

QUESTIONS? Contact Transition Specialist Shan Lackey at 206.934.4537 or shan.lackey@seattlecolleges.edu.

2) English as a Second Language (ESL): ⇒Levels 1 to 6 ⇒Prepare for college ⇒Laptops available to borrow ⇒Improve your reading, writing, listening, and speaking ⇒Start career training in Health Care, Business, IT, or more

  • Daytime (online): M, T, W, Th, F, 9am-1:50pm
  • Evening (online): M, T, W, Th, 6:30-8:50pm

QUESTIONS?

3) College-Ready Math Classes: ⇒Need to review for the MATH PLACEMENT TEST? ⇒Need to prepare for COLLEGE MATH CLASSES? ⇒ Like to move at your own pace? ⇒All classes will be recorded to view at a later time. ⇒Live online office hours with instructors! ⇒Laptops available to borrow.

  • Daytime (online): Monday-Friday, 10am-1pm
  • Evening (online): Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6-9pm

QUESTIONS/SIGN UP: Contact Transition Specialist Shan Lackey at 206.934.4537 or shan.lackey@seattlecolleges.edu.

North Seattle College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability.

KING COUNTY COMMUNITY PET FOOD BANK

WHERE/WHEN:

  • RASKC Community Pet Food Bank (21615 64th Ave S, Kent, WA 98032), Monday-Friday: 12-6pm, Saturday & Sunday: 12-5pm
  • Mobile Pet Food Bank Popups: Various King County locations & times

WHAT: Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) has a community pet food bank located outside of our main entrance doors for pet owners experiencing economic hardships. RASKC also works with a number of public and private organizations to provide pet food and supplies to the communities we serve via popup mobile pet food banks throughout the King County area.

Mobile Pet Food Bank – Upcoming Schedule:

MORE INFO: Visit the King County Mobile Pet Food Bank Calendar, contact pets@kingcounty.gov, or call the Pet Information Line at 206.296.7387 (PETS).

**JOB OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES **

JOBS WITH ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES

WHAT: Essential businesses are currently recruiting and hiring for multiple entry level job openings in King County, WA. Also, see the Critical Job Opportunities webpage on the WorkSource Seattle-King County website.

MORE INFO: Contact Dan Bernard, Communities of Opportunity Employment Manager, King County Department of Community & Human Services at dan.bernard@kingcounty.gov.

PCC IS HIRING

WHAT: PCC Community Markets is Seattle’s original – and the nation’s largest – certified organic, community-owned food market. Meet with our hiring team about full- and part-time positions available at our Bellevue location, opening this summer. Applications will be accepted from candidates ages 16 and over. PCC is a passionate community that believes in the power of good food and the potential of good people; a place where the best of the Northwest comes together, from the produce we stock to the people we hire.

Benefits include:

⇒Competitive wages ⇒Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance ⇒Paid vacation and sick time ⇒15% staff discount ⇒Free membership in the co-op ⇒Reduced rate on ORCA cards ⇒Retirement plans ⇒Free PCC Cooks classes

APPLY NOW! View a list of PCC Job Openings as of 9-4-20, and apply on PCC’s Jobs page.

QUESTIONS/MORE INFO: Please do not hesitate to connect! Contact Alyssa Moore, Recruiting Specialist at Alyssa.Moore@pccmarkets.com or 206.717.6527.

**ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES*

Black, white, & light blue Census 2020 graphic with the text THERE'S STILL TIME! and Our census. Our power.

IT’S YOUR RIGHT TO BE COUNTED! 

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

WHERE: Everywhere in the United States!

WHAT: We all have the right to complete the census. With this right, we have the power to help our community for the next 10 years. If we are not fully counted, we will lose out on vital resources needed to recover and thrive. Census workers have started to follow up with households who have not completed the 2020 census or may not have fully completed it.

HOW: There’s still time! You can safely complete the census now online at my2020census.gov or by calling 1.844.330.2020. Ensure that you get counted and make sure you tell your family and friends to do the same. Together, we make this community what it is! We need to make sure we count!

Please remember that: 

  • It is your right to complete the census
  • The census does not include a citizenship question
  • All answers are kept anonymous and used only to produce statistics
  • It is illegal for census information to be shared with your landlord
  • It is illegal for census information to be shared with law enforcement or other agencies
  • It is illegal for census information to be used for deportation or family separation.

MORE INFO: Visit www.2020census.gov for lots of information, including Census 2020 Language Guides in many different languages.

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.

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)

DACA Renewal Resources:

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.

HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS

WHAT: Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) has funds to provide financial assistance to eligible veterans at risk of experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak. Veterans must meet the following criteria and be able to provide verification to qualify for assistance.

Eligibility criteria:

  • Income: 50% AMI max (see chart below)
  • Military Service: 1 day active duty, any discharge except Dishonorable (Reserves/National Guard ineligible, unless federally activated)
  • Housing Loss: Documented risk of housing loss within 30 days (does not need to be COVID-19-related)

Current AMI income monthly limits by family size:
⇒1 person = $3,483 ⇒2 people = $3,983 ⇒3 people = $4,479 ⇒4 people = $4,975 ⇒5 people = $5,375 ⇒6 people = $5,775 ⇒7 people = $6,170 ⇒8 people = $6,570

QUESTIONS/CONTACT: Please reach out any of the following agencies for assistance.

  • SSVF (a program of SOUND): 206.545.2344
  • Catholic Community Services (CCS): 206.858.1148 or 253.850.2507
  • YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish: 425.264.1426

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.

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:

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

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