April 2008:
Contact us:
24-Hour Crisis Line
(206) 461-3222
(866) 4CRISIS or
(866) 427-4747
(206) 461-3219 TTY
24 hours, daily
2-1-1 Community
Information Line
Dial 2-1-1 or
(206) 461-3200
(800) 211-WASH
(206) 461-3610 TTY
Temporary Reduced
Hours
M-F, 8am-6pm
Teen Link
(206) 461-4922
(866) TEENLINK or
(866) 833-6546
(206) 461-3219 TTY
6-10pm, nightly
Business Office
1515 Dexter Ave N
Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 461-3210
Fax: (206) 461-8368
M-F, 8am-5pm
Volunteer Services
(206) 461-3210 ext.
611
M-F, 8am-5pm
It’s not too Late! Please Complete our 2-1-1 Online Survey
In 2007, Information &
Referral Specialists on the 2-1-1 Community Information Line in King County
answered over 100,500 calls. Of
those calls, approximately 7% were from area professionals – case managers
and social workers working to help their clients. Your feedback is extremely important to us, and I’m hoping
that you will take just a few minutes to complete a short survey and let us
how we are doing. To access the
survey, CLICK
HERE. Thank you in advance for helping us ensure that
2-1-1 provides the best service possible!
Spring 2008 Issue of Parenting
Calendar is out
The Spring 2008 issue of The
Parenting Calendar is now available here. The calendar
lists all the parenting courses and support groups that we are aware of in
the central Puget Sound area. If you know of other potential listings,
please let us know.
Puget Sound Adlerian Society provides the calendar as a public service,
with funding from the Horizons Foundation, in the hope that happier
families and a more peaceful community will result.
Children and Giraffes: Tall Orders in
Development
Saturday, April 26,
9 a.m. -1:30 p.m.
14310 SE 12th
Lake Hills Elementary
Bellevue 98001
United Way of King County is
funding a free workshop on early childhood development and school readiness
is for parents of birth to five year old children. This workshop will focus on special needs, health care,
early literacy and the importance of father involvement. Childcare is
available upon RSVP. For online registration, click here.
Also, for registration call (206) 280-3458 or (425) 917-7741.
Healthy Kids Day 2008
Saturday, April 12,
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
4515 36th Ave SW
West Seattle Family YMCA
Seattle 98126
The West Seattle Family YMCA will
be hosting Healthy Kids Day 2008. Includes free activities, inflatable
obstacle course, kids arts & crafts, live entertainment, health and
wellness information, and community booths.
Support Program for People with Developmental
Disabilities
Saturday, May 31,
1:30-3:30 p.m.
Seattle’s South Lake Union
Neighborhood
Providence
Hospice of Seattle’s Letting Grow group provides opportunities for
persons with developmental disabilities to share their experiences with grief
and loss. For more information (including meeting location), please call
(206-) 320-7157.
Seattle Diabetes EXPO
Saturday, April 19
Qwest Field Events Center,
West Hall, Seattle
Free
health screenings, advocacy, cooking and exercise demonstrations
are a
few of the highlights of the Seattle Diabetes EXPO. New features of the
yearly EXPO will be a Community
World with
information about local non-profits and vendors, free information on diabetes
and classes taught in English
and
other languages along with a Planet
D Youth Zone where
families can obtain information about summer camps, youth and family
programs,
parent networking and attend break-out discussions. For more information
about the EXPO, call (206)
282-4616, ext. 7212
Sponsored Dental Van on Site for Older Adults
Fridays, April 18
and May 9
22975 24th Ave
Grace Lutheran Church
Des Moines
A
free dental van service for
seniors
55 and older living in Des Moines and Normandy
Park
Basic dental care will be offered for patients who have no dental insurance
or are low income. Medical Teams International will provide the dental van, dentist
and a dental hygienist. Applications must be submitted prior to appointments
for screening. For information and an application, call the Des Moines
Activity Center at (206)
878-1642.
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File Tax Return to
Receive Economic Stimulus Payments
Need help filing your tax
return? Call 2-1-1
The
Washington State Department of Community Trade and Economic Development (CTED)
is urging Washingtonians not to miss out on an opportunity to get money from
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). CTED has teamed up with the IRS, AARP Tax
Aide, Community Action agencies, United Way agencies, and banks and credit
unions across the state to remind people that they must file a 2007 federal
income tax return – even if they owe no tax - if they want to receive the
government’s economic stimulus payments of $300 to $1,200.
Free tax
preparation services are available to low and moderate-income families
through April 15. A directory of site locations throughout the state is
available by dialing
2-1-1, Washington’s Information Network.
In
addition, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is still available to qualified
households. Any individual or couple who worked in 2007 should file for the
EITC. Thousands of working families in Washington each year fail to apply,
missing out on their share of an estimated $60 million in cash tax credits.
Depending on their household, taxpayers can get up to $4,700 from the IRS.
“The
economic stimulus payment, and the Earned Income Tax Credit provide savings
and wealth-building opportunities for working families who are trying to save
for the future,” said CTED Director Juli Wilkerson.
Under the
new economic stimulus plan, working families and
individuals can get up to $1,200 this year from the IRS, even if they owe no
income tax. It is important to note that even if you don’t owe taxes, you
must file a 2007 tax return to receive the economic stimulus payment.
Individuals
earning less than $75,000 annually will receive a check for up to $600.
Couples earning less than $150,000 annually will receive up to $1,200.
Payments would phase out beginning with individuals with more than $75,000 in
adjusted gross income, and couples with more than $150,000 in AGI.
Families
will also receive $300 for each child younger than 17. Additionally, workers
who can verify that they earned at least $3,000 in 2007, and have little to
no tax liability, will be eligible for payments of $300. Seniors, disabled
veterans and veterans’ widows that can verify $3,000 in Social Security or
veterans’ disability benefits in 2007 are eligible to receive payments of
$300.
In all
cases, the determination of income and children is based on a filed 2007 tax
return. To receive the payments, returns must be filed with a social security
number. Individual tax identification numbers are not acceptable. The
funds will not arrive until after May.
CTED
is the lead state agency charged with enhancing and promoting sustainable
community and economic vitality in Washington. For more information, visit
www.cted.wa.gov. •
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April is Disaster
Preparedness Month
April is Disaster Preparedness
month in Washington State, highlighted by a statewide earthquake drill on
April 22. The statewide
drill will be initiated through an Emergency Alert System message on
broadcast media between 9:45 a.m. and 10 a.m. on April 22.
Disaster preparedness month
encourages government agencies, businesses, schools and citizens to review
response plans and procedures that could significantly reduce the loss of
life and property damage in an emergency.
“I encourage all citizens to
increase their knowledge and awareness of proper safety measures to follow
before, during and after a natural or man-made disaster” through the disaster
preparedness programs scheduled in April, said Gov. Chris Gregoire.
Washington remains “vulnerable
to natural and man-made disasters in the future,” Gov. Gregoire said. State residents especially “should
prepare themselves to be self-sufficient for at least three days following a
natural or man-made disaster.”
The Washington Emergency
Management Division (EMD) will make available to local jurisdictions drop,
cover and hold bookmarks as well as litter bags with earthquake, tsunami and
volcano information. Flyers on
the drop, cover and hold exercise will be posted in multiple languages on the
division’s web site, www.emd.wa.gov
Disaster Preparedness Month
activities also will include the Partners in Emergency Preparedness
Conference April 1-2 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center.
For more information about
Disaster Preparedness Month, please contact Rosanne Garrand, EMD public
education program coordinator, (253) 512-7419. •
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Critical
Resource Updates
Compiled by
Resource Center Staff
It
is always recommended to check
Community Resources Online for additional information and for the most
current information updates of the following resources.
Jewish Family Service is out of funds for
financial assistance until the end of June 2008. The agency will be able to
resume helping King County residents with rent, shelter vouchers and move-in
assistance when its fiscal year begins in July.
The
two county-sponsored winter response shelters (men’s shelter is at the King County Administration Building and
the women’s shelter is at YWCA’s Angeline’s) are extending their last night
to Thursday, April 10th, because of the cold weather.
King
County Bar Association’s Housing Justice Project has changed the days
(Monday and Thursday instead of Monday and Wednesday) and location (Room W314
instead of the Law Library) of its evening clinic, it is still from 4-6 p.m.
Mary’s Place through Church of Mary Magdalene has
moved to their interim location (probably for one-and-a-half to two years
while they are building their new facility) at 210 Dexter Ave N (at John and
Dexter) Seattle, WA 98109. They no longer have laundry service available,
except on an emergency basis.
Plymouth
Housing Group now has a low-cost permanent housing building with a
certain number of units reserved specifically for veterans, a new special
target population for them to serve. The building is on 3rd Avenue
downtown Seattle, and is called the Langdon & Anne Simons Senior
Apartments. (The building also primarily offers housing to older adults.) •
Return to the top
April
and May Selected Resources
Compiled by Crisis Clinic’s
Resource Center Staff
This column
highlights timely resources in the community information database that might
otherwise go unnoticed by our users. It is always recommended to check Community Resources Online
for additional information and for the most current information concerning
the following resources.
April Resource
Highlights
PlantAmnesty
On April 9, Washington State Arbor Day, about 20 certified arborists will
volunteer their time to prune majestic old trees in the King County area.
Trees can be on public or private property. To nominate a worthy tree(s), or
to find out when and where an event is taking place, contact PlantAmnesty and
request a nomination form for Arbor Day Tree Prune.
Rebuilding Together Seattle
Volunteers provide free home repair assistance to low-income homeowners in
the city of Seattle who are unable to perform the work themselves due to
physical or financial limitations. Local businesses provide material
donations, financial support and majority of volunteers. Annual Spring
Rebuilding Day will be April 28; call or apply online now to receive or
donate service.
Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission
Coordinates a youth summer day camp with outings, activities, and optional
Bible studies and Christian fellowship. Program also offers weeklong
residence camps. Serves youth, ages 6 through 18, who are currently in
school, kindergarten through 12th grade. Focuses on city youth living in the
Rainier Valley area. Registration usually begins mid-April.
Coyote Central
Young artists work with professional artists to create public art, usually in
the Central Area. Participants learn job and vocational skills and earn a
savings account stipend for their work. Applications are available through
Coyote Central in late spring from April-May.
Urban League of
Metropolitan Seattle
Will soon accepting applications for their Summer Children’s University in
April. Housed on the Seattle University campus, the program is academically
focused, with the goal of exposing children to a college experience. Also
includes classes and activities in the arts, natural sciences, media literacy
and physical education. Sliding scale fees and scholarships are sometimes
available, depending on funding. For additional information or to apply, call
(206) 461-3792.
May Resource Highlights
Bike Works
On May 12, Bike Works will be hosting its annual Bike Swap from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. Bring your outgrown or unwanted bike to Genesee Playfield (4316 S Genesee St, Seattle) and exchange it for one that
fits you better. Get there early to get a good deal!
Washington State Parks and
Recreation Commission
Individual campsites at more than 45 Washington
state parks are available for reservations May 15 through Sept. 15. Phone and
online reservations may be made up to nine months in advance or as close as
one day before camping, depending on availability. •
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“Resource
Talk,” Crisis Clinic’s free monthly e-newsletter, provides critical resource changes,
community events, feature articles on important health and human service
topics and updates to the annual publication of the Where to Turn Plus
directory. Click here
to subscribe or unsubscribe to Resource Talk.
You may view past issues of Resource Talk by clicking here.
Crisis
Clinic offers a variety of products to help connect people with critical
resources. Information about purchasing Crisis Clinic’s Where to Turn
Directories, Where to Turn CD-ROMs, customized reports, customized
mailing labels and holiday lists can be found online by clicking here.
Crisis Clinic respects the privacy of our Web site
users.
For business purposes, please e-mail us at ResourceCenter@CrisisClinic.org
or call us at (206) 461-3210.
http://www.CrisisClinic.org
This Newsletter was last updated on Friday, April 04, 2008 01:51 PM
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