December 2005:
Contact us:
24-Hour Crisis Line
(206) 461-3222
(866) 4CRISIS or
(866) 427-4747
(206) 461-3219 TDD
Available 365 days
a year
Community
Information Line
(206) 461-3200
(800) 621-4636
(206) 461-3610 TDD
Monday-Friday,
8am-6pm
Teen Link
(206) 461-4922
(866) TEENLINK or
(866) 833-6546
(206) 461-3219 TDD
Every evening,
6-10pm
Business Office
1515 Dexter Ave N
Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 461-3210
Fax: (206) 461-8368
8am-5pm, M-F
Free Gift Bags at Target
8-10am, Tuesday, Dec. 6
Target Stores throughout the country offer private shopping
hours for seniors and persons with disabilities. Target associates will be
available to offer assistance and present shoppers with a gift bag that
contains a $5 gift card among other items. For additional information,
call Target Guest Relations at (800) 440-0680.
Holiday Assistance
Crisis Clinic’s Community Information Line offers
2005 winter holiday resource information. In 2004, phone workers answered
more than 2,300 calls for holiday assistance. Holiday resources can also be
viewed online at Community
Resources Online.
Microsoft Matches Volunteer Hours with Dollars
Microsoft will now match their
employees' time that they volunteer in the community, donating $17 per hour
to the eligible organizations they serve. This benefit started Oct. 3 and
will count all time volunteered after that date (it is not retroactive).
Couples: Enhance your Relationship
6:30-8:30pm
Wed., Dec. 7
$15 per couple
Scholarships are available
Jewish Family Service
1601 16th Ave, Seattle
Gain resources and tools for
preventing problems, keeping small problems from growing and warding off or
coping with serious problems. Learn about insights from research into
marriage (such as the 5:1 rule) and critical skills all couples can develop.
For more information and to register, call Marjorie at (206) 461-3240, ext.
3146.
Peer to Peer Education Course
6:30-9pm, Dec.8, 2005
through Feb. 9, 2006
Plymouth Congregational Church, 6th and University
Downtown Seattle
Offers a nine-week – two hours per week –
educational course on the topic of recovery for any person with serious
mental illness who is interested in establishing and maintaining their mental
wellness. Register by calling Linda Jordan at (206) 783-9264. Click here
for more information.
Winter Shelters
Type “winter shelter” in the
Service Keyword Search on Community
Resources Online to find all current King County severe winter weather
shelters listed.
How to Get Legal Status With ‘U Visa’
6:30-8:30pm, Dec. 7
LGBT Community Center
1115 E Pike St, Seattle
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Northwest
Network of Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse are hosting
a discussion on using the U Visa to help immigrants get legal status. The U
Visa is designed for victims of human trafficking.
Tax Preparation Help
Many agencies offer tax
preparation services beginning in January. Type “taxes” in the Service
Keyword Search on Community
Resources Online to find a list of agencies that offer tax assistance.
Health & Safety Brochures and Posters
Health Care for the Homeless Network offers on its
Web site printable posters
and flyers addressing pertinent health information in a clear understandable
way. Topics include flu shots, flue season, heat emergencies, insect bites
and the West Nile Virus. This resource is especially helpful to homeless
shelter clients and staff.
New Anti-Smoking Amendment
Read up on facts about the
state of Washington’s new smoke free amendment here.
One Night Count
January 26-27, 2006
The One Night Count date is a
departure from the tradition of the Seattle/King County Coalition for the
Homeless to conduct its count in October. This change is in response to a
call from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to have all
homeless counts across the country occur on the same night. In 2004, 4,636
people utilized services on the night of the One Night Count. The Street
Count conducted in parts of Seattle, Kent, and North King County found 2,216
people surviving outside without shelter For more information, please contact
skcch@homelessinfo.org.
Seattle Human
Rights Day
Noon-1:30pm
Thursday, Dec. 8
Bertha Landes Room
Seattle City Hall
600 4th Ave
-and-
6:30-8:30pm
Thursday, Dec. 8
Mount Zion
19th and Madison
Call (206) 684-4500 or visit the Web site for more
information. Dr. Joy Leary, author of “American Legacy: Post-Traumatic Slave
Syndrome,” will be speaking at both events.
Pathways to Work
9am-2:30pm
Wednesday, Nov. 30-Thursday, Dec. 15, (Monday-Thursday)
YWCA Regional Center
3301 Broadway, Everett
To
register or for more information, call (425) 258-2766, ext. 226.
Pathways for Women YWCA offers a
free workshop to help you learn new job search skills, explore career
interests, cope with stress, become a decision-maker and plan for the future.
Holiday Luncheon for Caregivers
11:30am
Monday, Dec. 12
Normandy Park Congregational Church
19247 First Ave S, Seattle
The Family Caregiver
Support Group is hosting a holiday luncheon for past and present caregivers.
Guest speaker will be Judy Brown, certified music therapist. Caregivers can
bring the person they care for. RSVP by calling (206) 824-1779 or by visiting
the church office.
Senior Wheels USA
Provides electric (power)
wheelchairs to seniors and people who are permanently disabled at no cost if
they qualify and meet certain guidelines. Click here
for detailed information on eligibility and application procedures.
American Indian Heritage Middle College
This alternative secondary education program for
students with a strong interest in learning about Native American culture and
identity offers a curriculum reinforcing basic skills, peer group
relationships, and cultural awareness. Graduates receive a high school
diploma, along with an eagle feather. Click here
for more information.
|
’Tis the Season
Don Kuch, Crisis Clinic Clinical Director
Feeling a bit lethargic lately? Maybe a little
melancholy? As we move into fall, many of us experience a sense of “feeling” the
season change. Most people find they eat and sleep slightly more in winter
and dislike the dark mornings and short days. For some, however, symptoms are
severe enough to disrupt their lives and to cause considerable distress.
These people may be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
While it may take several forms, by far the most
common SAD pattern is winter depression. Note that that is depression,
spelled with a lower case ‘d’ and it does not refer to a formal diagnosis.
Contrary to what some may think, SAD is not a DSM-IV diagnosis. What SAD
describes is not full-fledged depression but rather a constellation of
experiences such as decreased energy, changes in sleep and appetite, general
negativism, lowered self-esteem and low mood.
On average, about 6% of Americans suffer from winter
SAD, and another 10 to 20% may experience mild SAD symptoms.1 In
about one tenth of cases, annual relapse occurs in the summer rather than
winter, possibly in response to high heat and humidity. During that period,
the depression is more likely to be characterized by insomnia, decreased
appetite, weight loss, and agitation or anxiety. Individuals with such
“reverse SAD” often find relief with summer trips to cooler climates in the
north. However, normal air conditioning is typically not sufficient to
relieve this condition. In still fewer cases, an individual may experience
both winter and summer depressions, while feeling fine each fall and spring,
around the equinoxes.2
Though sometimes referred to as “the holiday blues,”
typical winter SAD cannot be blamed on Santa. In the southern hemisphere the
condition follows the reversed seasons and not the holidays. Seasonal
patterns in mood disturbance vary with latitude, increasing in prevalence
further away from the equator.
Age and gender are strong predictors of seasonality
in mood disturbance, with younger adults at higher risk for the winter blahs
than older individuals. The most severe symptoms tend to occur in those in
their twenties or early thirties. It appears women may experience SAD three
to five times more often than men.
Currently, the treatment of choice for SAD is
exposure to bright light, especially in the blue and green range of the
visible spectrum. Interestingly, while light therapy is usually administered
using a special light source positioned above the head at a 45-degree angle
to the line of sight, equal or greater results have also been produced by
exposing the backs of the knees to the light source, positioned behind the
legs. Light exposure is thought to affect the circadian rhythm, possibly by
influencing serotonin levels or sensitivity. It is also believed to affect
melatonin production. Melatonin tablets taken orally can produce results
similar to light therapy. This is often preferred by SAD sufferers over light
therapy which usually requires one to two hours per day of exposure initially
which is tapered thereafter.3
Differences in patterns of sleep disruption can help
provide clues for treatment of SAD. For those whose circadian rhythms are
cued by dawn, SAD symptoms are usually characterized by morning hypersomnia
(difficulty waking for the day). For these individuals, light therapy is most
effective when administered shortly after awakening. For those whose
circadian rhythms are cued by dusk, SAD symptoms are usually characterized by
morning insomnia (early wakening), and light therapy treatment is most
effective when administered in the evening.3
Current research in SAD treatment is looking into the
use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), comparing it with light therapy
and a combination of both CBT and light therapy. Ongoing research includes
investigation of the use of time-released propranolol to influence melatonin
secretion.4 In total, the body of research to date strongly
implies that SAD has biological roots5 and that both melatonin
levels and the timing of melatonin secretion may be key factors.
So the next time you are stuck in the winter
doldrums, yearning for some spring fever, you may find yourself considering a
move to another hemisphere. However, there may be less drastic alternatives,
even if symptoms are severe. For the majority of us who are just a little
cranky about the cold and wet and gray, we can blame the weatherman and take
consolation in the fact that, like the seasons, this too shall pass. •
1. National Institutes
of Health; 2. National Alliance for the Mentally Ill; 3. Meyer, Robert The
Clinician’s Handbook, Fourth Edition, 1996; 4. Mayo Foundation for Medical
Education and Research; 5. American Medical Association
Return to the top
Providing Warmth for People in Need
Reprinted with permission from The Journal
Newspapers
“There’s nothing worse than seeing cold children or
elderly people who are trying to keep warm by burners on the stove,” said
Randi Gigrich from her Lake Forest Park living room. “We’ve seen the most
beautiful homes and we’ve seen total poverty. It’s really shaped our
perspective of the world.”
This experience also shapes the Gigrich family
business, Tanks
by Dallas. When Randi and her husband, Dallas Gigrich, started a small
oil tank removal business out of their home in 1996, they realized that many
people were wasting oil that could be utilized. So they began asking area
residents to donate that usable oil to families and elderly people living on
fixed incomes.
The Journal Newspapers
interviewed Randi and Dallas, and excerpts from Rebecca Jarrard’s feature
article tell more of the story:
“There’s no obligation for donating oil
and we don’t charge for the removal or for delivering it to someone who needs
it,” explained Dallas. He and his crew will come out and pick up donations
from any location in the Puget Sound between Mount Vernon and Tacoma.
There are approximately 150 people on the delivery
list this winter. Oil companies and social service agencies refer clients to
them regularly. “We know there are people in the community that can use it,” said
Dallas. “And we’re finding that there is more of a need than we can keep up
with.” Dallas said most people need about 500-600 gallons of oil to get them
through the cold season, and with winter around the corner he wants to ensure
that he has enough donations to fill that need – at least 75,000 gallons.
“Many people who have switched to alternate sources
of heat don’t realize they have a lot of usable oil on their property,”
Dallas noted. “It’s a good idea to get that oil off the property to avoid a
spill and major cleanup expense. By donating the oil we’ll come out at no
expense to the homeowner and remove it for them.”
The Journal article continues, “What seems like such
a simple gesture really has made a world of difference to people in need. The
Gigrich’s are not only warming homes, they are warming hearts.”
“Sometimes you need to be a receiver and other times
you need to give,” explained Randi. “It’s our responsibility as human beings
to help.”
The Gigrich’s were nominated for the
2004 Seattle P-I Jefferson Award, and their work earned a letter of
commendation from former Governor, Gary Locke.
If you need oil for heat or if you have an
abandoned tank of heating oil in your yard that you would like to donate to Tanks
by Dallas, leave your name and phone number with Dallas and Randi at
(206) 365-0291.•
Return to the top
Critical Resource Updates
Compiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center
It is always recommended to check Community Resources Online
for additional information and for the most current information updates of
following resources.
Aloha
Inn has openings for homeless individuals and couples without children.
Ballard
Food Bank has changed its hours to 11am-3pm. Click here
for specific program days and services.
Hopelink
- Shoreline now has its own office in Shoreline at 15809 Westminster Way
N. It was formerly housed in the same offices as the Northshore branch (in
Bothell). New phone number is (206) 440-7300.
Northwest
Immigrant Rights Project has a new address of 615 2nd Ave,
Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104.
St.
Vincent de Paul’s Rainier Valley thrift store at 2825 Rainier Ave S has
closed.
Tent
City 3 is moving Dec. 1 to 12914 Martin Luther King Way in Skyway, which
is the parking lot of an abandoned motel. They will be there for 90 days.
Sponsoring organization is “Greater Seattle Cares,” an organization formed to
provide advocacy and practical support for Tent City residents.
Tent
City 4 has moved to Temple B'nai Torah, which is at 15727 NE 4th St,
Bellevue. They plan to be there until Feb. 14, although there are some complications.
See the recent Seattle Times article for more information by clicking here.
Urban
League of Metropolitan Seattle can be reached at a new toll-free number
of (800) 368-1455.
Welfare
Rights Organizing Coalition’s phone hours have changed to 9am-5pm,
Monday-Friday. •
Return to the top
December and January
Selected Resources
Compiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center
This column highlights available 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.
December Resource Highlights
Artist
Trust
Provides support for artist-generated projects through Grants for Artist
Projects (GAP) which can include the development, completion or presentation
of new work. Awards are up to $1,400 annually. Applications for GAP are
available in December.
Seattle
Vocational Institute
Kwanzaa Festival 2005 will create a holiday marketplace for sharing
collective resources and creating financial empowerment by featuring business
retail vendors, food vendors and exhibit floor entertainment. Hourly
educational seminars offer information on housing resources, credit repair,
energy assistance and legal and employment clinics from various agencies.
Festival takes place 6-9pm, Friday, Dec. 9; Noon-7pm, Saturday-Sunday, Dec.
10-11, 2005. Visit http://sviweb.sccd.ctc.edu/kwanzaa/index.htm
for more information.
Southeast
Effective Development
Offers a Northwest Native Holiday Bazaar with crafts, food and cultural
entertainment including films and dances from 10am-5pm, Saturday, Dec. 17,
2005.
Friends
of Francois
Provides a New Year's meal outdoors for anyone in need from 1-3pm, on New
Year's Day, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006, as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas
meals.
GriefWorks
– A Bereavement Resource for Education and Support
Hosts two monthly open community meetings to discuss topics of grief and loss
during the holidays. Topics change each month. See Web site at http://www.griefworks.org for details.
Also offers a community-wide holiday service of remembrance to honor loved
ones who are gone, but not forgotten. Call (253) 333-9420 for more
information.
City
of Seattle – Human Services Department – Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens
Organizes a free holiday ball for seniors at Seattle City Hall from
noon-3:30pm, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005. Must RSVP. Main entrance is on 5th
Avenue. Includes a light lunch.
SEAFAIR
– Christmas Cruise
Coordinates an annual cruise for individuals with developmental disabilities
from 3:30-5:30pm, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005. Call by Monday, Nov. 21, 2005 to
register. This cruise is a holiday boat parade on Lake Washington and Lake
Union. Local yacht clubs and independent boat owners donate time, boats, and
crew. Boats are launched from various locations. Boats cruise parallel to the
520 bridge and then return to their respective loading locations in Lake
Union and Lake Washington. The boat parade can be viewed from West Montlake
Park and along the Montlake Cut.
Seattle
International Church
Gives out more than 10,000 toys. There will be a drawing for about 60 girls
and boys bicycles. Every child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to
receive a toy. A short Christmas program geared toward the kids will be held
at 10:30am and 6pm, Sunday, December 18, 2005. Gifts will be given at the end
or the beginning of the program. Mass attendance is not required.
Eastridge
Christian Assembly
Provides 1,000 complete turkey dinners for those families in need this
holiday season at 9am, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005 at a location in Issaquah and
another location in West Seattle. Also provides a free bag of groceries. Walk
in.
No paperwork is necessary. No questions will be asked.
Many more holiday programs in our community can be
found by searching our Winter Holidays topic category at Community
Resources Online.
January Resource Highlights
Access
to Justice Institute
Coordinates legal educational presentations and individual consultations with
attorneys at Community Justice Centers located in the Seattle Central
District and the International District. Centers are open from January to
April and from August through December. Topics are selected for their
relevance to the communities they serve, fostering community development, growth,
and investment. Educational Presentation topics are offered by expert
attorneys for two consecutive weeks. The first week, clients hear the
presentation and may be interviewed to meet individually with an attorney the
following week. Each client is guaranteed at least 20 minutes to receive
advice from the attorney.
St.
Louise Catholic Church
You MUST pre-register for this series as space is limited. Please call to
register or for more information. This eight week program provides a safe
place to deal with the pain of separation or divorce. Topics covered are the
process of divorce, self-esteem, stress, anger, blame and guilt, loneliness,
and pathways to happiness. Call for times. Generally runs 3 times a year in
late September-early October, January and late March-early April.
Seattle
Indian Center
Summer Youth Employment Experience: A limited number of work experience
positions are available during the summer months to eligible high school
students. Interested parties should contact the Workforce Investment Act
office in January for further information.
Seattle
Parks and Recreation – South Park
Offers organized sports teams. Basketball league is on Friday nights, as well
as Saturdays and Sundays, January-March. Practices are held twice a week
after school.
Shoreline
Community College
The restorative dental clinic will be open Thursday afternoons January
through May. Patients needing fillings may be referred to the clinic, where a
dentist prepares teeth and a hygiene student does the filling. Cannot do root
canal, orthodontic or surgical work, bridges, gold work, dentures, or treat
dental emergencies. Also supervises students as they perform head and neck
exams, medical histories, blood pressure checks, oral exams, fluoride
treatments, cleaning and polishing, X-rays, oral cancer screening, sealants,
and oral hygiene instruction. Complete dental care takes at least two
appointments that are three hours each. First appointment is examination only
(except for children), and includes exam and diagnosis by dentist. •
Return to the top
“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.
www.CrisisClinic.org
This Newsletter was last updated on Friday, December 02, 2005 10:51 AM
|
