November 2007:
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) 621-4636
(206) 461-3610 TTY
M-F, 7:30am-7:30pm;
Sa, 9:30am-2:30pm
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
Search for Loved Ones After a Disaster
At the American Red Cross Safe
and Well Web site those who have been affected by a disaster can
register as “safe and well.”
They can select from a list of standard messages what they want to
communicate to family members. Concerned family and friends can search the
list of those who have registered themselves as “safe and well.” The results
of a successful search will display a loved one’s First Name, Last Name, an
“As of Date”, and the “safe and well” messages selected.
Food Stamp Income Limits Increase
As
of Oct. 1, the maximum amount of money families need to make to participate
in the Food Stamp program has increased. To view the updated income
guidelines, click here,
or call your local DSHS community services office.
Free Flu Shots Available
Sunday, Dec. 9, from
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
4501 Delridge Way SW
Delridge Community Center
Seattle, WA 98106
1715 SE Maple Valley Highway
Renton Community Center
Renton, WA 98057
Public Health – Seattle & King
County is providing free flu shots at two locations. First come, first
served. Language and ASL interpreters will be on site. Flu shots are
recommended for those ages 50 and older, children ages 6 months through 5
years, people who are pregnant and those with an ongoing health condition.
For details, click here or
call
(206) 263-8306.
Free Disaster Preparedness Workshops
Thursday, Nov. 8, noon-
1 p.m. or 7-8 p.m.
123 5th Ave
Kirkland City Hall
Kirkland 98033
Learn how neighborhoods can work
together to respond to situations such as fire and injuries during and after
a disaster. Disasters are events that overwhelm police, fire and medical
emergency responders. Learn how to map your neighborhood before a disaster to
identify areas of concern such as gas meters and verify which neighbors will
need extra help in a disaster. For details, or to register online, click here.
Veterans’ Program Satellite to Open
Monday, Nov. 5, 1:30 p.m.
405 E St NE
Veterans Memorial Park
Auburn
The city of Auburn will conduct
a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new Veterans
Memorial Building. It will serve as the headquarters for the American Legion
Post #78 and host a satellite office for the King County Veterans’ Programs. Services are expected to be offered in the building beginning
Jan. 1, 2008.
Komen on the Go Mobile
Wednesday, Nov. 7,
University of Washington Campus
Thursday, Nov. 8
Seattle University Campus
The “Komen on the Go” mobile, a
program of the Puget Sound Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, will provide vital information
about breast cancer prevention and will ask community members to learn how to
become part of the global breast cancer movement on two college campuses in
November. The state of Washington has the highest breast cancer incidence
rate in the United States. For details, click here.
Participate in Unite to End Homelessness Community
Resource Exchanges
Tuesday, Nov. 13
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.,
Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, downtown Seattle
Thursday, Nov 15
2 p.m. – 7 p.m.,
Spirit of Washington Event Center, downtown Renton
United
Way of King County will coordinate two resource exchanges to connect
critical services, such as healthcare, housing referrals and public benefits
to people who are homeless. United Way is also asking organizations to
arrange supply drives to gather care packages containing toiletries, winter
hats and gloves and other items for homeless people. These care packages will
be distributed at the resource exchange. For details, on the event, click here.
Children’s Mental Health Services Forum
Thursday, Nov. 15, from 9
a.m. – 4p.m.
16500 Southcenter Parkway,
Tukwila
DSHS and the Washington
Institute for Mental Illness Research and Training will host a one day
community forum to discuss retooling children’s mental health services under legislation passed last
spring. DSHS must develop
outcome-based performance measures, upgrade children’s mental health benefit
packages, review use of psychiatric drugs in children under age 5, and other
issues. For details or to register, call (253) 756-2741.
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Finding
Holiday Resources Online
Erika Straus-Bowers, Crisis
Clinic Information, Referral and Resource Specialist
The
upcoming season can be a difficult time for low-income and homeless area
residents who observe the winter holidays. This time of year can also add
extra stress on service providers, as they offer holiday resources in
addition to operating their year-round programs.
During October, Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center
staff contacted all of the agencies that listed Thanksgiving, Hanukkah,
Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Years assistance programs in our database during
the previous year. Most listings have now been updated and are accessible
both by calling 2-1-1 and by searching Crisis Clinic’s online database.
Listed below are some tips for helping you navigate
the database to find holiday assistance programs:
- Click “Community Resources Online” at
www.CrisisClinic.org.
- Enter a client’s ZIP code, and click “Go”
with your cursor. Entering a ZIP code will never limit your list of
results; it will instead sort the programs so that those with the
closest addresses appear at the top of the list. These are the programs
that are not only the most convenient, but also the most likely to serve
residents of the specified ZIP code.
- Type one of the following Keywords,
depending on what kind of assistance your client needs, and click
“Search” with your cursor:
- Thanksgiving Baskets – Thanksgiving food
and/or food vouchers
- Thanksgiving Meals – free or low-cost
traditional Thanksgiving meals
- Hanukkah - any Hanukkah assistance
programs or free/low-cost celebrations
- Christmas Baskets – Christmas or
seasonal holiday food in December
- Christmas Meals – free or low-cost
traditional Christmas or nondenominational December holiday meals
- Holiday Gifts – Christmas or
nondenominational December holiday gifts, primarily for children
- Holiday Adoption – adopt-a-family programs
that provide both food and gifts for Christmas or December holidays, often
for all family members
- Christmas Parties – free/low-cost
Christmas or nondenominational December holiday parties that include gifts
- Kwanzaa – any Kwanzaa assistance
programs or free/low-cost celebrations
- New Year – any January 1st
New Year’s assistance programs or free/low-cost celebrations
- Click on the link provided. Step 4
(“Features”) is optional. Click “OK Continue” to proceed to your
list of holiday programs.
·
Click “View the Details,” for complete
information about each listing, and be sure to pay particularly close
attention to the lines entitled Who can get this program? and How
do I sign up for this program?
You will notice that some programs listed begin with
a note that says “INACTIVE,” as of a certain date. This note indicates one of
two things: either this year’s registration dates have passed, or we have not
yet received this year’s information from the agency.
If your agency’s holiday listing isn’t yet
updated, please call us at (206) 461-3210 x0 and ask to speak with a
Holiday Specialist in the Resource Center. If you know of any holiday
assistance program that may not be listed in our database, we would love to
hear from you! Adopt-a-family and gift programs are in especially high
demand, with a relatively small number of agencies offering this kind of
assistance to the general public. Lastly, we have not yet learned of any free
or low-cost Kwanzaa celebrations or assistance programs happening this year,
so we would appreciate a call if you know of such an event.
During this busy season – as always – feel free to
tell your clients about the 2-1-1 Community Information Line. Our Information
and Referral Specialists will be happy to provide holiday referrals over the
phone, tailored to the needs of each caller’s household. Thank you for all
that you do, and best wishes during this holiday season. •
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Program Bridges Gap Between Minority Communities
and Health Care System
The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
is developing a “Patient Navigator” program that will help members of
minority communities find their way into the health-care system to get the
treatments and information they need. The Navigator program was funded by the
2007 Legislature, which appropriated $1.5 million for the project. DSHS plans
to use the funds to support a one-year, 1,000-patient pilot beginning early
next year.
The pilot navigator program was developed at Harlem
Hospital in New York City, which trained area residents about the health-care
system and began using those volunteers to advise patients. The navigators
combine the roles of case manager and advocate. They coordinate services
among medical providers, schedule appointments, arrange interpreter services,
assist patients in obtaining financial coverage for their care, and
facilitate transportation and child care for medical appointments.
Navigators also work with providers. While they
educate patients about finding a doctor, preventive strategies for chronic
conditions and keeping track of treatment plans, they counsel health
professionals about how they can effectively address individual patients’
needs, especially when they must reach across to other cultures or
communities. •
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 the following resources.
Family Services – Baby Boutique has
expanded its hours. It is now open Tu,
10 a.m.-7 p.m.; W-F, 10 a..-3 p.m.; 2nd & 4th Sa, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Puget Sound Labor Agency is distributing
furniture again to people in need; however, they are short on beds.
Harborview Medical
Center has closed its general dentistry service. Currently its only
dental service is oral surgery.
Bread of Life Mission has
slightly changed its shelter registration hours (walk-in only). They used to
be daily, 10am-4pm. They are now different on Sundays, so it’s: M-Sa,
10am-4pm; Su, 1:30-3pm.
Return to the top
November
and December Selected
Resources
Compiled by Crisis
Clinic’s Resource Center Staff
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.
November Resource
Highlights
Rebuilding Together
Eastside
Recipients will have a one-day, home repair project completed by volunteers.
Services include interior and exterior painting, carpentry, minor plumbing
repairs, electrical work, accessibility modifications, yard work, etc. Call
for an application. Applications are due by Nov. 30 of each year and final
selection of houses will be announced by Jan. 30 of each year. Applicants are
encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Washington State Utilities and Transportation
Commission – Consumer Affairs
Begins its moratorium on utility disconnection. Under state law, utilities
supplying electricity or natural gas for home heating cannot discontinue
service for low-income households between Nov. 15 and March 15 for reasons of
nonpayment, provided the customer complies with the provisions of the law. If
the customer does not comply with the provisions, the company can disconnect
the electricity and refuse to reconnect until the entire balance owed to the
utility is paid.
Solid Ground -
Volunteer Program
Volunteers, many who are homebound, knit or crochet handmade hats, scarves,
mittens and baby items for homeless people in Seattle/King County.
Approximately 3,000 items are made annually. Volunteers who want to make
clothing are asked to call or visit the office. Finished clothing is given to
shelters and agencies in the community. Agencies should apply by Nov. 19.
Call for a request form. Distribution will be between Nov. 30 and Dec. 17.
Agency representatives will have to pick up their items at Solid Ground at 12th Ave. and Jefferson. For
details, call (206) 957-4779.
December Resource Highlights
Griefworks
Holds two public forums each month on the topics of grief and loss. Topics
deal with the holiday season in November and December. In December, forums
will be Dec. 6 from 7-8:30 p.m. and Dec. 10 from 10:30am-noon. In addition,
hosts a community holiday service of remembrance - “A Night to Remember” -
Dec. 7 from 7-8:30 p.m.
Lutheran Community Services
Northwest - Cascade People’s Center
Provides blankets and coats of all sizes, for any adults and children in need
for Winter Warmth Day. May also distribute a limited supply of socks. Items
are new or gently used. Distribution will occur Saturday, Dec. 8 from 10am-2pm. First-come, first-served.
Donations still being accepted.
Providence
Hospice of Seattle
Presents “Lighting a Light for Our Children,” an evening of remembrance for
families and loved ones of children who have died. The event will take place
on Dec. 9 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at St. Joseph
Church,
732
18th Ave. E
in Seattle.
Attendees are invited to bring a photo of the child they are remembering. For
more information or to RSVP, please call (206) 749-7704. •
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.
http://www.crisisclinic.org/
This Newsletter was last updated on Thursday, November 29, 2007 12:59 PM
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