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Human Interests

Seattle Human Services news and events

Video Update: Food Access Programs Help Older Adults and People Experiencing Homelessness

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image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

COVID-19 has left 1.6 million people in Washington state struggling to put food on the table. The need is especially high in parts of Seattle and South King County.

For many communities facing food insecurity, their situation has been made even more challenging with meal and food bank programs impacted by the crisis. A number of food banks have reduced hours or their volunteers are not able to come in to help like they did before. Other programs face shortages of food resources.

This month, we began re-deploying HSD employees to support shifts ranging from food preparation and cooking, to assembling bags and packaging meals, to line management and delivering food directly to vulnerable clients in their homes. We recently gathered photos and reflections from some of their recent work with South Park Senior Center’s senior meal program.

Various city departments including Human Services and the Office of Sustainability & Environment have funded food access and nutrition for older adults and people experiencing homelessness. A grocery voucher program is now helping 9,000 Seattle families. Seattle senior centers are making meals for delivery. And philanthropic organizations, businesses, and nonprofits, like FareStart and Villa Comunitaria, are also assisting in the community-wide effort to battle hunger.

THANK YOU to Seattle Channel for their help with this video, highlighting the community organizations, City staff, and everyone who has stepped up to fight hunger during this public health crisis!

Image of the Food Resources Map

To help the public locate food resources available during this public health emergency, an interactive map has been developed by HSD staff. The map shows the locations of Food Banks, Meals, and Student To-Go Meals. Click here to enter your address or use your device’s location to find the resources closest to you! 

If you are in need of help or want more information, please email CovidFoodResponse@Seattle.gov.

Update: Continuing to Expand Access to Hygiene Resources, a New Map, and Public Health Support

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Post partly adapted from a Seattle Public Utilities At Your Service blog post

The City of Seattle is set to deploy two shower trailers in locations across the City to support the hygiene needs for homeless residents within their communities. King Street Station will host a shower trailer five days per week, and a mobile shower trailer will be hosted in Lake City and Seattle Center, with more locations under consideration. King Street Station will also receive a hygiene station. In addition, a new hygiene map, located on the Seattle Human Services public website, that represents all open and available facilities was launched with this effort.

“The City of Seattle has taken significant steps to help our most vulnerable neighbors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. From repurposing City facilities into 24/7 shelters to working with our King County partners on supporting wrap-around services that allow residents to temporarily reside in hotels outside of the City to providing meals and increasing access to hygiene services, the City of Seattle is committed to keeping our most vulnerable safe throughout this pandemic,” said Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “Access to hygiene is a critical component to reducing spread of COVID-19 throughout our community.”

Shower Trailers Deploying in Seattle

Image of shower trailer

Each shower trailer includes three shower stalls, three toilets and three sinks. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays. Clients can place reservations 30 minutes before operations begin and showers, toilets and sinks will be sanitized after each use. The King Street Station will be available Monday to Friday, scheduled to begin May 22. The roving trailer will be hosted two consecutive days per week at Seattle Center beginning May 21 and 22, but typically Tuesdays and Wednesdays beginning May 26. Lake City will host on Saturday and Sunday beginning May 30 but additional locations are under consideration and will be announced soon. The City has contracted with the Millionair Club to staff and maintain the trailers.

The additional hygiene station at King Street Station consists of two portable toilets and a handwashing station with 24/7 access. Service providers, Department of Neighborhoods, Seattle Human Services, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Facilities and Administrative Services, and Public Health – Seattle & King County were consulted to help determine the most high-need locations for placement.

“Hygiene is a basic need and more important than ever during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Mami Hara, General Manager of Seattle Public Utilities. “We’re so pleased to play a role in supporting our neighbors in their need for showers, handwashing stations and portable toilets during this critical time.”

While most businesses are considered “non-essential” as part of Governor Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order and have temporarily closed, many locations where people experiencing homelessness met their hygiene needs are temporarily unavailable. Recognizing that access to hygiene resources is a critical component of protecting communities from COVID-19 spread, the City has added 13 hygiene stations and conducted an extensive accounting of every City-funded hygiene resource available. As of May 20, Seattle Parks & Recreation, Seattle Public Utilities, The Seattle Public Library, and city-sponsored day centers account for 165+ locations where hygiene resources are available, including 89 24/7 hygiene facilities that include toilets. Our new hygiene map includes all locations that are open and will be updated weekly, as it pertains to maintenance and vandalism-related closures.

City Launches Interactive Hygiene Map Highlighting All Publicly Funded Hygiene Facilities Available to People In Need During COVID-19 Crisis

Image of hygiene resources map and link to Human Services website where it is hosted

“Many of our providers and neighborhood organizations have not been able to support people in need during this time due to COVID-19. By deploying more hygiene resources across Seattle, we are stepping in help fill this gap,” said Jason Johnson, Director of the Human Services Department. “Thank you to Seattle Public Utilities for leading this important work to ensure that people have more access to meet their most basic needs.”

Public Health Support for Staff and Clients in Congregate Settings

King County TV recently shared this short video on how Public Health—Seattle & King County is working to control the spread of COVID-19 in congregate settings (long term care facilities, homeless shelters and other vulnerable sites).

Where to get the most up-to-date public health information 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOH, and PHSKC have issued specific guidance to help communities and businesses prepare. You can find guidance for the general public, schools, workplaces and employers, travelers and health care professionals as well as a more detailed Q&A here.   

ICYMI: Continuing to Expand Hygiene Services and Shelter to People Experiencing Homelessness

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image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

The City of Seattle and King County announced a number of additional steps over the last week to further expand hygiene services and add new shelter spaces for people experiencing homelessness. This expansion of resources is a continuation of ongoing work by the City and County to bring critically needed resources to those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Southwest Teen Life Center to open as de-intensifying shelter for YouthCare program

The City’s Southwest Teen Life Center will temporarily shelter up to 30 young adults from YouthCare’s Jackson Street overnight shelter. The move provides 24/7 shelter space, supportive services, and more space for social distancing per public health guidance. The program supports youth between the ages of 18 to 24. Youth will be provided access to showers and three meals per day. 

The Elliott Bay shelter pictured here was planned as a pilot to test the use of movable modular buildings to create housing and shelter.

Elliott Avenue modular pilot project opens to offer shelter beds and services to fight COVID-19

Yesterday, King County Executive Dow Constantine invited media to join in a tour of the newly completed Elliott Avenue enhanced shelter located at 551 Elliott Avenue West in Seattle that will offer safe housing and 24/7 onsite services for about 45 people currently experiencing homelessness. King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles who represents Council District 4 joined the tour, along with staff of Catholic Community Services, the contract service provider.

The first guests at the enhanced shelter site are men currently staying at the St. Martin de Porres nightly shelter in Seattle. Most are age 55 or older and some have other existing health conditions that place them at higher risk of COVID complications should they contract the virus. Moving to this location gives them a safe place to be day and night, access to health and behavioral health care, monitoring for any symptoms of COVID-19, and showers and laundry facilities for better health and hygiene. Pets are welcome.

The homelessness crisis is not new in King County, but the advent of the coronavirus in our communities has intensified the struggle and challenge of living without shelter. The Elliott Avenue modulars will offer safe housing, access to health and behavioral health care and other onsite services that will not only help residents keep safe now, but also begin to build a pathway out of homelessness.

Dow Constantine, King County Executive

The Elliott shelter was planned as a pilot to test the use of movable modular buildings to create housing and shelter … and is located in Interbay on King County land, owned by the Department of Natural Resources and Parks Wastewater Division. The land is available for about two years, and the movable buildings make it possible to relocate the entire project to another site at a later date. This is a temporary use for the property. The long-term use has not been determined.

These new de-intensifying shelters continue to build on previous efforts by the City and King County to reduce density in large, high capacity shelters to slow the spread of COVID-19.  While de-intensification efforts have focused on improving health conditions for existing shelter clients, these de-intensifying shelters also offer expanded services for many clients including the provision of meals, hygiene and cleaning services, and 24/7 access to a safe space that they are not required to leave every morning.

Update: Loyal Heights Community Center de-intensifying shelter

Loyal Heights Community Center has been available since April for a service provider to use for de-intensifying efforts. To date, no service provider has requested use of this site. The City will keep this facility available in the event a service provider needs space to move clients to. Seattle Human Services is in frequent contact with shelter providers and has made known this facility remains available to them if needed.

These shelters are part of the City’s overall effort to create more safe spaces for people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis. De-intesfying efforts alone have created nearly 400 safer 24/7 spaces for shelter clients.

Where to get the most up-to-date public health information 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOH, and PHSKC have issued specific guidance to help communities and businesses prepare. You can find guidance for the general public, schools, workplaces and employers, travelers and health care professionals as well as a more detailed Q&A here.   

Seattle Human Services Partners with Providers to Maintain Support

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For many communities facing food insecurity, COVID-19 has made a challenging situation even more difficult with meal and food bank programs impacted by the crisis. A number of food banks have reduced hours or their volunteers are not able to come in to help like they did before. Other programs face shortages of food resources.

To meet this growing need in Seattle and surrounding communities, the City of Seattle partnered with the National Guard at the request of service providers. Locally, the National Guard has stepped up to fill gaps in our food network by offering the assistance of hundreds of members in Food Lifeline‘s SODO distribution center and at several food banks in the region.

Even with all of these helping hands, some of our smaller community-based programs struggle to keep up with their usual activities, not to mention the increased demands brought on by this public health emergency. After re-deploying staff to support shifts in the City’s de-intensifying shelters at Miller and Garfield community centers, and working to open additional shelter capacity around the city, the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) has been working to find ways to ensure these important food programs can also continue to operate.

Kevin and Terri pause from food prep to pose in the kitchen.

This month, we began re-deploying HSD employees to support shifts ranging from food preparation and cooking, to assembling bags and packaging meals, to line management and delivering food directly to vulnerable clients in their homes. Some of our staff who are vulnerable themselves are taking on administrative tasks that can be completed remotely from their homes. We gathered photos and reflections from some of their recent work with South Park Senior Center’s senior meal program.

“It was a long, hard day, but so fulfilling! Everyone we worked with was so appreciative of our help,” wrote Terri, who helped prepare food in the kitchen. “They so frequently work understaffed. It seemed like the work went really fast with all hands on deck. My body may take a day or two to recover, but it made me really appreciate the people who are there every day, working so hard to help the members of our community who so desperately need it.”

“I was very impressed by the dedication staff has for their clients. Everything is done with a customer-focused lens, including the presentation of the meals in the delivery containers,” agreed Kevin, who also worked in the kitchen. “The large number of meals we made in just one morning emphasized for me the need in our senior community. And that need is growing.”

South Park is a unique and beloved neighborhood that could not be mistaken for any other in the city. Most of its residents are people of color, and the neighborhood is a hub for Latinx and other immigrant and refugee communities.* South Park has a long history as an affordable, working-class neighborhood, and residents support one another by dedicating a tremendous amount of volunteer hours to advocacy and stewardship. It is also a place where languages like Khmer and Spanish can be heard on the streets during more usual times.

South Park is also one Seattle’s two riverfront neighborhoods. The Duwamish River is a site of immense importance to South Park, Seattle, and regional economies. Four Native American tribes use the river for fishing and/or cultural ceremonies, and low-income, immigrant, refugee, and unsheltered families throughout King County harvest seafood from the river for sustenance and to maintain cultural and community traditions. *Click here to read a profile about the neighborhood.

“This volunteer opportunity brought me a deeper/personal perspective of what happens on the ground during a meal program and also from our community’s perspective when there’s reduced resources—staff, volunteers, food items, etc.,” emailed Brenda, who helped with a meal. “Delicious hot food made from scratch with great quality and healthy ingredients for approximately 150–200!”

Maria prepares to-go boxes for meal distribution.

Brenda also thought it was great to learn that Senior Center chefs Theary Ngeth and Lylal Huynh are often able to provide culturally specific foods. “I can only imagine how the elders may have felt when they tasted nutritious hot food made from the ‘heart’,” she continued. “A nutritious meal is a sign of love & respect that is offered through food.”

After her shift, Maria shared, “I’m glad I was able to contribute in my own way. It was a humbling and fulfilling experience.”

The South Park Senior Center typically provides congregate meals to older people in the area. It serves as a convenient place to gather for healthy, low-cost meals, and also supports the social health of attendees through conversations with others and wellness programs offered by the center.

With social distancing guidelines in place, meals and food bags are being prepared to-go, and many more are now delivered. In some cases, a large group of deliveries to the same facility can be coordinated with shuttle buses that would normally be driving participants to the meal program. In other cases, drivers are needed to deliver directly to where people live.

Efren and Arlene pack to-go meals and prepare food bags for delivery

I drove bags with prepared lunches to a half dozen addresses—not just in the surrounding neighborhood but also Othello and Madison Valley. It was a little difficult at first, using my phone for delivery directions. I dropped off meals at houses and apartments, and even a boat at a marina and an RV in SODO. Some recipients were clearly excited to see a friendly face outside their front door. I’m not sure how many people they see on a regular basis while isolating at home under the Governor’s orders, so I made sure to smile and wish them a good afternoon.

“Thank you so much for the assistance,” said Patricia Beth Barker, Program Coordinator at the Senior Center. “We are a small nonprofit serving a few of the hardest hit communities in Seattle. Our seniors thank you!”

For information about senior meal programs or other services for older people, adults with disabilities, and caregivers in Seattle and King County, call Community Living Connections (toll-free 844-348-5464).

City of Seattle Invests More than $7 million in Food Access Programs for Older Adults and People Experiencing Homelessness

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Human Services Will Invest Over $5.4 Million in Food Access Programs for Older Adults; Invest $1.8 Million to Provide Meals for People Experiencing Homelessness

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced that the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) will invest more than $7 million in assistance to local programs that support food access and nutrition for older adults and people experiencing homelessness throughout Seattle and King County. This funding is made possible by federal funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and Families First Coronavirus Response Act. These funds provide additional support for a variety of programs, including meal delivery to older adults and meals in shelters serving people experiencing homelessness.

HSD’s Aging and Disability Services will expand existing food delivery programs and shift to a home delivery program model to facilitate appropriate physical distancing and meet older residents where they are. These home deliveries to particularly vulnerable individuals can serve as wellness checks while maintaining physical distance.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity issues that impact some of our most vulnerable residents, including older adults and people experiencing homelessness. At the City, we need to do everything we can to help vulnerable communities access healthy and affordable meals,” said Mayor Durkan. “The incredible agencies the City of Seattle partners with are committed to meeting the food needs of our community members and closing the gaps in food access. I’m grateful for these agencies and their staff for their work to serve some of Seattle’s most vulnerable communities.”

“My work last week at the West Seattle Food Bank distributing food gave me insight to the enormity of the food access challenge during this crisis. I’m so grateful that food banks and free school lunches are helping children and families, but we know that seniors and those experiencing homelessness need more access. This city’s direct investment of $7 million will ensure older adults and our homeless neighbors don’t go hungry during this pandemic,” said Councilmember Lisa Herbold (District 1, West Seattle & South Park).

“As the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis continues, low-income seniors, unsheltered populations and those who are homebound living in permanent supportive housing are having a hard time affording food or accessing food safely. Our seniors especially are already heavily impacted by the coronavirus, fearing infection while suffering from isolation. They shouldn’t have to worry about having enough to eat. With our community  food banks overstretched for resources, the City is filling the gap by allocating $7 million from the CARES Act directly into food assistance,” said Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide).

The $7 million investment in meal programs for older adults and people experiencing homelessness is appropriated from funds from the recently passed federal CARES Act to directly support the City’s response to COVID-19.

The funding breakdown is as follows:

Over $5.4 Million in Additional Support for Food Access for Older Adults in Seattle and King County

For many years, HSD Aging and Disability Services division has supported programs that provide food and nutrition access for older people, including community and home-delivered meals. The new federal funds support existing programs and new programs that will help the region respond to emergent needs as the pandemic continues.

Congregate Meal Programs – $1.9 million

Congregate (community) meal programs receive $1.9 million to deliver meals for older people.

Congregate meal programs provide nutritious meals, cooked from scratch, at community sites such as senior centers. With COVID-19, congregate meal programs pivoted to a new service model – pickup, delivery and takeout. CARES Act funding allows programs to meet community needs and cover increased staff and delivery costs.

Four people pose for a photo with bags of to-go meals prepared for delivery

Home-delivered meals – $1.2 million

Home-delivered meals programs receive $1.2 million to serve more homebound older adults who are unable to prepare their own food.

HSD Aging and Disability Services division contracts with two agencies that deliver meals to homebound older adults unable to prepare food—Sound Generations, which operates Meals on Wheels, and Lifelong, managing the Chicken Soup Brigade program. These programs support older adults throughout King County and offer meals that meet homebound clients’ dietary needs.

“Meals on Wheels in King County experienced a historic surge in new applications and meal ordering since the pandemic began. 38,205 meals were delivered last month, easily the highest total for April in the last 10 years,” explains Adam Porter, Director of Meals on Wheels at Sound Generations. “With the assistance of additional federal funds supporting Meals on Wheels, we have been able to eliminate the pre-pandemic waitlist and forecast that we will not need to have a waitlist for the rest of 2020. All while meeting the increased need of homebound seniors.”

“Lifelong and our food and nutrition program, Chicken Soup Brigade, have witnessed a sharp decrease in donated food, straining our budget as we purchase the majority of supplies for the meals and grocery bags that we deliver to our homebound, medically vulnerable clients. In April we received 8,000 pounds less in donated items versus previous months. With so much pressure on the supply chain, we are struggling to find vendors to dispense the healthy items our clients need to manage their health from the safety of their homes. The additional funds help close the food access gap,” says Caila Nickerson, Senior Program Manager of Chicken Soup Brigade.

Community Choice Guides –$886,000

Community Choice Guides augmenting meal and short-term grocery delivery receive $886,000.

Agencies employing Community Choice Guides (housing specialists who serve HSD Aging and Disability Services’ Medicaid long-term care clients) have been able to reassign staff to help deliver food from congregate meal sites. They will soon be able to purchase and deliver groceries for clients who need immediate food support.

Supporting Emergent Needs During COVID-19 – $1.45 million

Graphic promoting Community Living Connections and its Toll-Free number

HSD has reserved $1.3 million to support extended home delivery services, plus $150,000 in flexible funds for culturally-relevant groceries that are not available at food banks and pantries. These options will become available soon to address immediate food needs.

Older people, adults with disabilities, and caregivers in Seattle or King County who have questions about food access or any other resource can call Community Living Connections at 1-844-348-5464. All calls to Community Living Connections are free and confidential.

Meals for People Experiencing Homelessness in Seattle – $1.8 million

OPERATION: Sack Lunch (OSL) and FareStart each receive $910,000 in federal funding to provide meals at shelters for people experiencing homelessness in Seattle.

“During COVID-19, OSL has increased its meal production to more than 7,500 nutritionally dense, hot meals per day,” explains Beverly Graham, Executive Director of OPERATION: Sack Lunch. “We are proud to use this additional funding to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness and hunger in our community.”

These funds will provide an additional 2,000 meals per day for people experiencing homelessness and are available for up to six months while shelters are responding to COVID-19.

“A critical part of our mission is to nourish communities,” says FareStart Chief Executive Officer Angela Dunleavy Stowell. “Our meals have become a lifeline to people experiencing homelessness, and this funding enables us to meet the growing demand in these tough times.”

Screen capture of top of COVID-19 Resources web page

The City has also created a comprehensive resource page for residents and small businesses impacted by COVID-19. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.

Following Local Health Directive, City of Seattle Will Provide Face Masks to Vulnerable Communities and Agencies

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image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Following Public Health – Seattle & King County’s local health directive, the City of Seattle will provide over 45,000 free cloth face coverings to vulnerable communities and agencies that support these communities, including people experiencing homelessness, shelter providers and clients, low-income older adults, and food bank staff.

Throughout this COVID-19 crisis, the City and King County have made it a priority to bring supplies to nearly 30 human services agencies, including critically needed items like surgical masks, N95 masks, gowns, face shields, soap, gloves, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies. Today’s announcement of new supplies builds on these efforts, following updated public health guidance that instructs all residents to wear face coverings in indoor public settings and outdoors where social distancing is difficult to maintain.

I’m deeply grateful to our community-based partners for their help making, procuring, and distributing face coverings to our most vulnerable communities. At this unprecedented moment, individuals and businesses should continue innovating, creating, and donating cloth face coverings.

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan

The City’s 45,500 cloth face coverings are sourced from local businesses, including women- and minority-owned businesses and nonprofits. The City will distribute the masks in partnership with community-based organizations that serve immigrants and refugees, older adults, people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness. The City will also distribute masks to food banks and meal providers, including Seattle Public Schools and Meals on Wheels, and the City will reserve a number of masks to distribute at hygiene locations and shelters. Below is a breakdown of where the City plans to distribute these face coverings:

  • 5,500 to affordable housing providers
  • 15,000 to community-based organization
  • 5,000 to food banks
  • 6,000 to meal programs
  • 5,000 to programs serving older adults
  • 7,500 to shelter and hygiene service providers
  • 1,500 to small business

Face coverings will be distributed to homeless service providers in partnership with King County Department of Community and Human Services. Distribution logistics are being finalized and will be shared once that information becomes available.

We like washable face coverings! The Low Income Housing Institute is one of the many frontline organizations providing shelter, housing, and hygiene services to people that are living without a home during this public health crisis. Our staff and clients need to take precautions to make sure we do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Thank you to both the City of Seattle and the generous support from the community in helping make more face coverings available to service providers like us.

Sharon Lee, Executive Director of the Low Income Housing Institute

While the City was able to procure over 45,000 face coverings, in addition to King County’s 115,000, the community need far outweighs what local governments can provide alone. If your agency needs free cloth face coverings, contact the Seattle Mask Brigade at United Way’s Donation Portal, King County Donation Connector, or Washington Mask Challenge. Please feel free to contact Seattle Human Services at HSDCOVIDinfo@seattle.gov if you have specific questions or requests for resources.

The City plans to provide enough face coverings for shelter staff and clients to receive two washable face coverings each, allowing for one to be available when the other is being washed. We look forward to continuing our partnership and we will continue to find additional ways to support the work of community-based organizations in the weeks and months ahead.

In addition, it is critical to note that there are valid reasons why some people can’t wear face coverings – please do not discriminate. If you experience or witness harassment or an act of bias, report it to the Seattle Office for Civil Rights Anti-Bias hotline at 206-233-7100. You can also report online at seattle.gov/reportbias. If it is an emergency, please call 9-1-1 immediately. 

Where to get the most up-to-date public health information 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOH, and PHSKC have issued specific guidance to help communities and businesses prepare. You can find guidance for the general public, schools, workplaces and employers, travelers and health care professionals as well as a more detailed Q&A here.   

HSD Announces Results of Homeless Investments to Serve American Indians/Alaska Natives RFP

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The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to announce the results of the 2020 Homeless Investments to Serve American Indians/Alaska Natives Request for Proposal (RFP) that closed on March 24. The RFP sought applications from agencies interested in providing services for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) homeless individuals.

Homeless Native American man facing camera with blanket on his shoulders
Photo Credit: David Entrikin

This RFP guides the investment of approximately $1M available per Council Budget Action (CBA) HOM-10-B-2 to specifically support this community; and funding is intended to result in permanent housing exits. $395,000 of the $1M is one-time only (2020) funding, and the remaining $605,000 is expected to be renewed in 2021. In addition, a minimum of $375,000 of the $1M must be used for Rapid Re-Housing. This $375,000 is ongoing funding.

HSD received seven applications that were reviewed and rated by a diverse review committee that included American Indians/Alaska Natives and people with lived experience of homelessness. Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, raters reviewed all applications remotely and met via Skype to review their scores.

The rating committee recommended funding multiple proposals from two agencies:

  • Chief Seattle Club
  • United Indians of All Tribes Foundation

The funding will support a number of activities such as Rapid Re-Housing, Homelessness Prevention, Day Center/Diversion services, and Outreach resources.

Located in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square district, Chief Seattle Club provides a safe and sacred place to rest, revive, and nurture the spirit of urban Native people in need. They are proud to serve Native adults 18 years and over, offering two hot meals a day; health and wellness services; housing case management; an art room; computer, internet, and phone access; and personal hygiene resources, all with support of traditional and cultural practices.

“If you’re Native and live in Seattle you are ten times more likely to be homeless; every night there are about 1,100 American Indian/Alaska Natives experiencing homelessness. As a home away from home, our urban Native relatives come to Chief Seattle Club for help, food, and traditional support,” said Colleen Echohawk, Executive Director. The Chief Seattle Club is very proud of its success in reducing barriers before obtaining housing, but that success means “we have greater demand than we have funding; this is an opportunity to make a substantial change through investment.”

United Indians of All Tribes Foundation has been serving urban Natives in Western Washington since 1970, providing an extensive array of culturally responsive services and programming to Seattle and King County’s urban Native community. The organization began as a small group of Northwest Native Americans and their supporters, led by the late Bernie Whitebear, who occupied Fort Lawton to reclaim a land base for the urban Indians living in and around Seattle. A twenty-acre site was eventually secured for this purpose in what is now Discovery Park.

The Foundation’s mission is “to provide educational, cultural and social services that reconnect Indigenous people in the Puget Sound region to their heritage by strengthening their sense of belonging and significance as Native people.”

COVID-19 & Seattle Human Services’ Mission: To connect people with resources and solutions during times of need

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Despite the impacts of the COVID-19 public health crisis, the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department continues to live out its mission: To connect people with resources and solutions during times of need so we can all live, learn, work, and take part in strong, healthy communities. The work the department does has changed dramatically, with many employees stepping up to meet new challenges, volunteering, and working long hours. Here is a recap of what the team has been up to.  

SHELTER 

Homeless Strategies and Investments staff worked around the clock to set up and staff de-intensifying shelters at community centers, Seattle Center, and with youth providers to help create hundreds of safer spaces for people to stay during the crisis. HSI has also opened more shelter capacity through a new tiny house village, expanding an existing village, and opening an enhanced shelter. These new resources account for at least 95 new spaces for people living unsheltered during COVID-19 and beyond.    

The Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault has also been working with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to understand the root cause behind the increase of reported domestic violence and sexual assault cases and make sure survivors have a safe place to go.   

FEEDING 

Food access is a major barrier for the communities we serve during COVID-19. HSD’s Aging and Disability Services division received nearly $5M of emergency federal funding to feed older adults by shifting congregate meal delivery, expanding home-delivered meal programs, and providing flexible funding to fill other feeding gaps.   

The Youth and Family Empowerment division has been coordinating key staff around the department on feeding plans for the City. This week, the Food Task Force submitted a federal application to receive FEMA funding to help provide thousands of food boxes for food banks.  

Image of the Food Resources Map

To help the public locate food resources available during this public health emergency, an interactive map has been developed by HSD staff. The map shows the locations of Food Banks, Meals, and Student To-Go Meals, and can be filtered by status with options to reflect those open, those with limited operations, and those whose status is unknown. 

DIRECT SERVICES  

The direct services the department provides during COVID-19 are even more essential during this crisis.  

Between March and April, Youth and Family Empowerment staff, with Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities, created a web-based self-certification, or “fast-track,” form for the Utility Discount Program (UDP). Income-eligible residential customers can now access heavily discounted utilities by simply signing a short web form that attests to their household income, without having to provide income documentation for each of their household members. This expansion helped increase the UDP’s enrollment by 27%, with staff moving quickly to process nearly 7,000 new applications. This increase shows how important this critical support is for households during these uncertain economic times. 

The Seattle Youth Employment Program team also had to move quickly to transition over 100 youth to online learning. 

Aging and Disability Services case managers in Seattle and Renton, along with partner agencies, completed wellness calls with almost all 12,000 clients. This was a monumental task that helped us clarify which clients were at greatest risk and needed us to triage in-home care for them. Case managers are also helping transition people out of hospital care faster to help limit a surge in hospitalizations.   

The Navigation Team is one of the few remaining outreach teams working in the field. The team has been focused on outreach seven days a week, distributing 1,600 hygiene kits and 1,400 public health flyers, making over 660 site visits, and making close to 3,000 contacts in the field. The team worked closely with people living unsheltered in Ballard during not only COVID-19, but also a hepatis A outbreak, helping to connect people to vaccines and hygiene services.  

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT  

A special thank you to all HSD employees who were re-deployed to support shelter shifts in the City’s de-intensifying shelters at Miller and Garfield community centers, with many covering multiple shifts per week including weekday, weekend, and overnight shifts. 

Jill Watson manages to connect the myriad efforts at HSD with those happening at the Office of Emergency Management, the County, the State and in the provider network. Great job for helping to get much-needed National Guard support for the city!  

And last but not least, a big thank you to Terri Croft, who made hundreds of face masks for HSD employees to use out in the field. Thank you for helping keep us and the people we serve safer.   

City partners with National Guard to meet growing hunger need during COVID-19

by

**Updated 5/6/2020 with translations

Traducción Española

dịch tiếng Việt

中文翻譯 / 中文翻译

한국어 번역

Tarjumaadda Af-Soomaaliga

የአማርኛ ትርጉም

For many communities facing food insecurity, COVID-19 has made a challenging situation even more difficult with meal and food bank programs impacted by the crisis. A number of food banks have reduced hours or their volunteers are not able to come in to help like they did before. Other programs face shortages of food resources.

The City of Seattle is committed to meeting this community need. The Seattle Human Services Department and Office of Sustainability and Environment have been working to find ways to ensure these important food programs can continue to operate during this time of great need in communities across Seattle.

A member of the Washington Air National Guard opens a crate of canned food at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
(U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)

In recent weeks, the City has been working with the National Guard—which can deploy hundreds of servicemembers to help work at food banks and deliver supplies—and service providers to meet this growing need in Seattle and surrounding communities. These servicemembers are often deployed to natural disasters to offer a helping hand. The National Guard is doing just that in Seattle by stepping up to fill in the gaps in our food network. (The City is not directly managing the deployment of the National Guard servicepeople and the support they are providing to food banks was upon request of the service providers).

Food Lifeline, who partners with both Northwest Harvest and Second Harvest organizations, has received the assistance of 252 National Guard members in the past week in its 160,000 square foot distribution center, located in SODO. And starting the week of April 27, the National Guard have been present at 10 food banks, including Solid Ground, a key anti-hunger partner that supports the Seattle Food Bank Network. The National Guard has also assisted in serving meals at Edible Hope at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church near Ballard Commons since April 29. Here is a list of the additional food banks assisted by the National Guard:

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

Placements will continue through May 29, 2020. For more information on food bank locations and operating hours, please visit our Food Resource Interactive Map.

Need more information? 

A member of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)

La ciudad se asocia con la National Guard (Guardia Nacional) para satisfacer las crecientes necesidades alimentarias durante la pandemia del COVID-19

Si vio a personas con uniformes militares alrededor de Seattle la semana pasada, podrían ser miembros de la U.S. National Guard (Guardia Nacional de EE. UU.), que están aquí para ayudar a nuestros bancos de alimentos.

En las últimas semanas, 252 miembros de la U.S. National Guard han estado trabajando en centros de distribución de alimentos, sirviendo comida y ayudando a los bancos de alimentos de toda la ciudad. Debido al impacto del COVID-19, varios bancos de alimentos experimentaron escasez de suministros, redujeron el horario de atención o se enfrentaron a la falta de voluntarios debido al distanciamiento social. Esta situación ha sido difícil para los miembros de la comunidad que dependen de los servicios de esos bancos.

Para ayudar a abordar estos desafíos, la ciudad conectó a la U.S. National Guard con los proveedores de servicios para ayudar con la dotación de personal y la entrega de suministros. Los militares en servicio de la U.S. National Guard (Guardia Nacional de EE. UU.) están ayudando a Food Lifeline, que trabaja en conjunto con Northwest Harvest y Second Harvest a fin de operar su centro de distribución de 160 000 pies cuadrados (14 700 metros cuadrados); atendiendo 10 bancos de alimentos, incluyendo Solid Ground y sirviendo comidas en Edible Hope at St. Lukes en Ballard Commons. Esta es una lista de los bancos de alimentos adicionales a los cuales la National Guard proporcionó asistencia esta semana:

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

Los militares en servicio de la U.S. National Guard estarán aquí hasta el viernes, 29 de mayo. Si los ve, agradézcales por su servicio de ayudar a nuestros vecinos que se enfrentan a una inseguridad alimentaria.

Para obtener más información sobre las ubicaciones de los bancos de alimentos y los horarios de atención, visite el mapa interactivo de recursos alimentarios.

¿Necesita más información?

Thành phố hợp tác với U.S. National Guard để hỗ trợ các ngân hàng thực phẩm (food banks) trong đại dịch COVID-19

Nếu quý vị nhìn thấy những người mặc quân phục quanh Seattle trong tuần qua, họ có thể là U.S. National Guard (Vệ Binh Quốc Gia Hoa Kỳ). Và họ có mặt ở đây để giúp các ngân hàng thực phẩm (food banks) của chúng ta!

Trong các tuần gần đây, 252 thành viên của U.S. National Guard đã làm việc ở các trung tâm phân phát thực phẩm, phục vụ đồ ăn và hỗ trợ các ngân hàng thực phẩm tại nhiều địa điểm trên toàn thành phố. Do tác động của COVID-19, một số ngân hàng thực phẩm đã phải đối mặt với sự thiếu hụt thực phẩm, giảm giờ phục vụ hay thiếu sự hỗ trợ của tình nguyện viên do giãn cách xã hội. Tình hình này gây nhiều khó khăn cho các thành viên cộng đồng phụ thuộc vào dịch vụ của họ.

Để giúp giải quyết những khó khăn đó, thành phố Seattle đã kết nối U.S. National Guard với các nhà cung cấp dịch vụ để giúp bố trí nhân lực và giao đồ tiếp liệu. Các thành viên của U.S. National Guard đang giúp Food Lifeline, là đối tác của cả Northwest Harvest và Second Harvest, vận hành trung tâm phân phát rộng 160,000 foot vuông của họ, bố trí nhân lực ở 10 ngân hàng thực phẩm (xem danh sách dưới đây) và phục vụ các bữa ăn tại Edible Hope at St. Lukes ở Ballard Commons. Sau đây là danh sách các ngân hàng thực phẩm bổ sung được National Guard hỗ trợ trong tuần này:

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

Các thành viên của U.S. National Guard sẽ có mặt tại đây cho đến hết Thứ Sáu, ngày 29 tháng 5. Nếu quý vị thấy họ, hãy cảm ơn họ vì đã giúp đỡ những người hàng xóm đang phải đối mặt với tình trạng mất an ninh lương thực của chúng ta.

Để biết thêm thông tin về các địa điểm ngân hàng thực phẩm và giờ hoạt động, hãy truy cập Bản Đồ Tương Tác Nguồn Thực Phẩm.

Quý vị cần thêm thông tin?

西雅圖市政府在 COVID-19 全球大流行期間與 National Guard（國民警衛隊）合作為食物銀行提供援助

如果您在過去一週曾在西雅圖各地見過穿軍裝的軍人，這些人可能隸屬是 U.S. National Guard（美國國民警衛隊）的人員。他們出現在這裡是為我們的食物銀行提供幫助！

最近幾週，有 252 名 U.S. National Guard（美國國民警衛隊）成員一直在食物配送中心工作，提供食物，並為西雅圖全市各地點的食物銀行提供支援。由於受到 COVID-19 的影響，有幾家食物銀行面臨過食物短缺，工作時間縮短，或者因保持社交距離而缺乏志願者支援。這種情況對於依賴食物銀行服務的社區成員來說十分困難。

為了幫助應對這些挑戰，市政府連結了 U.S. National Guard（美國國民警衛隊）與服務提供者，為人員配備和供應品配送方面提供幫助。U.S. National Guard（美國國民警衛隊）服役人員正在幫助 Food Lifeline，此機構與 Northwest Harvest 和 Second Harvest 均有合作，它有佔地 160,000 平方英尺的配送中心，為 10 個食物銀行, 包括Solid Ground, 配備工作人員（參閱下方列表），並在 Ballard Commons 內的 Edible Hope at St. Lukes 提供餐食。以下為本週 National Guard（國民警衛隊）提供援助的其他食物銀行清單：

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

U.S. National Guard（美國國民警衛隊）服役人員于 5 月 29 日週五之前都會留在這裏爲社區服務。如果您見到他們，請感謝他們為社區食物供应保障所提供的服務。

如需食物銀行地點和營業時間方面的更多資訊，請造訪 Food Resource Interactive Map （食物資源互動式地圖）。

需要更多資訊？

西雅图市政府在 COVID-19 全球大流行期间与 National Guard（国民警卫队）合作为食物银行提供援助

如果您在过去一周曾在西雅图各地见过穿军装的军人，这些人可能隶属是 U.S. National Guard（美国国民警卫队）的人员。他们出现在这里是为我们的食物银行提供帮助！

最近几周，有 252 名 U.S. National Guard（美国国民警卫队）成员一直在食物配送中心工作，提供食物，并为西雅图全市各地点的食物银行提供支援。由于受到 COVID-19 的影响，有几家食物银行面临过食物短缺，工作时间缩短，或者因保持社交距离而缺乏志愿者支援。这种情况对于依赖食物银行服务的社区成员来说十分困难。

为了帮助应对这些挑战，市政府连结了 U.S. National Guard（美国国民警卫队）与服务提供者，为人员配备和供应品配送方面提供帮助。 U.S. National Guard（美国国民警卫队）服役人员正在帮助Food Lifeline，此机构与Northwest Harvest 和Second Harvest 均有合作，它有占地 160,000 平方英尺的配送中心，为 10 个食物银行, 包括Solid Ground, 配备工作人员（参阅下方列表），并在 Ballard Commons 内的 Edible Hope at St. Lukes 提供餐食。以下为本周 National Guard（国民警卫队）提供援助的其他食物银行清单：

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

U.S. National Guard（美国国民警卫队）服役人员于 5 月 29 日周五之前都会留在这里为社区服务。如果您见到他们，请感谢他们为社区食物供应保障所提供的服务。

如需食物银行地点和营业时间方面的更多资讯，请造访 Food Resource Interactive Map （食物资源互动式地图）。

需要更多资讯？

시애틀시,  COVID-19 팬데믹기간동안푸드뱅크지원위해미국주방위군과제휴

지난주 시애틀 곳곳에서 군복을 착용한 군요원을 본 적이 있다면 미국 주 방위군일 수 있습니다. 이분들은 시애틀의 푸드 뱅크에 도움의 손길을 주고자 이곳에 모였습니다!

최근 몇 주 동안 252명의 미국 주 방위군은 식품 유통 센터에서 일하고, 식료품을 제공하며, 시애틀 시 전역에서 푸드 뱅크를 지원하고 있습니다. COVID-19의 여파로 인해 여러 푸드 뱅크가 식료품 부족 사태에 직면하거나, 운영 시간을 축소하거나, 사회적 거리두기로 인해 자원 봉사자의 손길이 역부족인 상태를 겪어 왔습니다. 이러한 상황은 푸드 뱅크 서비스에 의존하는 지역사회 구성원들에게 힘든 시간이었습니다.

시애틀 시는 이러한 문제를 해결하기 위해 미국 주 방위군과 서비스 제공업체를 연결해 인력 배치 및 공급품 전달을 지원했습니다.  미국 주 방위군 요원들은 Northwest Harvest(노스웨스트 하비스트) 및 Second Harvest(세컨드 하비스트) 양측과 제휴한 Food Lifeline(푸드 라이프라인)이 16만 스퀘어피트(약 15000제곱미터)의 유통 센터를 운영하도록 지원하며, Solid Ground를 포함한 푸드 뱅크 10곳(아래 목록 참조)에 인력을 배치하고, Ballard Commons(발라드 커먼스) 내 Edible Hope at St. Lukes에서 식사를 대접하고 있습니다. 이번 주 주 방위군에서 지원한 추가 푸드 뱅크 목록은 다음과 같습니다.

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

미국 주 방위군 요원은 5월 29일 금요일까지 시애틀에 상주할 예정입니다. 군요원을 보시면 식량 부족을 겪고 있는 우리 이웃에게 도움의 손길을 제공하는 이 분들의 노고에 감사의 인사를 전해 주십시오.

푸드 뱅크 위치 및 운영 시간에 대한 자세한 사항은 Food Resource Interactive Map(식료품 지원처 대화형 지도)을 참조해 주시기 바랍니다.

추가 정보가 필요하신가요?

Magaaladu waxay iskaashi la samaynaysaa National Guard (Illaalada Qaranka) si aan u buuxino baahida gaajada sii kordhaysa inta lagu jiro aafada COVID-19

Haddii aad aragtay dad qaba direeska ciidamada oo jooga aagaga Seattle asbuucaan lasoo dhaafay, waxay noqon karaan U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka). Waxayna halkaan u joogaan inay caawiyaan kaydadkeena cuntada!

Asbuucyadii lasoo dhaafay, 252 xubnood oo kamid ah U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka) ayaa ka shaqaynaayay xarumaha cuntada qaybiya, ayagoo bixinaayay cuntada, taageero siinayana bakhaarada cuntada ee ku yaalo daafaha Magaalada. Sabab la xariirta saamaynta cudurka COVID-19, tiro badan oo kaydadka cuntada ah waxaa ku yaraatay cuntada, waxay yareeyeen saacadahooda shaqada, ama waxay waayeen taageerada dadka iska wax u qabso kushaqeeya sabab la xariirta amarka kala fogaanshaha dadka. Xaalada ayaa ahayd mid ku adag xubnaha bulshada ee ku tiirsanaa adeegyadooda.

Si wax looga qabto xaaladahaan, magaalada ayaa la xariirtay U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka) si ay ugu caawiyaan adeeg bixiyaal gacan ka gaysta shaqaalaha iyo bixinta cuntada. Xubnaha ciidanka U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka) ayaa gacan siinaaya Food Lifeline, oo iskaashi la leh labadaba Northwest Harvest iyo Second Harvest, si ay u maamulaan xarunteeda cunto qaybinta ee 160,000 ee iskuweer ah, ayagoo shaqaale u noqonaaya 10 xarumood oo cuntooyin qaybinaaya (liiska hoose arag), cuntooyina ka qaybinaaya aagaga Edible Hope at St. Lukes oo ka shaqaysa Ballard Commons. Halkaan waxaad ka helaysaa liiska kaydadka cuntada ee dheeraadka ah ee ay gurmadka siinayaan ciidanka U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka) asbuucaan:

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

Xubnaha ciidanka U.S. National Guard (Ilaalada Qaranka Maraykanka) ayaa shaqadaan sii wadi doona illaa Jimcada, Maayo 29. Haddii aad aragto, uga mahad celi adeegooda ay ku caawinayaan dariskeena wajahaaya cunto yarida.

Wixii xog dheeraad ah oo ku saabsan goobaha cuntooyinka lagu qaybinaayo iyo saacadaha ay shaqaynayaan, fadlan booqo Food Resource Interactive Map (Qariirada Baraha Cuntada Laga bixinaayo).

Ma u baahan tahay Macluumaad dheeri ah?

ከተማዉበCOVID-19 ወቅት የምግብ ባንኮችን ለመደገፍ ከዩኤስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ  ጋር አብሯል

ባለፈው ሳምንት በSeattle አካባቢ ሰዎች የወታደራዊ ደንብ ልብስ ለብሰው ካዩ፣ የU.S. National Guard (ዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ)ሊሆን ይችላል። እነሱ የምግብ ባንኮቻችንን ለመርዳት በዚህ አሉ!

በቅርብ ሳምንታት፣ 252 የ U.S. National Guard (ዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ) አባላት ምግብ በሚያከፋፍሉ ማዕከላት፣ ምግብ የማቅረብ፣ እና የምግብ ባንኮችን የመደገፍ ስራ በከተማው ሁሉ እየሰሩ ነበር። በ COVID-19 ተጽዕኖ የተነሳ በርካታ የምግብ ባንኮች የምግብ እጥረት፣ የስራ ሰዓታቸው መቀነስ፣ ወይም በማህበራዊ ርቀት ምክንያት የበጎ ፈቃደኞች የድጋፍ እጥረት አጋጥሟቸዋል። ይህ ሁኔታ በእነዚህ አገልግሎቶች ላይ ለሚደገፉ የማህበረሰቡ አባላት አስቸጋሪ ሆኗል።

እነዚህን ተግዳሮቶች ለመቀልበስ እንዲረዳ፣ ከተማው U.S. National Guard (ዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ) በሰራተኛ እና አቅራቦት በማድረስ ለመርዳት ከአገልግሎት አቅራቢዎች ጋር አገናኝቷል። U.S. National Guard (ዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ) የአገልግሎት አባላት Food Lifeline  ከሁለቱም Northwest Harvest እና Second Harvest ጋር በጥምረት እየረዱ ነው ፣  , የ160,000 ስኩዌር ጫማ ማዕከሉን ለማንቀሳቀስ፣ 10 የምግብ ባንኮችን ሰራተኛ ማቅረብ ፣ Solid Ground ጭምር፣ እና በ Ballard Commons Edible Hope at St. Lukes ውስጥ  ምግቦችን ማቅረብ። በዚህ ሳምንት በብሔራዊ ጥበቃ የሚታገዙ ተጨማሪ የምግብ ባንኮች ዝርዝር ይኸው፦

Members of the Washington Air National Guard closes an emergency food box packed at the Food Lifeline temporary site in Seattle, Wash. on April 21, 2020. Members of the Washington Air and Army National Guard are supporting food banks around the state during the COVID-19 pandemic response. (U.S. National Guard photo by Joseph Siemandel)
  • Byrd Barr Place
  • St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown
  • White Center Food Bank
  • Queen Anne Food Bank
  • Salvation Army – Capitol Hill
  • Ballard Food Bank
  • West Seattle Food Bank
  • Puget Sound Labor Agency
  • U District Food Bank
  • Solid Ground

የ U.S. National Guard (ዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ብሔራዊ ጥበቃ) አገልግሎት አባላት እስከ አርብ ሜይ 29 ድረስ እዚህ ይኖራሉ። ካያችኋቸው ጎረቤቶቻችን ለሚጋፈጡት የ ምግብ ደህንነት አለመጽናት የሚሰጡት ድጋፍ ያመስግኗቸው።

ስለምግብ ባንክ ቦታዎች እና ስራ ሰዓቶች የበለጠ መረጃ, እባክዎን ይህንን ይጎብኙ Food Resource Interactive Map (የምግብ ሃብት ግንኙነት ካርታ)።

የበለጠ መረጃ ይፈልጋሉ?

Update: Continuing to Expand Access to Hygiene Resources and Deploying Rapid Response Teams

by

image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Last week, the City of Seattle and The Seattle Public Library (SPL) announced the re-opening of restrooms at five library locations, providing additional vital hygiene resources to people living unsheltered. To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the City continues to increase access to hygiene facilities and work in partnership with Public Health  –  Seattle & King County to interrupt COVID-19 transmission among those experiencing homelessness.  

More Re-Opened Restroom Facilities

The restrooms at the following Library locations will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday:  

  • Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W. 
  • Beacon Hill Branch, 2821 Beacon Ave. S.  
  • University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way N.E. 
  • Capitol Hill Branch, 425 Harvard Ave. E. 
  • Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave. 

No other services will be offered in those buildings when the restrooms are open. Locations will be staffed with security personnel, custodial workers, and libraries staff. To help prevent further spread of COVID-19, Library branches will employ social distancing protocols, ask patrons to complete a brief COVID-19 health screener prior to entering the building, and will limit the number of individuals permitted in the building for restroom use at a time. The restrooms will be regularly cleaned in accordance with guidance from Public Health – Seattle & King County.  

We are living through an unprecedented time and over the past weeks we have worked to aggressively stand up resources to support our unsheltered neighbors. Our city employees are supportive, taking on positions in new shelter spaces, childcare facilities, food delivery and more. I am grateful to lead this generous City with the best employees, who continue to giveback to our residents most in need during times of crisis. We will continue to build on these resources to keep all of Seattle’s communities safe.

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan

Rapid Response in Homeless Shelters Can Help Limit Spread of COVID-19

People who cannot safely self-isolate at home usually have less access to the resources needed to stay healthy, a challenge exacerbated by the current pandemic. For this reason, preventing and slowing the spread of COVID-19 within people living homeless continues to be a high priority in our pandemic response.

The COVID-19 homelessness response is a collaboration between Public Health, King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) and the City of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) working closely with homeless service providers. This includes shelters, day centers, permanent supportive housing sites, health care providers, jail release coordination, outreach workers, nurses in shelters and permanent supportive housing. We’re grateful to the many homeless services and behavioral health staff and providers who are essential workers at this time.

Starting early in the outbreak in King County, Public Health worked with homeless services providers to give guidance to prevent outbreaks before there were cases. Since that time, we have continued to provide information on infection control and prevention in briefings to 200+ providers each week.

We’ve also deployed clinical support teams to homeless services sites to provide guidance on sanitation and hygiene as well as recommended spacing in facilities. These teams also help to coordinate needed disinfection and hygiene supplies through a centralized order and distribution process.

Establishing a National Model for Containing the Spread of COVID-19

Two research articles published on April 22 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe how multi-disciplinary teams deployed by Public Health are helping homeless shelters to protect their residents and staff.

Public Health deploys rapid response teams to homeless service sites where there is a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 or a suspected cluster based on people with symptoms of COVID-19. These multi-disciplinary teams assess the level of current illness, assess the risk of further contagion, and connect service providers and residents with resources to identify illness and prevent further spread.

Each of these teams has an environmental health staff person who assesses the facility and provides recommendations to reduce risk, such as procedures to support adequate social distancing and infection control measures. In addition, clinical team members provide education on COVID-19, screen residents and staff for symptoms, facilitate testing of exposed residents and staff, provide access to resources such as thermometers and surgical masks, and make referrals to the county’s Isolation and Quarantine facilities and Assessment and Recovery Centers.

For additional testing, a separate Mobile Assessment Team or testing team from a partner organization is available to deploy to sites, based on the specific needs at each location. In the past month, approximately 1,500 residents and staff have been tested at facilities that have had at least one positive case of COVID-19.

Since February, Public Health has been proactively reaching out to sites without any confirmed or suspected illnesses, providing technical advice on infection control and social distancing. These assessments support facilities in accessing hygiene supplies such as wipes, masks and cleaning products through a shared warehouse ordering process.

For details on King County’s coordinated response to limit the harm of COVID-19 among people living homeless, see “Action Steps: Supporting King County residents experiencing homelessness.”