Está abierta la inscripción al programa de ayuda económica de $2.17 millones para los trabajadores del sector turístico afectados por la COVID-19

January 18, 2021 by Michael Taylor-Judd

Seattle (11 de enero de 2021) – La alcaldesa Jenny A. Durkan anunció este lunes que ya se encuentra disponible un fondo de $2.17 millones para brindar ayuda con dinero en efectivo a los hospitality workers (trabajadores del sector turístico) que viven y trabajan en Seattle y han perdido sus empleos o parte de sus ingresos debido a la COVID-19. Las personas que necesiten asistencia pueden visitar este sitio web para saber si reúnen los requisitos para solicitar estos recursos. Esta financiación forma parte del anuncio realizado en diciembre por la alcaldesa y el Concejo Municipal para ofrecer una nueva ayuda económica de hasta $5 millones a las pequeñas empresas y los trabajadores del sector turístico afectados por las últimas restricciones debido la COVID-19. Más de un millón de personas han obtenido beneficios por desempleo en el estado de Washington desde que comenzó la pandemia. Solo en Seattle, más de 600 restaurantes y bares han tenido que cerrar de manera permanente debido a la pandemia.

“En Washington así como en el resto de los estados, muchos trabajadores perdieron sus empleos y debieron enfrentar severos cambios en sus vidas. De hecho, más de un millón de personas han obtenido beneficios por desempleo en el estado de Washington desde que comenzó la pandemia. Únicamente en Seattle, las pequeñas empresas de mayor preferencia, que incluyen a más de 600 restaurantes y bares, han tenido que cerrar sus puertas de manera permanente”, afirmó la alcaldesa Durkan. “Estas subvenciones de emergencia están pensadas para brindar un sustento a los trabajadores del sector turístico más afectados recientemente. Si bien constituyen una ayuda necesaria, en última instancia, el Congreso debe aprobar un paquete de ayuda para los trabajadores afectados por la COVID-19 que realmente satisfaga las necesidades específicas en nuestras comunidades. Cada día que pasa sin que se tomen medidas, hay más pequeñas empresas que cierran sus puertas definitivamente y hay más trabajadores que pierden sus puestos de trabajo”.

El Human Services Department (HSD, Departamento de Servicios Humanos) de la ciudad de Seattle firmó un convenio con Wellspring Family Services para administrar y distribuir el fondo de $2.17 millones en ayuda con dinero en efectivo, en colaboración con el Seattle Hospitality Emergency Fund (Fondo de emergencia para la industria hotelera y gastronómica en Seattle) destinado a trabajadores del sector turístico. Mediante este fondo, los trabajadores del sector turístico que han sufrido problemas económicos por la pérdida del empleo o la reducción de sus ingresos debido a la COVID-19 pueden ser elegibles para recibir hasta $2000 por familia. Una persona podría recibir $1000, con un monto adicional de $200 por cada familiar a cargo, hasta un máximo de $2000 por familia. Para reunir los requisitos de inscripción, los beneficiarios elegibles deben haber sido despedidos, o bien estar enfrentando una reducción de las horas de trabajo en la industria hotelera y gastronómica, y ganar menos del 60 % del area median income (AMI, ingreso promedio del área). Los solicitantes deben residir en Seattle y haber trabajado en una empresa del sector turístico en Seattle. Esta condición puede incluir franquicias o cadenas ubicadas en Seattle con sede central en otro lugar. Los trabajadores temporales o independientes quedan excluidos de este programa, pero los conductores de entrega a domicilio de restaurantes y bares son elegibles. Una vez determinada la elegibilidad, se llevará a cabo un proceso de selección ponderado que priorizará a los solicitantes que tengan familiares a cargo y ganen menos del 50 % del AMI. Para obtener más información e inscribirse, visite esta página y comuníquese con Wellspring.

Photo of closed and boarded up Oddfellow Cafe on Capitol Hill — *Photo by Nick Bolton on Unsplash*

Wellspring ha brindado ayuda a los miembros de la comunidad del área de Seattle en situaciones de crisis desde 1892. Según Nawiishtunmi Nightgun, Directora de Servicios de Vivienda de Wellspring, “cuando las personas no cuentan con una red de seguridad, Wellspring actúa como un acompañante y facilitador de recursos. Cuando comenzó la pandemia, tuvimos que ampliar nuestros servicios esenciales para asistir a personas y familias durante estas circunstancias económicas extremas”. Wellspring ha trabajado desde marzo junto a colaboradores de la comunidad en los condados de King, Pierce y Snohornish para brindar casi $10 millones en asistencia financiera a personas y familias afectadas por la crisis de la COVID-19.

También resulta útil conocer las leyes y normas laborales de Seattle que ofrecen protecciones a los trabajadores para atravesar estos tiempos difíciles. Estas protecciones incluyen la obligación de un exempleador a pagar la totalidad de la remuneración adeudada al trabajador (como liquidación final), además del acumulado y el uso de licencia paga por enfermedad y asuntos de seguridad, debido a ausencias por enfermedad (entre otras), cuando la persona vuelve a trabajar. Para obtener más información sobre estos derechos y otras cuestiones, visite el sitio web de la Office of Labor Standards (Oficina de Normas Laborales).

Los residentes y las empresas pueden encontrar una lista de los recursos de asistencia por la COVID-19 y las políticas vigentes en este sitio web.

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COVID-19 팬데믹으로 인해 타격을 받은 접객업 종사자들을 대상으로 최대 217만 달러의 직접 현금 지원 신청 개시

January 15, 2021 by Michael Taylor-Judd

시애틀(2021년 01월 11일) – 시장 Jenny A. Durkan은 지난 월요일 시애틀에 거주하며 COVID-19로 직장이나 소득원을 상실한 hospitality worker(접객업 종사자들)을 대상으로 최대 217만 달러까지 직접 현금 지원을 제공하겠다고 발표했습니다. 지원이 필요한 근로자들은 이 웹사이트에서 지원금 신청 자격 여부를 확인할 수 있습니다. 이번 지원금은 시장과 시의회가 12월에 발표한 바와 같이 최근 COVID-19에 따른 제약으로 인해 타격을 받은 소상공인과 접객업 종사자들을 대상으로 최대 500만 달러까지 추가로 지원하겠다는 새로운 재정 지원 계획의 일환입니다. 팬데믹이 시작된 이후 워싱턴주에서 100만 명 이상의 사람들이 실업 수당을 받았습니다. 시애틀만 해도 팬데믹으로 인해 600여 곳의 레스토랑과 바가 사업을 접어야만 했습니다.

시장 Durkan은 “워싱턴주는 물론 미국 전역에서 수많은 사람들이 직장을 잃고 생계에 엄청난 타격을 받았습니다. 팬데믹이 발발한 이후로 워싱턴주에서는 100만 명 이상의 근로자들이 실업 수당을 받았습니다. 시애틀만 해도 600여 곳의 레스토랑 및 바를 비롯해서 많은 사람들의 사랑을 받던 소상공인들이 폐업을 하게 되었습니다.”라고 밝혔습니다. 더불어, “이번 긴급 지원금은 가장 최근에 영향을 받은 접객업 종사자들에게 조금이라도 숨통을 트이게 해 주기 위한 노력입니다. 이번 지원금은 필수 지원이기는 하지만, 궁극적으로 의회는 지역사회 요구의 규모에 실제로 적합한 COVID-19 근로자 구호 패키지를 최종 통과시켜야만 합니다. 하루하루 시간이 흐르는데도, 의회는 조치를 취하지 않고 있으며, 이로 인해 폐업 신청을 하는 영세사업장은 늘고 있고, 더 많은 근로자들은 일자리를 잃고 있습니다.”라고 덧붙였습니다.

시애틀시의 Human Services Department(HSD, 사회복지부)는 접객업 종사자들을 위해 Seattle Hospitality Emergency Fund(시애틀 접객업 긴급 기금)와 협력하여 최대 217만 달러의 직접 현금 지원을 시행 및 배포하기 위해 Wellspring Family Services와 계약을 체결했습니다. 이번 기금을 통해 COVID-19로 인해 직장이나 소득원을 상실하여 경제적인 타격을 입은 접객업 종사자들은 한 가구당 최대 2천 달러의 지원금을 받을 수 있습니다. 1인당 1천 달러와 부양가족 1인당 추가 200달러를 받을 수 있으며 한 가구당 최대 2천 달러까지 지원됩니다. 접객업 종사자로서 해고를 당했거나 근무 시간이 축소되는 바람에 소득이 area median income(AMI, 지역 평균 소득)의 60% 미만 수준으로 감소한 경우 이번 지원 대상에 해당됩니다. 신청인은 시애틀 주민이어야 하며 시애틀의 접객 업체에서 근무해 온 이력이 있어야 합니다. 본사가 다른 지역에 있더라도 시애틀에 프랜차이즈나 체인점이 있는 접객 업체도 포함됩니다. 임시 근로자는 지원 대상은 아니지만, 레스토랑이나 바의 배달 기사들은 지원 대상에 포함됩니다. 지원 자격에 부합하는 신청인들 중에서 부양가족이 있으며 소득이 AMI의 50% 미만인 신청인이 우선 지급 대상으로 선별됩니다. 자세한 정보 및 신청을 원하시면 이 페이지에서 Wellspring에 대해 확인하십시오.

Wellspring은 1892년부터 시애틀 지역의 위기에 처한 지역사회 구성원들을 지원해 왔습니다. Wellspring의 주택 서비스 담당 Nawiishtunmi Nightgun 국장은 “시민들을 위한 안전망이 전혀 없을 때, Wellspring은 시민들을 돕기 위한 지원을 모색하는 지원군 역할을 하고 있습니다. 팬데믹으로 인한 심각한 경제 상황 속에서 개인은 물론 가족들에게 제공되는 필수적인 서비스를 확대하는 것이 옳다고 판단했습니다.”라고 했습니다. 지난 3월부터 Wellspring은 킹, 피어스 및 스노호미시 카운티의 지역사회 파트너들과 협력하여 COVID-19 위기로 타격을 입은 개인 및 가족들에게 거의 1천 만 달러의 재정 지원을 제공해 왔습니다.

주의 : 응용 프로그램 및 정보에 대한 웹 페이지는 영어로만 제공됩니다. 불편을 드려 죄송합니다.

시애틀의 근로기준법은 근로자들이 이렇게 어려운 시기를 헤쳐나가는 데 알아두면 유용할 만한 근로자 보호 관련 기준을 규정하고 있습니다. 해당 보호 기준에는 근로자의 이전 고용주가 지불해야 하는 모든 보상(최종 임금 등)을 제공하고, 해당 근로자가 업무에 복귀할 때 질병 등으로 인한 결근에 대해 유급 병가 및 안전 휴가를 누적으로 적용하라는 요건이 포함됩니다. 이러한 근로자의 권리 등에 대한 자세한 정보는 Office of Labor Standards(노동 기준 담당국) 웹사이트를 참조하십시오.

주민 여러분과 사업장은 이 웹사이트에서 기존 COVID-19 구호책 및 정책 목록을 확인하실 수 있습니다.

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面向受 COVID-19 影響的招待業工作者的 $217 萬直接現金援助開放申請

January 15, 2021 by Michael Taylor-Judd

西雅圖（2021 年 01 月 11 日）——在星期一，市長 Jenny A. Durkan 宣布，$217 萬的直接現金援助現已啟動，適用對象為在西雅圖生活和工作並由於 COVID-19 而失業或損失收入的 hospitality workers（招待業工作者）。需要援助的人可以造訪此網站，瞭解他們是否符合資格以及申請資源。此資助是市長和市議會 12 月公告的一部分，此公告宣布了為受到最近 COVID-19 限制影響的小型企業和招待業工作者提供高達 $500 萬的新經濟援助。自疫情開始後，在華盛頓州已經有逾 100 萬人領取了失業福利。僅在西雅圖，超過 600 家餐廳和酒吧已因為疫情被迫永久關閉。

市長 Durkan 說：「在全國和華盛頓州，有許多人失去了工作，他們的生計受到了嚴重的擾亂——自疫情開始後，在華盛頓州已經有逾 100 萬人領取了失業福利。僅在西雅圖，我們最愛的小型企業已被迫永久關門停業，這包括超過 600 家餐廳和酒吧。這些緊急補助旨在為最近受影響的招待業工作者提供重要援助。雖然這些補助是必要的輔助工具，但最終國會必須通過能實際滿足我們社區需求規模的 COVID-19 工作者救濟方案。這項行動每延遲一天，就會有更多小型企業永久關閉，更多員工失業。」

西雅圖市的 Human Services Department（HSD，人類服務部）已與 Wellspring Family Services 簽約，與 Seattle Hospitality Emergency Fund（西雅圖招待業緊急基金）合作為招待業工作者管理和分發 217 萬的直接現金援助。透過此基金，因 COVID-19 造成的失業或收入損失而身處經濟困境的招待業工作者，可能有資格接受每家庭最多 $2,000 的補助。個人可以接受 $1,000，每名受撫養人可接受額外 $200，每個家庭最多 $2,000。合格的接受者必須要麼被裁員，要麼是在招待業工作，但工時減少，並且工資低於 area median income（AMI，地區平均收入）才能符合資格。申請人必須在西雅圖生活，並且已在西雅圖的一家招待業企業工作。這可能包括總部在其他地方，但加盟店或連鎖店位於西雅圖的企業。零工工作者不符合資格，但餐廳或酒吧的送貨司機符合資格。確定資格後，將進入一套權衡選拔流程，優先考慮有受撫養人和收入低於 50% AMI 的申請人。若想瞭解更多並且申請，請造訪此頁面並聯絡 Wellspring。

Wellspring 自 1892 年起便一直幫助西雅圖地區內處於危機中的社區成員們。根據 Wellspring 住房服務主任 Nawiishtunmi Nightgun 的說法：「當人們沒有安全網時，Wellspring 便作為同伴和資源導覽員介入。在疫情出現後，我們擴大基本服務的觸及範圍，以幫助處於這些嚴峻經濟情況下的個人和家庭，是合乎情理的。」自 3 月份以來，Wellspring 已經與 King、Pierce 和 Snohomish 縣的社區合作夥伴協作，向受到 COVID-19 危機影響的個人與家庭提供了將近 $1,000 萬的經濟援助。

注意：該應用程序和信息的網頁僅以英文顯示。不便之處，敬請原諒。

西雅圖的勞工標準法律為工作者提供保護，這些資訊在工作者渡過這段困難時期可能有所幫助。這些保護包括要求個人的前雇主支付拖欠他們的所有薪酬（包括最終工資），並且當個人返回工作時，可累積和使用因病缺勤的帶薪病假和安全假（等等）。有關這些權利和其他權利的更多資訊，請造訪 Office of Labor Standards（勞工標準辦公室）網站。

居民和企業可以在這個網站上找到現有的 COVID-19 救濟資源和政策列表。

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What a Year! Thank you.

December 30, 2020 by Michael Taylor-Judd

*UDP Enrollment numbers were updated after publication.

As 2020 comes to a close, I hope you and your loved ones are healthy and as well as one can be in what has surely been one of the more challenging years we have faced as a department. Back in January, we already knew that “change” would be a theme this year.

One of the city’s top priorities for the year was to help stand-up and launch the new King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA). For HSD, this included transitioning our Homeless Strategy and Investment division staff and contracts to a co-location space with their County peers and development of a staffing plan.

While that work has been underway all year, little did we know at the start of 2020 that a global pandemic like nothing seen in at least a century was already underway. Not only did that slow the progress of this work, it lead to most employees shifting to work from home, being reassigned, and changing work plans. Plus significant impacts to our economy and unimaginable changes to how each of us conduct our daily lives.

With homelessness response transitioning to the KCRHA, our department planned to spend much of the year redefining how it exists within the human services space. HSD planned to work with staff, service providers, and clients to co-create a roadmap for the future. This work launched in February with an understanding that race and social justice should underpin everything that we were going to talk about. The public health crisis forced us to pause that work almost immediately. Little did we know the paradigm shift coming in the summer as the support for Black Lives Matter took on new meaning for our general society and millions more people “awoke” to the understanding that it’s time to rethink how we spend our tax dollars and how our governments respond to the needs of the community.

Human Services Department (HSD) staff and our community partners have been a part of the front-line response to COVID-19, pivoting programs and rising to the many challenges to help those most in need. I am deeply proud of the work we have accomplished together during this crisis. Our 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 took on a much greater sense of urgency in 2020, even as we managed our ongoing work.

COVID-19:

In March, HSD’s Data, Performance, and Evaluation (DPE) team built an interactive map of food bank and meal programs operating in Seattle and King County. It is available to the public and provides up-to-date details for these resources. To date, the site has over 34,000 views and is updated on a regular schedule.
HSD successfully redeployed approximately 130 employees throughout the department to fulfill mission priority work related to food distribution, set-up of emergency shelters in City-owned buildings, and shelter staffing support including overnight shifts. Staff also provisioned over $600,000 in PPE, sanitation supplies, and to-go food distribution supplies for emergency feeding providers.
HSD helped our community partners respond to the pandemic by supporting multiple capital projects: including construction of three new childcare facilities to support families with low-incomes, relocation of the ROOTS youth shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic, and supporting relocation and expansion of the Ballard Food Bank facility.
Our staff oversaw the implementation of two rounds of CDBG and ESG CARES Act emergency funding, working across six departments and the Mayor’s office to maximize impact, and managed 10 new COVID response funding sources totaling almost $50M of increased budget to aid in the City’s pandemic response.
Over $8M in state and federal funds was awarded to providers for COVID response to BIPOC communities, free and reduced lunch students, people experiencing homelessness, and more, working with partners like the National Guard and the United Way of King County.

Preparing Youth for Success:

A new public awareness campaign was launched in partnership with The Vida Agency – “Be Ready. Be Hydrated. / Prepárate. Hidrátate.” – which promoted healthy choices to counter sugary beverage marketing tactics aimed at youth of color. It was funded by the Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax.
Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) developed a Summer Virtual Job Readiness Program pilot for over 200 youth in collaboration with Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle Police Department. The workshops included teambuilding, time management, problem solving, growth mindset, resumé and cover letter writing, interviewing, and certifications in First Aid/CPR and Food Handling. Participants earned a stipend of up to $599.

Supporting Affordability and Livability:

11,137 households were enrolled in the Utility Discount Program (UDP) through the COVID-19 online self-certification form through 1/03/21. The total number of households benefiting from UDP now exceeds over 40,000.

Promoting Public Health:

The nationally-recognized Mobile Integrated Health Program partnership increased the service area for Health One and now allows any Seattle Fire unit to make a referral.

Addressing Homelessness:

HSD provided additional funds to our homeless service providers through an emergency funding process to support unanticipated costs due to COVID-19. We funded shelter programs, day/hygiene centers, and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) sites. These funds allowed for program modification and physical layout of program spaces to be COVID-compliant.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early March through September, HSD’s Navigation Team engaged over 2,300 individuals experiencing homelessness, made over 670 site visits for outreach, conducted over 1,650 encampment litter/debris pickups, and made over 610 shelter referrals.
The Navigation Team had over 5,400 conversations about COVID-19 with people experiencing homelessness, provided over 2,600 hygiene kits, distributed over 2,300 COVID-19 and Hepatitis A related public health fliers, and handed out over 1,100 boxed meals.
Over five days of outreach in September during the wildfire smoke emergency, Navigation Team System Navigators conducted 217 needs assessments, distributed 219 emergency shelter flyers, provided 178 basic needs items, made 32 referrals into the emergency smoke shelter and 30 referrals into other City-funded shelter programs.

KCRHA:

Three governance committees for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) have been formed: Governing Committee (GC); Implementation Board (IB), and; Continuum of Care (CoC) Board. This included hiring Lived Experience (LE) Coalition staff, Johnathan Hemphill, to support the LE representatives at all levels of the governance structure. Joint meetings/trainings were also conducted focusing on racial justice.
The new regional homelessness authority also established operational functions to support KCRHA employees and business operations (e.g. retirement, accounting and payroll services, insurance, and health benefits) and initiated recruitment for a CEO, including a final job description announcement and recruitment packet.

Promoting Healthy Aging:

Early on in 2020, HSD was tasked with creating an action plan to manage the impacts of the pandemic on the vulnerable communities we work with. Aging and Disability Services division staff increased nutrition services by expanding delivery and mobile options to meet growth due to COVID and provided new guidelines and other support for our community provider network. Staff also pivoted in-home supports, offering online and telephonic services that helped keep over 12,000 community long-term care clients safe.
Staff also supported social and civic engagement by moving Age Friendly Seattle programs online, creating a weekly virtual event series, coordinating a variety of other special events, and establishing an Aging King County YouTube channel featuring event recordings with closed captioning.

Supporting Safe Communities:

Young woman dressed in purple with a purple witch's hat on her head

As part of our Domestic Violence Awareness Month social media campaign, and to take advantage of a rare fifth #PurpleThursday in October, our staff and friends decided to join with some other DV awareness programs around the country in also promoting a Purple Pumpkin decorating challenge. Here are some of the results.
As Mayor Jenny A. Durkan said recently, this year also brought “a civil rights reckoning that demanded our city address systemic injustices in policing, housing, health care, and education.” Because of changes to how our City addresses Public Safety, the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (MODVSA) recently welcomed 13 colleagues from the Seattle Police Department to be part of the Crime Survivor Services Unit.

The Crime Survivor Services Unit’s focus is victim advocacy, providing immediate support to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, child abuse, violent crimes, and homicides. In addition, MODVSA also welcomed five new MSW Interns who are working with the MODVSA Manager on investment, program, and policy research.
This new unit within the MODVSA, as well as the Office itself, will be part of something new in 2021, as HSD staff work through feedback gathered at the community forum series we recently held to help stand up its new Safe and Thriving Communities Division. This new division will respond to community requests for the City of Seattle to shift funding away from traditional police response and reinvest in community building efforts using nearly $22 million in annual investments.

As we look to 2021, we know that much of the public health response will continue for some time. We also know the challenging work we planned for this year will need to resume in the months to come.

Please join me in celebrating these tremendous contributions toward our department results. Thank you for continuing to rise to the challenge of making a positive difference in people’s lives!

Your Partner,

Jason Johnson,
Acting Director

The City of Seattle can Help Pay Your Electric and Utility Bills

December 28, 2020 by Michael Taylor-Judd

COVID-19 has affected Seattle residents in many ways. Many people, including older adults and families, are facing tough times due to job loss.

The City of Seattle can help people who are struggling to pay their electricity and utilities bills. Eligible households can enroll in the City of Seattle’s Utility Discount Program (UDP), which offers a 60% discount on Seattle City Light bills and a 50% discount on Seattle Public Utilities bills.

To be eligible, your pre-tax household income must be at or below 70% of the state’s median income. (The “median income” value is used by many programs to determine income eligibility. In 2021, a four-person household may earn up to $5,996 per month or an annual income of $71,952 before taxes or other deductions.)

UDP Application Process

• Complete the online enrollment form at this website.

The form is in English. For language support, please call to speak to a representative.

• Your application will be reviewed and processed. If your application meets the eligibility requirements, your household will be enrolled.

The response email or letter may be in English.

• The discount may take up to two billing cycles to appear on your bills.

• Customers approved for receiving the discount will need to renew their application with income documentation six months after their approval date.

If you receive a call, email and/or postcard stating you need to contact our office to renew your application, please call 206-684-0268 to speak to a representative. Interpretation services are available. You do not need to complete another online application form.

If you have questions about UDP enrollment or would like assistance, call or e-mail UDP@Seatttle.gov. If you need an interpreter, please request one when you call, and please tell the operator what language you need interpretation for. There may be a slight wait time to connect to an interpreter.

You can find additional information, including more detailed eligibility requirements, on this webpage: www.seattle.gov/UDP

Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities will keep services on for customers, even if they are behind on paying their bills, throughout the pandemic. Customers can set up a deferred payment plan by calling 206-684-3000 or by sending an email through this website at any time.

La Ciudad de Seattle puede ayudarle a pagar sus facturas de la luz y los servicios públicos

COVID-19 ha afectado a los residentes de Seattle de muchas maneras.
Muchas personas están pasando por momentos difíciles debido a la pérdida de sus empleos, incluidos adultos mayores y familias.

La Ciudad de Seattle puede ayudar a quienes estén luchando por pagar sus facturas de la luz y servicios públicos. Los hogares que cumplan con los requisitos pueden inscribirse al Programa de descuentos en servicios públicos de la Ciudad de Seattle (UDP), que ofrece un descuento del 60% en las facturas de Seattle City Light y un descuento del 50% en las facturas de los Seattle Public Utilities.

Para que pueda ser aprobado para recibir los descuentos, su ingreso familiar debe ser igual o inferior al 70% del ingreso medio del estado, antes de impuestos. (Muchos programas utilizan el valor del “ingreso medio” para determinar si cumple con los requisitos de ingresos. En 2021, un hogar de cuatro personas puede ganar hasta $5,996 al mes o un ingreso anual de $71,952 antes de impuestos u otras deducciones).

Proceso de solicitud del UDP

• Llene el formulario de inscripción en línea en este sitio web.

El formulario está en inglés. Llame para recibir ayuda en otros idiomas y para hablar con un representante.

• Su solicitud será revisada y procesada. Si su solicitud cumple con los requisitos, su hogar será inscrito en el programa.

El correo electrónico o la carta que reciba con la respuesta puede estar en inglés.

• Pueden pasar hasta dos ciclos de facturación antes de que el descuento se refleje en sus facturas.
• Los clientes que reciben la aprobación para recibir el descuento deberán renovar su solicitud con sus comprobantes de ingresos seis meses después de la fecha de la aprobación.

Si recibe una llamada, un correo electrónico y/o una tarjeta postal indicándole que debe comunicarse con nuestra oficina para renovar su solicitud, llame al 206-684-0268 para hablar con un representante.
Hay servicios de interpretación disponibles. No necesita llenar otra solicitud en línea.

Si tiene preguntas sobre como inscribirse a UDP o si desea recibir ayuda, llame o envíe un correo electrónico a UDP@Seatttle.gov. Si necesita un intérprete, solicítelo cuando llame y dígale al operador(a) para que idioma necesita interpretación. Es posible que tenga que esperar un poco para establecer conexión con un intérprete.

Puede encontrar información adicional, incluyendo los requisitos más detallados del criterio de selección, en esta página web: www.seattle.gov/UDP

La alcaldesa Jenny Durkan anunció que Seattle City Light y Seattle Public Utilities seguirán proporcionado servicio durante la pandemia a todos los clientes, incluso si se atrasan en pagar sus facturas. Los clientes pueden configurar un plan de pago diferido llamando al 206-684-3000 o enviando en cualquier momento, un correo electrónico a través de este sitio web.

Thành phố Seattle có thể giúp quý vị thanh toán các hóa đơn điện và nước

COVID-19 đã ảnh hưởng đến cư dân Seattle theo nhiều cách. Nhiều người, kể cả người lớn tuổi và các hộ gia đình đang phải đối mặt với thời kỳ khó khăn do mất việc làm.

Thành phố Seattle có thể giúp những người đang gặp khó khăn trong việc trả tiền điện nước. Các hộ gia đình đủ điều kiện có thể ghi danh vào Chương Trình Giảm Giá Tiện Ích của Thành Phố Seattle (City of Seattle’s Utility Discount Program (UDP)), chương trình này giúp giảm 60% cho các hóa đơn của Seattle City Light và giảm 50% cho các hóa đơn của Seattle Public Utilities.

Để đủ điều kiện, thu nhập hộ gia đình trước thuế của quý vị phải bằng hoặc dưới 70% thu nhập trung bình của tiểu bang. (“thu nhập trung bình” được nhiều chương trình sử dụng để xác định điều kiện thu nhập. Vào năm 2021, một hộ gia đình bốn người có thể có thu nhập lên tới $5,996 cho mỗi tháng hoặc $71,952 cho cả năm trước thuế hoặc các khoản khấu trừ khác.)

Quy trình đăng ký UDP

• Hoàn thành mẫu đơn đăng ký trực tuyến tại trang web này.

Mẫu đơn đăng ký bằng tiếng Anh. Để được hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ, xin vui lòng gọi để nói chuyện với nhân viên trợ giúp.

• Đơn đăng ký của quý vị sẽ được xem xét và xử lý. Nếu đơn đăng ký của quý vị đáp ứng được các yêu cầu và điều kiện, hộ gia đình của quý vị sẽ được ghi danh.

Email hoặc thư phản hồi có thể bằng tiếng Anh.

• Số tiền giảm giá có thể mất đến hai chu kỳ thanh toán để xuất hiện trên các hóa đơn của quý vị.
• Những khách hàng được chấp thuận để nhận chương trình giảm giá sẽ cần phải gia hạn đơn đăng ký với tài liệu thu nhập sau sáu tháng kể từ ngày được chấp thuận.

Nếu quý vị nhận được một cuộc gọi, email và/hoặc bưu thiếp nói rằng quý vị cần liên hệ với văn phòng của chúng tôi để gia hạn đơn đăng ký của mình, xin vui lòng gọi số 206-684-0268 để nói chuyện với nhân viên trợ giúp. Dịch vụ thông dịch có sẵn. Quý vị không cần phải hoàn thành một mẫu đơn đăng ký trực tuyến khác.

Nếu quý vị có thắc mắc về cách đăng ký UDP hoặc muốn được hỗ trợ, hãy gọi hoặc gửi e-mail đến UDP@Seattle.gov. Nếu quý vị cần thông dịch viên, xin vui lòng yêu cầu thông dịch viên khi quý vị gọi, và vui lòng cho nhân viên tổng đài biết ngôn ngữ quý vị cần thông dịch. Có thể mất một chút thời gian chờ đợi để kết nối với thông dịch viên.

Quý vị có thể tìm thêm thông tin, bao gồm các yêu cầu chi tiết hơn về các điều kiện, trên trang web này: www.seattle.gov/UDP.

Thị Trưởng Jenny Durkan thông báo rằng Seattle City Light và Seattle Public Utilities sẽ tiếp tục duy trì các dịch vụ cho khách hàng trong suốt thời kỳ đại dịch, ngay cả khi khách hàng chậm trễ thanh toán hóa đơn. Khách hàng có thể thiết lập gói trả chậm bằng cách gọi số 206-684-3000 hoặc gửi email qua trang web này bất cứ lúc nào.

西雅圖市政府可以幫助您支付水電雜費

COVID-19在很多方面影響了西雅圖的居民。許多人，包括老年人和家庭，由於失業而面臨困境。

西雅圖市政府可以幫助那些為支付水電雜費而掙扎的人。符合條件的家庭可以參加西雅圖市政府的公共設施折扣計劃（UDP），該計劃對西雅圖電力公司（Seattle City Light）的電費帳單提供 60% 的折扣，對西雅圖公共事業局的帳單（Seattle Public Utilities）則提供 50% 的折扣。

要符合資格，您的稅前家庭收入必須相當於或低於本州收入中位數的70%。（許多計劃使用”收入中位數”數值來確定收入資格。在2021年，一個四人家庭每月的收入最多可達5,996美元，或在稅項或其他扣除額前年收入最多為71,952美元。）

UDP 申請流程

• 在此網站填寫網上報名表。

表格是英文的，如需翻譯，請致電客服。

• 您的申請將被審核和處理。如果您的申請符合資格要求，您的家庭將可加入計劃。

回復的電子郵件或信件可能是英文的。

• 折扣可能需要最長兩個計費週期才會顯示在您的帳單上。

• 批准領取折扣的客戶需要在批准日期後的六個月通過提交收入文件來更新其申請。

如果您收到電話、電子郵件和/或卡片提示您需要聯繫我們的辦公室以更新您的申請，請致電 206-684-0268 與客服聯繫。提供口譯服務。您不需要填寫另一份網上申請表。

如果您對注冊UDP有疑問或需要幫助，請致電 206-684-0268 或發送電子郵件至UDP@Seatttle.gov 。如果您需要一名口譯員，請在致電時提出並告訴接線員您需要的語言。連接口譯員可能需稍等片刻。

您可以在此網頁上找到更多資訊，包括更詳盡的資格要求：www.seattle.gov/UDP。

市長Jenny Durkan宣佈，在疫情期間即使客戶的帳單費用逾期，西雅圖電力公司和西雅圖公共事業局仍會繼續為其提供服務。客戶可致電206-684-3000或隨時透過本網站發送電子郵件來設立一個延期付款計劃。

시애틀 시가 전기 및 공공 요금 지불을 도와드립니다

COVID-19는 여러 방면에서 시애틀 주민들에게 영향을 미쳐왔습니다. 노인들 및 가정들을 포함한 많은 분들이 실직으로 인해 힘든 시기를 겪고 있습니다.

시애틀 시는 전기 및 공공 요금 지불에 어려움을 겪고 있는 분들을 도와드릴 수 있습니다. 신청 자격이 있는 가구들은 시애틀 시의 공공 요금 할인 프로그램(City of Seattle’s Utility Discount Program, 이하 UDP)에 등록할 수 있으며, 이 프로그램은 시애틀 시 전기(Seattle City Light) 청구서에 대한 60 % 할인과 시애틀 공공요금(Seattle Public Utilities) 청구서에 대한 50 % 할인을 제공합니다.

신청 자격은, 세전 가계 소득이 워싱턴 주 중간 소득의 70% 이하여야 합니다. (“중간 소득-median income” 값은 소득 적격성을 결정하기 위해 많은 프로그램에서 사용됩니다. 2021년의 경우, 4인 가구의 중간 소득은 세금 또는 기타 공제 전 월 $5,996 이하 또는 연간 $71,952이하의 수입이 해당됩니다.)

UDP 신청 절차

• 이 웹 사이트에서 온라인 등록 양식을 작성합니다.

양식은 영문으로 되어 있습니다. 언어 지원을 원하시면 담당자에게 전화하여 문의하세요.

• 귀하의 신청서가 검토되고 처리될 것입니다. 귀하의 신청서가 자격 요건을 충족하는 경우, 귀하의 가구가 등록될 것입니다.

응답 이메일 또는 편지는 영문으로 작성될 수 있습니다.

• 해당 할인이 귀하의 청구서에 반영되기까지 최대2회의 청구 주기가 소요될 수 있습니다.
• 해당 할인을 받도록 승인된 고객은 승인일로부터 6개월 후에 소득 증빙서류를 제출해 신청서를 갱신해야 합니다.

귀하의 신청서를 갱신하기 위해 당국으로 연락해야 한다는 전화, 이메일 및/또는 엽서를 받는 경우, 206-684-0268로 전화하여 담당자와 통화하시기 바랍니다. 통역 서비스를 이용하실 수 있습니다. 또 다른 온라인 신청 양식을 작성할 필요는 없습니다.

UDP 등록에 대해 문의사항이 있거나 도움이 필요하시면, 전화나 이메일(UDP@Seatttle.gov)로 문의해 주십시오. 통역이 필요하신 경우, 전화하실 때 요청하시고, 어떤 언어의 통역이 필요하신지 교환원에게 말씀해 주시기 바랍니다. 통역사와 연결되는 데 약간의 대기 시간이 있을 수 있습니다.

다음 웹페이지에서 자세한 자격 요건 등의 추가 정보를 확인하실 수 있습니다: www.seattle.gov/UDP

Jenny Durkan 시장은 시애틀 시 전기(Seattle City Light) 및 시애틀 공공요금(Seattle Public Utilities)은 대유행 기간 동안 고객들의 청구서 지불이 연체된다 하더라도 고객을 위한 서비스를 계속 제공할 것이라고 발표했습니다. 고객분들께서는 206-684-3000으로 전화하시거나 언제든지 이 웹 사이트를 통해 이메일을 보내셔서 지불 연기 계획을 설정하실 수 있습니다.

Magaalada Seattle waxay kaa caawin kartaa bixinta biilashaada korontada

COVID-19 siyaabo badan ayuu u saameeyay dadka degan Seattle. Dad badan, oo ay ku jiraan dadka waaweyn iyo qoysaska, ayaa wajahaya waqtiyo adag shaqo la’aan darteed.

Magaalada Seattle waxay caawin kartaa dadka la halgamaya in ay iska bixiyaan biilasha korontada, biyaha iyo gaaska. Qoysaska u-qalma ayaa iska qori kara Barnaamijka Sicir-dhimista Adeegyada ee Magaalada Seattle (UDP), oo bixisa qiimo-dhimis 60% ah oo ku saabsan biilasha Seattle City Light iyo qiimo-dhimista 50% ee biilasha Adeegyada Dadweynaha ee Seattle.

Si aad xaq ugu yeelatid, dakhligaaga canshuurta kahor ee qoyska waa inuu noqdaa ama ka hooseeya 70% dakhliga dhexdhexaadka ee gobolka.(Qiyaasta “dakhliga dhexdhexaadka ah” waxaa adeegsada barnaamijyo badan si loo go’aamiyo u-qalmitaanka dakhliga. Sanadka 2021, qoys afar qof ah waxaa laga yaabaa inuu kasbado illaa $ 5,996 bishiiba ama sanadkiiba $ 71,952 canshuuraha ka hor ama waxyaabaha kale ee laga gooyo.)

Nidaamka codsiga UDP

• Dhameystir foomka isqorista internetka ee boggaan.

Foomku wuxuu ku qoran yahay Ingiriis. Taageerada luqadeed hadada u baahantahay, fadlan wac si aad ula hadashid wakiil.

• Codsigaaga dib ayaa loo eegi doonaa oo looga baaraandegi doonaa. Haddii dalabkaagu buuxiyo shuruudaha u-qalmitaanka, qoyskaaga ayaa la qori doonaa

E-maylka jawaabta ama warqadda waxay noqon kartaa Ingiriis.

• Sicir-dhimistu waxay qaadan kartaa ilaa laba wareeg oo biil ah si ay uga muuqdaan biilashaada.
• Macaamiisha loo oggolaaday helitaanka qiime dhimista waxay u baahan doonaan inay ku cusboonaysiiyaan codsigooda dukumiintiyada dakhliga lix bilood ka dib taariikhda oggolaanshahooda

Haddii aad hesho wicitaan, emayl iyo / ama kaarka boosta oo sheegaya inaad u baahan tahay inaad la xiriirto xafiiskayaga si aad u cusboonaysiiso dalabkaaga, fadlan wac 206-684-0268 si aad ula hadasho wakiil. Adeegyada turjubaanka ayaa la heli karaa. Uma baahnid inaad buuxiso foom kale oo codsi khadka tooska ah ah.

Haddii aad qabtid su’aalo ku saabsan diiwaangelinta UDP ama aad rabto caawimaad, wac ama emayl u soo dir UDP@Seatttle.gov. Haddii aad u baahan tahay turjubaan, fadlan weydiiso mid markii aad soo wacdo, fadlan u sheeg hawl wadeenka luqadda aad ugu baahan tahay turjumaadda. Waxaa jiri kara waqti sugid yar ee lagula xiriirinayo turjubaanka.

Waxaad ka heli kartaa macluumaad dheeri ah, oo ay ku jiraan shuruudaha u qalmitaanka oo faahfaahsan, boggan: www.seattle.gov/UDP

Duqa magaalada Jenny Durkan ayaa ku dhawaaqay in Seattle City Light iyo Adeegyada Dadweynaha ee Seattle ay ku sii hayn doonaan adeegyada macaamiisha, xitaa haddii ay ka dib dhacaan bixinta biilashooda, inta lagu jiro aafada. Macaamiisha waxay dejin karaan qorshe lacag bixin dib loo dhigay iyagoo wacaya 206-684-3000 ama adoo u diraya emayl shabakadan wakhti kasta.

የስያትል ከተማ የኤልክትሪክና የውሃ ግልጋሎት ክፍያዎን ለመክፈል ሊረዳዎት ይችላል።

ኮቪድ-19 በብዙ መንገዶች የስያትል ነዋሪዎችን ጎድቷል። በርካታ ሰዎች በዕድሜ የገፉ አዋቂዎችና ቤተሰቦች ጭምር በሥራ ዕጦት ምክንያት ከባድ የኑሮ ወቅት እየተጋፈጡ ነዉ።

የስያትል ከተማ የኤልክትሪክና የግልጋሎት ክፍያዎችን ለመክፈል የከበዳቸዉን ሰዎች መርዳት ይችላል። ብቁ የሆኑ ነዋሪዎች፡ በስያትል መብራት ሃይልና (Electricity) በስያትል ህዝባዊ ግልጋሎት (Utilities) ክፍያዎች ላይ የ50% ቅናሽ በሚሰጠዉ የስያትል ግልጋሎት ቅናሽ መርሃግብር [ City of Seattle’s Utility Discount Program (UDP)] መመዝገብ ይችላሉ።

ብቁ ለመሆን የቤተሰብዎ ከቀረጥ በፊት ገቢ ከስቴቱ መካከለኛ ገቢ 70% ያህል ወይንም በታች መሆን አለበት። (የ“median income” መጠን በበርካታ መርሃግብሮች ላይ የገቢ ብቁነትን ለመወሰን ጥቅም ላይ ይዉላል። በ 2021፡ አራት ሰዉ ያለበት ቤተሰብ ከቀረጥና ሌሎች ቅናሾች በፊት እስከ $5,996 ድረስ በወር ወይንም $71,952 ዓመታዊ ገቢ ሊኖረዉ ይችላል።)

የ UDP ማመልከቻ ሂደት

• የ ኦንላይን መመዝገቢያ ቅጽ እዚህ ድህረ-ገጽ ላይ ይሙሉ።

ይህ ቅጽ በእንግሊዘኛ ነዉ። ለቋንቋ ድጋፍ እባክዎን ተወካይ ለማነጋገር ይደዉሉ።

• ማመልከቻዎ ታይቶ ዉሳኔ ይሰጥበታል። ማመልከቻዎ የብቁነት መስፈርቶችን የሚያሟላ ከሆነ ቤተሰብዎ ይመዘገባል።

የመልስ ኢሜል ወይንም ደብዳቤ በእንግሊዘኛ ይሆናል።

• ቅናሹ ክፍያዎችዎ ላይ እስኪታይ እስከ ሁለት የክፍያ ዙሮች ሊወስድ ይችላል።
• ቅናሹን እንዲያገኙ የጸደቀላቸዉ ደንበኞች ከጸደቀላቸዉ ቀን በኋላ በስድስት ወር የገቢ ሰነድ አቅርበዉ ማመልከቻቸዉን ማሳደስ አለባቸዉ።

ማመልከቻዎን ለማሳደስ ቢሮያችን መገናኘት እንዳለብዎት የሚገልጽ የስልክ ጥሪ፣ ኢሜል እና/ወይም ፖስትካርድ ከተቀበሉ እባክዎን ከተወካይ ጋር ለመነጋገር 206-684-0268 ይደዉሉ። የትርጉም አገልግሎት አለ። ሌላ የኦንላይን ማመልከቻ መሙላት አያስፈልግዎትም።

ስለ UDP ምዝገባ ጥያቄዎች ካለዎት ወይም እርዳታ ከፈለጉ ይደዉሉ ወይም በ UDP@Seatttle.gov ኢሜል ያርጉ። አስተርጓሚ ከፈለጉ እባክዎን ሲደዉሉ ያሳውቁ እና እባክዎን ለየትኛዉ ቋንቋ አስተርጓሚ እንደሚፈልጉ ለኦፕሬተር ይንገሩ። አስተርጓሚ እስኪቀርብ ትንሽ መጠበቅ ይኖርብዎት ይሆናል።

ስለብቁነት ዝርዝር መስፈርቶችን የሚያካትት ተጨማሪ መረጃ ከዚህ ድህረ-ገጽ ማግኘት ይችላሉ፡ www.seattle.gov/UDP

ምንም እንኳን ደንበኞች የሚጠበቅባቸውን ክፍያ ከመክፈል ወደ ኋላ ቀርተዉ ቢሆንም፡ የስያትል መብራት ሃይልና (Electric)፡ የስያትል ፓብሊክ ዩቲሊቲስ (ውሃ) ወረርሽኙ እስካለ ድረስ አገልግሎቶቻቸዉን ለደንበኞች ክፍት እንደሚያደርጉ፡ ከንቲባ ጄኒ ደርኪን አሳውቋል፡ ደንበኞች በቆይታ የመክፈል ዕቅድ በ 206-684-3000 በመደወል ወይም በዚህ ድህረ-ገጽ ኢሜል በመላክ ማሰናዳት ይችላሉ።

City of Seattle and United Way of King County Partner on Community Food Fund

December 18, 2020 by Michael Taylor-Judd

Seattle Human Services is partnering with United Way of King County to address food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Community Food Fund invests $1M to support food access among Black, Indigenous and other people of color, as well as immigrant and refugee communities.

27 local organizations across Seattle received funds for a variety of strategies, such as food delivery, culturally appropriate meals for seniors, pop-up food sites, a new greenhouse, cold storage, and collaborations with ethnic restaurants to get hot meals to vulnerable communities. They included both small and large community-based organizations, including the Black Farmers Collective, Casa Latina, Eritrean Association in Greater Seattle, Hip Hop is Green, Queer the Land, United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, and Urban Fresh Food Collective.

Funding comes from the federal CARES Act received by the City of Seattle, and from United Way’s Community Relief Fund. Grants run through the end of the year. See United Way’s recent blog post “Overcoming Cultural Barriers During the Pandemic” for more information and read about the impact of this funding on the Afghan Health Initiative.

HSD Announces Investments in Single Adult Shelter Surge Hotel Buildings & RRH Supportive Services

November 10, 2020 by Michael Taylor-Judd

The Homeless Strategy & Investment (HSI) Division of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to announce the availability of two Request for Qualification (RFQ) processes:

1) The 2020 Shelter Surge RFQ will identify eligible homeless services agencies to operate and provide supportive services at approximately 425 new single adult emergency shelter spaces. Beginning in December 2020, HSD expects to have access to approximately 300 temporary shelter units located at leased hotel properties and 125 units of new enhanced shelter spaces. Through this RFQ process HSD is also identifying agencies to support the possible expansion of the tiny house village program in FY 2021.

2) The 2020 Street to Housing ESG-CV Rapid Rehousing RFQ will select one service provider to provide program enrollment and support to participants at the single adult shelter surge hotel buildings. This intentional linkage of shelter to Rapid Rehousing programming is designed to produce faster and more successful exits to permanent housing. The onsite Rapid Rehousing provider will focus on identifying housing options, move-in and rental assistance, and case management services and supports. HSD estimates that through an expedited process approximately 231 households will be enrolled into Emergency Solutions Grant – Coronavirus (ESG-CV) funded Rapid Rehousing program.

Visit HSD’s Funding Opportunities web page for more information on these two RFQs and to download materials. Please contact Lisa Gustaveson, Strategic Advisor at lisa.gustaveson@seattle.gov or (206) 482-4573 with any questions.

Legacy of Love: A Virtual Forum for African American Caregivers and Others

November 9, 2020 by Michael Taylor-Judd

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Irene Stewart – irene.stewart@seattle.gov

Are you a caregiver? If so, you are welcome to join Legacy of Love, an online forum on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. While focused on African American caregivers, the event is open to anyone who provides special care for an elder.

“Caregiving for loved ones is always challenging, which is why we sponsor this annual recognition and appreciation of family caregivers who manage health emergencies and juggle ever-changing priorities,” said Seattle Human Services director Jason Johnson. “This year’s theme—Caregiving in the Time of COVID—emphasizes the unique challenges that caregivers have faced in 2020 and will continue to face in the coming year.”

“The pandemic has brought even more challenges, including greater social isolation and—for too many—enormous grief created by the loss of so many African American elders due to COVID-19,” adds conference coordinator Karen Winston, a planner in Seattle Human Services’ Aging and Disability Services division. “Our forum gives participants time to revive, refresh, and connect with others.”

Keynote speaker George Dicks, a Geriatrics Mental Health Practitioner at Harborview Medical Center, will address “Caregiver Hope, Love, and Resiliency.” A panel of family caregivers—Lynda Greene, Minister Shirley Poston, and Charles Williams—will share their stories in “Caregivers: Loving from the Front Line During a Pandemic.” For more information, visit AgingKingCounty.org/LegacyOfLove.

There is no charge to participate in the forum; however, pre-registration is recommended and is now open at SurveyMonkey.com/r/LegacyOfLoveRegistration.

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Seattle Youth Employment Program Wraps an Unusual Summer

November 2, 2020 by Michael Taylor-Judd

*A shortened version of this article previously appeared in the October edition of HSD’s monthly Lifelines newsletter. Click here to subscribe now.

When the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) launched its new academic year program model last year, certainly no one could have predicted that a worldwide pandemic would impact the best laid plans of staff members.

Beginning last October, participants attended weekly sessions and career discovery days, and participated in team activities, skills workshops, one-on-one coaching and support services, and assessments. Youth participants could earn a maximum stipend of $300 per quarter; and those who completed the series were eligible for a 150-hour internship paying $16 per hour in the summer of 2020.

Then COVID-19 came along. SYEP had to quickly adapt to a world where academic learning happens online and students and workers train and interact with each other virtually—utilizing laptops, cell phones, and Microsoft Teams and other social software apps.

Betty Gebrejawaria was in the school year program. She learned job readiness skills like writing a resume and cover letter and how to prepare for an interview. “As a high school student, I found this really helpful because these are the years where I start to join the job field and SYEP helped me land my first internship,” she shared.

She was chosen as an intern with SYEP, helping to run the annual summer program, which operated as a virtual classroom for participants. She helped provide program support like taking attendance during the job trainings and setting up and running the virtual sessions. “The virtual environment was very new for many people like myself,” said Betty. “Although we encountered many technical issues, everyone was really patient, very kind, and helpful. And everyone’s optimistic attitude really impacted how smooth the program went. I wouldn’t change a thing. It was all last minute, but the program was successful.”

“Participating in the virtual SYEP program over the summer was exciting,” agreed SYEP participant Kidus Solomon. “The staff put together very informative and well-designed presentations that helped me stay engaged and interested on the topics. It’s just a well-designed program to help you succeed.”

Among the many positive impacts on his life so far, Kidus says SYEP helped him create his first resume, which he then used to apply for a job in the middle of the pandemic.

For SYEP intern Calvin Fung, one of the positive impacts this summer was that the job helped him to establish a schedule and have a reason to wake up and feel valuable. “You know, usually you are getting paid for contributing, helping out, providing your insight. And how a young person thinks.” He thinks it is really important that youth serve as interns along with the adult mentors to program participants. He believes they have a special effect, because there’s a difference between “an adult speaking to you, as compared to a young person speaking to another young person.”

Meeting regularly with both assigned counselors and peers helped Gheeda Hamam keep a check on her hours and her progress with the program. Counselors were very helpful with providing resources and assistance. They were also great at being responsive to her emails and helped her stay on track with accessing links and using chat.

She feels that “SYEP has taught me to learn soft skills such as time management, conflict resolution, team building, and communication. And it also taught me skills like resume building and creating the accounts for LinkedIn and NeoGov.” (NeoGov is the online job application platform used by the City of Seattle and several other government and public agencies in the area for their hiring processes.)

Leland Adams is also a previous SYEP participant who landed a summer internship helping to support the program, which he said “taught me a bunch about virtual platforms, which I’m very grateful for because moving forward in I think a lot of people’s careers, and education as well, we will be using those virtual platforms.”

In the virtual SYEP setting, the interns had to become comfortable communicating with managers and peers, as well as with the summer students. The students needed to understand what was expected of them online in the virtual session instead of an office internship and what SYEP expected for them to get out of the program. “And so, just working through and communicating a lot because this was the pilot program to everything that we were doing,” said Leland. “We were pretty much setting the foundation for everything that this program was going to be, and everything that it could become in the future.”

When asked what some of the positives and the negatives were about not being able to be in person with participants, Leland really saw the positives. “I feel like I gained a new skill set, right? Being able to work from home. Because I think that’s something in the future that we’re going to be seeing a lot of, and just being able to work on projects online …. Not everybody is going to be able to access the office in the future.”

Gheeda nodded as he was speaking, and added that “being able to finish a project online is a really good skill because you have to be independent and kind of just go off from the instructions that were given online.” That’s not something that’s easy to do, but she believes it will also be an increasingly important ability in the future, where assistance isn’t just on the other side of a cubicle wall or elsewhere in a physical office.

I feel like I gained a new skill set, right? Being able to work from home. Because I think that’s something in the future that we’re going to be seeing a lot of, and just being able to work on projects online …. Not everybody is going to be able to access the office in the future.
Leland Adams, SYEP Summer Intern

For many office workers prior to this global pandemic, while resume writing and interviewing skills were important to learn as they started out, it was equally as important to focus on dressing for an office environment, planning a commute, and showing up on time. Our current state may be, unexpectedly, really preparing these youth for a future where they may be on a team with people who are in Seattle, Europe, India, and Australia and all coming in at different times, and working on projects together, and leaving things in the chat box for someone to pick up when they start their day. Many of the tech jobs in our area already look like this. So there are lots of skills that SYEP is having to build into the program now, but that are actually going to be much more valuable as the workplace continues to change.

When asked about how SYEP has had a positive impact on his life, Leland said it’s really helped him to grow his networks while being a student at the University of Washington. It’s helped him to feel more confident, and “hopefully that opens some doors for me in the future.”

SYEP staff are happy to report that his hopes may have been realized, as Leland recently accepted another internship position with the King County Department of Human Resources, where he will support the development of a new job readiness program. This program seeks to establish pathways of employment for young men of color, specifically black men in high school and college.

#DVAM Purple Pumpkins

October 29, 2020 by Michael Taylor-Judd

October may be coming to a close, but the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault works to raise awareness all year long.

With our decision this year to use the Halloween Week social media campaign originally developed by the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV), we wanted to make sure to end the month by highlighting this statewide network of domestic violence programs, survivors, and allies which works tirelessly to help survivors towards safety and freedom.

Please visit the WSCADV website to learn more about domestic violence and to access a resource library, policy and research, and much more.

As part of our campaign this week, and to take advantage of a rare fifth #PurpleThursday, our staff and friends at Seattle Human Services decided to join with some other DV awareness programs around the country this year in also promoting a Purple Pumpkin decorating challenge. Here are some of the results.

With a couple of days still left in October, and with many of us at home with limited opportunities to celebrate the holiday, why don’t you take a “stab” at carving or painting your own Purple Pumpkin and tagging @SeattleHSD and #DVAM2020 for a last chance to raise awareness.

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