Articles tagged with: Homelessness
This post was written by guest blogger, Erin Milliren, an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Bridge to Basics program, a partnership between United Way of King County, Within Reach, the City of Seattle and Americorps
Hi, my name is Erin Milliren. I am one of the four AmeriCorps service members who staff the Bridge to Basics outreach team. Based out of WithinReach in North Seattle, we travel all throughout King County. We visit food banks, public libraries, WorkSource offices and public service centers.…
The April revenue reports are in and the picture is not rosy. Public officials were hoping that the slight increase seen in the last revenue forecast would continue, but those hopes were dashed when Arun Raha, the state’s economist, announced that the April revenue level was 1.8% below the previous month (when the unanticipated revenue from collection of back taxes is excluded from the calculation).
With thoughts of unanticipated revenue from existing revenue sources out of the picture, several other issues are holding…
With continued cuts to Disability Lifeline (DL) looming, we decided to ask DL recipients attending United Way’s Community Resource Exchange how they might be affected by upcoming changes to their benefits. It is anticipated that the House and Senate will agree to preserve DL medical coverage. However, the cash assistance benefit will likely see big cuts, if not complete elimination. We asked people why they need this cash benefit and how they will get by if this benefit is no longer available. This is what…
This blog was written by Naomi Goodman, Senior Policy Analyst at Seattle Housing Authority
At the Federal Level
Congress passed the 2011 budget a few weeks back, ensuring some stability for housing and homeless providers for the remainder of the federal fiscal year, ending September 30. However, this year’s budget made significant cuts to affordable housing programs and laid the ground work for additional cuts in 2012. Local providers are struggling to comprehend how cuts will affect the communities they serve. The federal budget calls…
Last Friday United Way of King County held it’s 6th Community Resource Exchange (CRE) at Qwest Field. While we’re still crunching the numbers, it is estimated that about 1,700 people experiencing homelessness accessed services, from foot washing to dental work, at the event. Seattle’s Q13 Fox News was on site covering the event and interviewing guests. Check out their short piece below.
United Way of King County business and community leaders are heading to Olympia today, February 10 to advocate for preservation of funding for critical education, health and human services. View our state legislative priorities. You can help us lobby virtually for United Way priorities by calling or emailing your representatives on Thursday. For info on how to contact your legistlator and a sample message to use, check out this post from yesterday.
Early this morning I joined hundreds of volunteers throughout King County for the annual One Night Count. The good news is that the work we are doing is having a positive effect. The number of people counted is down 11%. BUT – there are still thousands of people without a safe place to sleep and we won’t stop until everyone has a safe, healthy, affordable home.
Thursday night/Friday morning was the annual one night count for King County coordinated by the Seattle/King County Coalition for the Homeless. An amazing effort by 900 volunteers, all focused on getting a snap shot of who in our community are living without a roof over their head.
As a volunteer having completed the count, it is eye opening and soul wrenching to count the number of individuals struggling through difficult periods in their lives. As we strolled down the streets and alleys in the area…
Last September, over 2,400 people experiencing homelessness came to the Community Resource Exchange at Qwest Field for a day of hope and help.
View a KOMO 4 News video about the event here.
The demand far exceeded our supplies, and many had to leave empty-handed. We don’t want that to happen again—and with your help, it won’t.
Our next Community Resource Exchange will take place at Qwest Field this April.
Each year, we ask…
DeSean and Rose are a young couple who became parents for the first time this past July. I met them and their two-month old son at the Community Resource Exchange on September 24. Rose shared her story: “When I became pregnant, my parents were really unhappy about it. They said I wasn’t welcome to live there anymore unless I got an abortion. That’s not really what I wanted to do.”
