Starting Friday, March 13th and until further notice, the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ will close our office in SeaTac and all staff will work remotely due to the COVID-19 outbreak in King County. The ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ will continue to serve our clients while the physical office is closed. In fact, many families need our support now more than ever – and you can help!
ICYMI: from our recent COVID-19 virtual town hall.
How are refugees & survivors impacted and what is ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ doing to help?
Supporting people at higher risk for COVID-19
Many ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ clients are at a higher risk for contracting COVID-19 (for example, people who are elderly or with serious health conditions). One of our first priorities is ensuring people at higher risk for the illness have the information and resources they need to stay healthy. ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ case managers are providing individualized, lingistically-appropriate outreach to all clients, so they understand COVID-19, how to contact their doctor, and how to keep their families safe. We are also distributing health & hygiene kits, as well as food and other essentials, to families in need.
Helping families impacted by layoffs, hiring freezes, and leaves of absence
Many ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ clients work in industries being hit hard by COVID-19, including hospitality, food service, airports/airlines, and others. Many ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ clients have already been laid off and refugees who have just arrived in the U.S. do not have access to much-needed jobs due to hiring freezes. Many of the people we serve at ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ do not qualify for unemployment benefits or the cash payments included in the most recent federal stimulus package. This means many families will need ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡'s support with rent, utilities, and other basic needs until hiring freezes are lifted.
Making up for reduced access to essential services
̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ clients are disproportionately impacted as essential services are suspended or moved online. When services can only be accessed online, for example, they become more difficult for people who don't own computers or do not speak English to access. When schools and daycare centers close, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ clients often do not have other options for childcare and may be put in a position of missing work to care for their children. There will be many cascading impacts of this outbreak over the weeks and months to come, which will result in our clients needing increased help from ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡. Please note that ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ staff continue to provide individualized case management support to clients, even while the physical office is closed. We are also helping clients adjust to changes to our programming by offering things like home study packets and digital academic tutoring for students in our youth programs. We're also hosting classes and workshops, such as job readiness training, citizenship prepration, and other services online.
How can I help?
- Already, many ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ clients have been impacted by quarantines, reductions in public services, and layoffs & hiring freezes. Help us ensure newcomers have the resources and services they need to get through this trying time.
- much-needed hygiene, health, food, and school supply items.
- . Help us keep our newest neighbors healthy & safe by sewing cloth face coverings following CDC guidelines. Are you a sewer? Email us at [email protected] for more info on how to help out. Check out this story for inspiration from fellow volunteers!
- Misinformation can create fear and hostility that hurts people and makes it harder to keep everyone healthy. Access anti-stigma resources to read and share with your community.