Family Support Services Weekly Resource List

For more information, please contact Elizabeth Flavors at 206-252-7210 or email eaflavors@seattleschools.org

Free Lyft Rides in King County

What: Crisis Connections is now offering Free Lyft rides for medical, job, housing, food, legal and other purposes through the Ride United program. To qualify, rides must originate within King County but outside of Seattle. Ride United covers fares up to $22 each way, for a total of $44 round trip.

Requirements:

• Rides must be for non-emergency medical, job, housing, food, and other transportation needs
• Rides must originate in King County but outside Seattle
• Rider must able to get to and from the designated pick-up location
• Rider must live in an area where Lyft is available
• Rider must be 18+ years old or accompanied by a guardian

Everyone in the vehicle MUST wear face coverings, leave the front passenger seat empty, and keep windows down when possible.

Free Tax Help

What: United Way of King County’s Free Tax Preparation Campaign. IRS-certified volunteers will be available virtually and in person at multiple locations across King County to offer you free tax preparation assistance.

Are you an international student or do you have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of a social security number? We can help! Translation services will also be available if you need them. An appointment is not necessary for in-person services.

More Info: Go to the United Way of King County’s Tax Help webpage

Help Paying Energy Bills in King County

What: Your family’s monthly income may qualify you for free or low-cost energy services. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded program administered by Byrd Barr Place that helps low-income households to meet their immediate home energy needs.

LIHEAP assistance is now available year-round. You may now be eligible to receive assistance once every 12 months.

Discounts on Utility Bills

What: The Utility Discount Program (UDP) helps you get current and stay current on utility payments by offering a discount of up to 60% on your Seattle City Light bill and a 50% discount on your Seattle Public Utilities bill. This program is available for residential City Light and Seattle Public Utilities customers only.

You may be eligible:

• If you have a City of Seattle light bill
• If you are the homeowner or renter (If your landlord pays all utilities, qualifying low-income tenants may still be eligible for utility financial help)
• If you meet certain requirements for household size, gross monthly income, and gross yearly income.
• Go to King County’s Energy Assistance webpage for details on eligibility.
• To apply, gather and complete the following documents:
  • Signed and dated City of Seattle application.
  • Gross income documentation from all sources for all household members age 18 or older for the last month prior to the date of your signature on your completed application.
• Monthly housing expenses including:
  • Lease/Rental agreement and current rent payment receipt – required; or
  • Mortgage (payment coupon) or tax statement – required
• Copy of state driver(s) license or state identification card for everyone in household 18 years and over.
• Financial aid award(s); grants and loans verification:
• Check stubs from work-study employment
• Send your completed application to:
  • Mail: Access & Outreach, Public Health – Seattle & King County, 401 5th Avenue #1000, Seattle WA

Youth Suicide Prevention – Free Coaching for Students

WHAT: Crisis Connections is excited to offer free trainings in partnership with local cities. Our qualified trainers encourage students to talk openly about stress, coping, depression, and suicidal behavior. These trainings can also be delivered virtually; please call to see if you are in an eligible area.

Trainers include information on:

• youth suicide
• an overview of local resources
• help for teens to identify warning signs
• how to support themselves and others who may be dealing with mental health challenges

More info: lease contact Crisis Connections at 206-204-9520 or training@crisisconnections.org to schedule a training or get more information.

Seattle Ticket Debt Reduction Hearings

The Seattle Municipal Court will offer hearings for people with low incomes who can’t afford to pay their debt from overdue Seattle parking, traffic, or camera tickets. These hearings are an opportunity for people with ticket debt to speak with a court magistrate to request to reduce their fines and remove their tickets from collections.

To Register: Go to the Seattle Municipal Court’s Ticket Debt Reduction webpage

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Rent Smart/¡Inquilinos Inteligentes!

Where: Zoom

What: Virtual Renters’ Rights Workshop Series

Rent Smart Webinars in English

¡Inquilinos Inteligentes! Talleres Virtuales en Español

Need More Help? / ¿NECESITA MÁS AYUDA?

• King County residents being threatened with eviction can contact the Housing Justice Project for legal assistance at 253-234-4204 or hjpstaff@kcba.org
• Si actualmente vive en el Condado de King y está siendo amenazado con el desalojo, comuníquese con el Proyecto de Justicia de Vivienda para obtener asistencia legal 253-234-4204 o hjpstaff@kcba.org
• Washington State residents can visit Solid Ground’s For Tenants < website for self-help information, or call Solid Ground’s message-only Tenant Services Message Hotline, currently open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 10:30am – 1:30pm (hours and days are subject to change): 206-694-6767 | TTY: 7.1.1.
•   Los Residentes del Estado de Washington pueden visitar el sitio web Para Inquilinos >  de Solid Ground para obtener información de autoayuda, o llamar a la línea directa de mensajes de Servicios para Inquilinos de Solid Ground cual es abierta los lunes, martes, y jueves de 10:30 a.m. a 1:30 p.m. (las horas y los días están sujetos a cambios): 206-694-6767 | TTY: 7.1.1.

Rent Smart is offered in partnership with Solid Ground’s Tenant Services and the King County Library System (KCLS). / ¡Inquilinos Inteligentes! se ofrece en asociación con los Servicios para Inquilinos de Solid Ground y La Sistema Biblioteca del Condado de King (KCLS).

Child Care Aware of Washington Family Center

What: Child Care Aware of Washington Family Center is a statewide call center assisting families in finding licensed child care providers, navigating child care financial assistance options, finding alternative forms of care, and connecting families to COVID-related resources in their community. We also assist families to navigate the state subsidy system, including connecting families experiencing homelessness with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Working Connections Homeless Grace Period (HGP), which may authorize 12 months of child care subsidy without a copay.

What this means for families:

• Experiencing homelessness and income verification are the only eligibility criteria to obtain child care subsidy.
• DCYF will authorize the family for full-time care.
• Families will have 12 months to participate in employment activities to reauthorize for Working Connections after the grace period ends.
• No copay will be required during the grace period.

More Info/Help: We are able to assist families over the phone in multiple languages! Call 800-446-1114 for assistance Monday-Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm or email familycenter@childcare.org

Comcast Internet Essentials

What: Comcast’s Internet Essentials program is the largest, most comprehensive, and most successful broadband adoption program in the nation. It provides low-cost internet ($9.95/month) to low-income families and individuals within the Comcast service area.

Eligibility: To qualify, applicants simply need to show they participate in one of more than a dozen different government assistance programs, including:

• Medicaid
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Comcast also accepts applications from households that:

• have a student eligible for the National School Lunch Program
• live in public housing
• receive HUD Housing Assistance (including Section 8 vouchers)
• participate in the Veterans Pension Program, as well as low-income seniors in select pilot markets

More Info/To Apply: Visit the Internet Essentials website

Safelink Wireless Smartphones & Data Plans

What: Coordinated Care of Washington, Inc. is proud to be working with SafeLink Wireless/ LifeLine program at no cost to eligible customers receiving unemployment benefits. Customers may qualify for SafeLink service by submitting a notice of unemployment benefit payments that at a minimum includes: 1) Name, 2) Household’s current income information, 3) Dated within the last 3 months.

With SafeLink Health Solutions®, eligible customers will get:

• A free smartphone, 3GB of data, and 350 monthly minutes*
• Unlimited text messages with health tips and reminders
• Calls to Coordinated Care Member Services will not count toward your 350 minutes
• Note you must make at least one phone call or send a text message each month in order to keep your LifeLine benefits.
• Already have your own phone? Choose the keep your own smartphone** program and receive a sim card at no cost.

Apply/More Info: Enroll in the Coordinated Care Phone Program call SafeLink at 1-877-631-2550.

*Unused minutes and data will not carry over from month-to-month. A month equals 30 days.

**To keep your own smartphone, you must have a compatible Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) phone (which includes T-Mobile and AT&T compatible phones). Your phone must also be unlocked. Several other carriers also use GSM networks. To confirm yours is included, call your carrier.