THE VOICE - January 2008
The Newspaper of Neighborhood House
by Moore Ink
Neighborhood House announced last
month that it expects to receive nearly
$600,000 in critical federal money for a
West Seattle neighborhood center thanks
in large part to Sen. Patty Murray’s commitment
to the project.
The nonprofit social services organization
learned today that $588,000 for the
High Point Neighborhood Center was
included in the $555 billion omnibus spending bill that passed both houses of
Congress and is awaiting President Bush’s
signature.
“Without Sen. Murray’s leadership
we would not be able to make this dream
come true,” said Mark Okazaki, executive
director of Neighborhood House. “The High Point Neighborhood Center
will become a community resource
that everyone from children to teens to
seniors can lean on,” said Sen. Murray,who recently toured High Point, which is in the process of being redeveloped into mixed-income housing community.
The $12 million High Point Neighborhood Center at 6500 Sylvan Way S.W. will become the heart of that community and the surrounding neighborhood. The services and support provided there will include Head Start preschool classes, a teen center, adult-education classes, job training, and multicultural community activities.
With 20,000 square feet, the new building will allow Neighborhood House to serve more than 4,000 people each year at High Point. Construction is expected to begin in September 2008, with opening scheduled for August 2009.
“This is such a monumental time in our agency’s 101-year history,” Okazaki said. “The High Point Neighborhood Center will change how our organization delivers services and responds to the needs of not only the people we serve, but the environment that we do it in,” he added, referring to the planned building’s energy saving and environmental-learning features.
Neighborhood House, the Seattle Housing Authority and other partner organizations have identified an urgent need for youth and family services in the High Point community, which has a large concentration of low-income, immigrant and refugee families with school-age children.
With some 1,300 youth expected to re-enter High Point in the coming years, the need for positive opportunities to engage young people and their families is even more acute, Okazaki said.
The $588,000 in federal funding for the Neighborhood Center will join significant contributions from the City of Seattle, King County and the State as well as money pledged by private foundations and raised by the community.
by KCHA Staff
The King County Housing Authority’s
AmeriCorps members will devote the
Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday to
making the civil rights leader’s dream
into a reality.
Rather than taking the day off Jan. 21,
at least 14 AmeriCorps members with
KCHA will volunteer their time serving
others and transforming community
concerns into action.
The holiday marks a mandatory service
day for AmeriCorps members, who
can choose from more than a dozen community
projects across the region. The
projects include:
* Beautifying green spaces throughout
King County that are overrun with
invasive, non-native plants.
* Tutoring children from low-income
families who reside in public housing.
* Cleaning up the grounds and washing
emergency vehicles at the American
Red Cross chapter that serves King and
Kitsap counties.
* Organizing classroom supply donations
for distribution to area schools.
“It’s a day on, not a day off,” said Pat
Porter, KCHA’s AmeriCorps project
director. “We are pleased to be able to
join with more than 50,000 AmeriCorps
members in a day of service to communities
all across our country.”
By Lynn Sereda Domingo
Section 8 tenant
On Dec. 8 over 200 people participated
in a gathering that coincided with the anniversary
of the UN Declaration of Human
Rights.
The People’s Summit was organized by
LELO (Legacy of Equality, Leadership and
Organizing), which is a 35-year-old social
justice organization based in Southeast
Seattle.
Besides organizing working class people
of color, LELO has throughout the years
been involved in housing justice, including
advocating for SHA tenants in the HOPE
VI communities to be offered jobs under
HUD’s Section 3 program.
The purpose of the summit, according
to LELO organizer Lynn Domingo, was
to raise awareness of human rights and to
create discussions around the issues of debt
and poverty in immigrant and low-income
communities, particularly communities
of color.
Building coalitions and alliances is an
integral piece of community organizing, Domingo said.
The gathering also gave the community
an opportunity to get information from
community organizations, which had dozens
of tables providing resources.
Community members, including SHA
residents and other concerned and active
citizens, gathered to discuss issues ranging
from HOPE VI/housing justice to
organizing around the ICE raids targeting
immigrant communities.
Community organizations such as
Casa Latina, the Tenants Union, and
Puget Sound SAGE facilitated a series of
workshops, including Community Benefits
through Development, Credit Scoring, Payday
Loans and Foreclosure, and the Rights
of Day Laborers.
Yesler Terrace resident Kristin
O’Donnell said, “The People’s Summit
was amazing! I hope this happens every
year and can expand to include the entire
Northwest. The only problem was that
there were six workshops I wanted to attend — and I could only choose two.”
Films were also shown during the event ,including Michael Moore’s “Sicko,” which
examines the health care system, and “Wal-
Mart: The High Cost of Low Cost.”
Keynote speakers included Sam Finkelstein
from Chicago, who has organized
public housing residents nationally for
10 years; Juanita Young from the Bronx,
who addressed the audience about police
brutality, having recently won a multimillion
lawsuit against the New York City
police department for the wrongful death
of her son; and Garry Owens, a long-time
Seattle activist and former Black Panther
who closed out the formal program with a
talk on why the human rights framework
is so important for political activists to
frame issues in.
Owens pointed out that the United States
is one of only a very few countries which
has not signed the U.N. Declaration of
Universal Human Rights.
Thus, there is a need to see issues as
housing and medical care as rights which everyone should be entitled to, he
concluded.
The summit ended on an upbeat
note when the LELO-neers, a LELO
youth group, took the stage. The young
people recited their hopes and dreams
of carrying on the social justice legacy
as the next generation of leaders.
Get involved
LELO wants to organize
people who are impacted by
debt, foreclosures, and payday
loans and are seeking their
stories to document in oral
and written form for their debt
and poverty project.
For more information, call
Lynn Domingo at 860-1400
or e-mail lynn@lelo.org. The
LELO office is located at 3700
South Hudson St. Unit C,
Seattle, WA 98118.
Super foods for fighting and preventing cancer
By Pam McGaffin
Special to The Voice
In the food realm, they are the good
guys, protecting the body against dreaded
free radicals and giving cancer cells the
boot.
These “super foods,” as they are
known, are powerful allies for any body,
particularly one that’s fighting cancer, because
they boost strength and immunity
and help rid the body of toxins, say three
naturopathic physicians at Seattle Cancer
Treatment and Wellness Center.
Mark Gignac, Heidi Lucas and Paul
Reilly work side-by-side with oncologists
at the Capitol Hill clinic, the only cancer
center in the Northwest to integrate medical
oncology and complementary cancer
therapies under one roof.
Here are their super heroes:
Vegetables are high in fiber and rich in
antioxidants or the substances that protect
cells from the damage caused by unstable
molecules called free radicals. Free radical
damage can lead to cancer.
Most vegetables also have a low Glycemic
Index (GI), meaning they result in
a gradual rise in blood sugar in the body
as opposed to the spike produced by high
GI foods like bagels and French fries.
Low glycemic-index foods have been
shown to help prevent certain diseases,
including type-2 diabetes, and promote
weight loss.
The best vegetables are colorful, such
as beets, spinach, carrots and tomatoes,
or “cruciferous,” a family that includes
cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and
cauliflower.
Onions and garlic contain special
bioflavonoids, or plant pigments, that
can actually revert a cancer cell back
into a healthy cell. The cancer-fighting
compounds allicin and S-allyl cysteine,
and the mineral selenium, an antioxidant,
also are found in onions and garlic.
High-quality proteins — including
eggs, salmon, turkey, lean beef and
chicken — help the immune system fight cancer.
In fact, immune cells are made of protein,
fueled by protein, and are signaled to
attack by protein. Vegetarian sources of
protein include soy, beans, peas, lentils,
nuts and seeds.
Whole grains, including brown rice,
oats, barley, millet, buckwheat and rye
are full of fiber, which friendly bacteria
in the colon break down into to a nutrient
called “butyrate” that acts as a powerful
poison to cancer cells.
Colorful berries, such as raspberries,
boysenberries, strawberries, dark
cherries, blueberries and blackberries,
contain a strong anti-cancer agent, ellagic
acid, which causes cancer cells to
self-destruct.
Green tea is a treasure trove of cancer-fighting
agents that have been shown to
prevent and even reverse some forms of
cancer.
Clean water — O.K., so it’s not really
a food, but it helps to cleanse and dilute
impurities in the body (two-thirds of
which is water), stabilize pH, and provide
a healthy flow of nutrients into the cells.
Healthy fats and oils — Every cell in
the body wears a coat of fat. Fat is needed
to maintain proper cell function and is the
preferred fuel of muscle tissue.
Some fats contain a special compound
that helps fight cancer. Choose healthy
fats and oils, including fish oil, olive oil,
flax oil and even organic butter.
At Seattle Cancer Treatment and
Wellness Center, founded in 1997, medical
oncology is supported by scientifically-based therapies, including nutrition,
naturopathy, mind-body medicine, acupuncture,
and Chinese medicine.
In addition to the naturopaths, the
Center’s clinical staff includes two doctors
board-certified in oncology and
internal medicine, a nurse practitioner, a
social worker and mind/body therapist,
and two acupuncturists.
For more information, call 1-800-774-
3144 or visit www.seattlecancerwellness.com.
By Mike Wold
Rainier Unitarian Universalist Center
You and your neighbors are probably
wondering what’s going to happen with
the Yesler Terrace redevelopment. Has
SHA made all its plans?
The Yesler Terrace Community Council
and Rainier Unitarian Universalist
Center wants residents to know how they
can be engaged in the process.
They’re sponsoring a series of workshops
to help residents find out about their
rights during redevelopment, how they
can influence decisions, and what agreements
with developers may be possible as
the redevelopment moves forward.
The workshops will happen every
other Saturday from 3-5 p.m. from Jan.
19 through March 15.
They will address the following topics:
* Tenants Rights
* Immigrant Rights
* Urban Design Language & Options
* Coalition Building with Community
Allies
* Leadership Development
At the end of the series, a residents’
forum will discuss how best to use the
ideas and skills from the workshops to
participate effectively in SHA’s community
process.
This gathering may include giving
input to elected officials and SHA representatives.
The workshops will be led by independent
advocacy groups, and will take
place at RUUC, in the old gym at Yesler
and Broadway.
On Jan. 19, the Tenants Union will
cover the basics of your rights as tenants
under the law, including your rights to
speak up in the SHA process without fear
of retaliation.
On Feb. 2, Hate Free Zone will explain
the legal rights of immigrants in Yesler
Terrace, and how they can use those
rights.
On Feb. 16, Planners Network from the
UW School of Architecture will explain
the basics of land use and urban design
to help residents decide which options at
Yesler Terrace fit their needs.
On March 1, Puget Sound Sage, which
has been negotiating with the developer of
the Goodwill site south of Yesler Terrace,
will discuss coalition building, community
benefits that can be negotiated with
developers, and legal levers that can bring
developers to the table and hold them to
their promises.
On March 15, LELO (Legacy of Equality,
Leadership, and Organizing) will help
residents learn to recognize the decision
makers and to find multiple ways to participate
effectively and powerfully in the
process.
The workshops are open for everyone
to attend.
Each workshop and the final forum
will include interpreters for speakers of
Chinese, Vietnamese, Tigrigna, Somali,
and other languages. Free childcare will
be available.
These workshops are for the residents
to get together and talk about what they
think and what they want to advocate in
the next stage of redevelopment planning.
Each of the presenting groups will allow
time for questions and for generating
ideas.
The forum at the end will be a time to
come together to form a strategy for being
effective in the planning process, which
will resume in the spring.
We look forward to seeing all of our
neighbors come together for these important
gatherings.
Snacks and beverages will be served at
3 p.m., followed by good information and
good conversation.
For more information, contact the
Yesler Terrace Community Council
at 206-930-6228 or the Rainier Valley
Unitarian Universalist Center at 206-722-4880.
On Nov. 30, Seattle Housing Authority came to an agreement with HUD to create or adapt 263 housing units that will be fully accessible to people with disabilities.
The newly accessible units will be distributed in buildings throughout Seattle.
When the program is complete, a total of five percent of SHA’s units will be fully accessible.
The agreement goes beyond any legal requirement, reflecting Seattle Housing
Authority’s long-standing commitment to serving the disabled in barrier-free housing.
In June 2006, HUD visited several SHA buildings, and found that some units considered by SHA to be barrier-free did not precisely reflect Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS).
Although the variances were slight, and generally considered to fall within industry tolerances, HUD still determined that they did not meet UFAS standards.
Rather than issuing findings about these discrepancies, HUD asked the agency to consider a voluntary compliance agreement (VCA), through which SHA would commit to providing accessible units and meeting UFAS standards.
SHA agreed to enter into a voluntary agreement with HUD, and over the next eight years will create new units in several ways: by building new units or adjusting existing units in its redevelopments and by remodeling other units in existing buildings.
By 2014, SHA will meet the five percent target created by the agreement — a commitment that exceeds current federal law.
“We believe these units can be produced using our annual allocation of funding from HUD, and that the new and remodeled units will enhance our offerings,” SHA Executive Director Tom Tierney said. “This is a good outcome for SHA and for disabled people in Seattle.”
In 2008, SHA will produce more than a third of the needed units. These will be in SHA’s redeveloped communities and in the high-rise buildings being remodeled through homeWorks. In the following years, additional units will be created at Rainier Vista, in additional high-rises, in existing scattered-sites properties and at Yesler Terrace.
The agreement also commits SHA to remodeling common areas in offices and other buildings to achieve full accessibility. The Housing Authority will also take a look at how admissions and housing selection programs can better serve all applicants.
Look for additional information in The Voice in coming months about how SHA will be providing accessible services to people with disabilities.
For more information about the Seattle Housing authority, turn to the SHA News section.
By Claire McDaniel
Seattle Housing Authority
Seattle Housing Authority residents
can take advantage of inexpensive classes
offered by the City of Seattle to help them
become better prepared for dealing with
disasters.
The City’s Office of Emergency Management is offering three different emergency
preparedness training classes in
2008 for all Seattle citizens.
Veteran Seattle Firefighter Tony Bennett,
will teach all three classes — Disaster
First Aid, Light Search and Rescue
and Fire Extinguisher and Utility Control.
All classes will be held at Warren G.
Magnuson Park.
Pre-payment is required and registration
may be made by a telephone call to
Elizabeth Mash at 206-233-7123.
The registration form is also available
at the OEM Web site at www.seattle,gov/emergency.
The course schedule is also available
online on the Web site. Space is limited so register early. The
specific building location and directions
to the site will be provided in a confirmation
letter.
According to JoAnn Jordan, public
education coordinator for OEM, these
classes are offered because OEM staff
believes in the importance of trained
community members.
“Often the best source of help following
a disaster is your family, friends,
neighbors or co-workers,” Jordan said. “We offer these classes so that basic skills
such as how to use a fire extinguisher,
how and when to control natural gas, and
basic first aid and response skills can be
safely done by Seattle residents when
traditional emergency response agencies
are overwhelmed by the disaster.”
Below are descriptions of what each
training class involves.
Light Urban Search and Rescue
Training for Citizens
This is a skills training program designed
to instruct participants in safe
and effective methods for simple search
and rescue.
The class is a hands-on program that
focuses on:
* Basic rescuer safety
* Five stages of rescue
* Search methods and markings
* First aid triage
* Basic construction practices
* Utility safety and control
* Safely lifting heavy objects
Disaster First Aid Training
It is extremely important to be able to
take care of yourself and others after a
disaster. This 8 hour class includes a certified
First Aid/CPR course. In addition,
you will learn techniques dealing with
multiple injuries resulting from a major
disaster where 9-1-1 is overwhelmed and
unavailable.
This class includes:
* Triage and prioritizing injuries
* Lifting and carrying techniques
* Treating broken bones
* Safety practices
* Practice using items that can be
found around your home
Fire Extinguisher and Utility Control
Class
It’s important to know how and when
to control utilities after a disaster to
minimize some of the damage due to gas
leaks, broken water pipes and arching
electrical wires. This class will also teach
participants how and when to control
utilities such as natural gas, water and
electricity.
Since fire is the leading danger
following an earthquake this course will
also include hands-on training including
live fire practice using small, portable fire
extinguishers.
Garden tips for community gardeners
By Anza Muenchow
Special to The Voice
It is the new year, and I’m getting excited
about the next season’s garden. Here in the
Puget Sound basin, we can grow so many
incredible vegetables, shrubs and trees.
But to get the best production out of our
crops, we need use the local seed and tree
suppliers to find the best “cultivars” for our
growing conditions.
By cultivars I mean the specific genetic
material in the species of plants we want
to grow.
When we plant tomatoes, we all know
that some do better in Seattle than other
types. Forget the beefsteak varieties; try
Stupice or Early Girl, which are bred to do
well with cool summers.
The typical grocery store seed displays
may have seeds that grow well in the Midwest
or south of us. Let me suggest some
better seeds for our area.
Buy seeds locally
Several local seed companies have done
much of the research needed to supply us
with the cultivars that will perform the
best for us.
Some good companies that come to
mind are Abundant Life and Territorial
Seeds in Oregon and Osborne Seeds in
Mt Vernon.
They all have very interesting and
informative free catalogues that you can
send for.
Abundant Life sells only organic seeds.
Many of these are heirloom seeds, open
pollinated. This means they are not hybrids.
(They were not specifically crossed
with another cultivar, which changes the
following generation of seed.)
In 2003, Abundant Life had a fire in
the Port Townsend headquarters; as you
can imagine, it devastated some of their
supply. The business has subsequently
been bought by Territorial Seed Co, and
continues working to recover much of the
original supply.
Their Web site is www.abundantlifeseed.org, and their address is Abundant
Life Seeds, P.O. Box 157, Saginaw, OR
97472.
Territorial Seed is now the parent seed
company, with a huge selection of seeds
that all are tested to do well in the Pacific
Northwest. They sell individual packets
and bulk seeds. The descriptions in the
catalogue are wonderful.
They have mouth-watering turnips,
delicate crunchy lettuces and all kinds
of varieties of veggies that will produce
in our climate, even during wet summers
like last year.
They even have starter plants that they
can ship.
To obtain a catalogue from Territorial
Seed Co. write to P.O. Box 158, Cottage
Grove, OR 97424 or visit online at www.territorialseed.com.
Osborne Seed Company has expanded
over the years and now has a good collection
of anything you might like to grow.
They can be reached at www.osborneseed.
com, or write to 2428 Old Hwy. 99 South
Rd., Mt. Vernon, WA 98273. You can also call 800-845-9113.
There are two seed companies in Maine
that seem to have shown good results.
Try Johnny’s Selected Seeds at www.johnnyseeds.com, or call 877-564-6697 to
get information on their large collection
of products.
Fedco Seeds and Garden Supplies, at
www.fedcoseeds.com, is a funky little
company with lots of organic seed choices
that was recently recommended to me by
a respected grower.
Why buy organic seeds?
To obtain the organic certification,
growers are required to purchase organically
grown seed if they are available. This
has expanded the organic seed market
tremendously.
I’m pleased to see this change because
all of agriculture needs to embrace organic
principles.
Do I believe that organic seed is much
better than conventionally grown seed?
I
personally don’t think it makes a big difference
at this point.
But it is something I think about as I pay
the extra dollar or two on a few packets of
organic seed.
Plant starts can save time
If you want to buy plant starts and not
take the extra effort to grow from seed
(especially with tomatoes, peppers and
eggplant), I recommend going to local
spring plant sales.
Don’t have the plant starts shipped to
you. With shipping, the packaging is bulky
and the results are not reliably favorable.
Sometimes I do purchase onion starts
from catalogues, having them shipped for
early March plantings. They are rarely
damaged.
Shop at farmers markets in May to buy
your warm season plant starts and find
great selections of good local stock.
Raintree Nursery in Morton, offers great
stock for fruit trees, berries and other perennial
edibles. They have some interesting
old varieties as well as the newer cultivars
recommended for our area.
The catalogue descriptions will explain
the pest problems and disease resistance of
each cultivar. This is especially important
for the crops that you plant once and expect
to produce for years and years.
For annual crops, you can always move
them to another spot in your garden to
avoid pests and some disease. Not so for
the long lived trees and bushes.
Definitely do the research and study
your cultivars before you decide to invest
in a tree.
For more information about Raintree
Nursery, the address is 391 Butts Road,
Morton, WA 98356. Or visit them online
at www.raintreenursery.com.
Let those rain-soaked soils dry out
before you head outside to dig. More
next month on getting your 2008 garden
started.
Anza Muenchow is a farmer and a volunteer
with P-Patch. You can reach her by
e-mail at anzam@whidbey.net, or online at
www.mahafarm.com.
College is a unique, rewarding experience — but don’t take our word for it.
Two recipients of the Dream Big Scholarship gave their impressions of the college experience.
“College has been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” said Michelle Chavez, a 2007-08 scholarship recipient and resident of Holly Park. “You meet so many people from different walks of life and you get to expand your knowledge by learning so many things outside of what you have been exposed to. It’s hard in the beginning, but with each passing quarter you assimilate more and more and pretty soon graduation is right around the corner.”
Margareth Tran, a junior at Cornell University and a resident of Section 8 housing, said it’s difficult to fully describe the significance of the college experience.
“One of the most enriching factors about college I could describe is the diverse and amazingly knowledgeable people I am constantly surrounded by, both professors and colleagues,” said Tran, a 2005-06 scholarship recipient. “Learning does not just happen in the classroom, it happens on a daily basis during everyday conversations with my classmates.
“I truly feel appreciative of the different kinds of people coming from not just all over the U.S., but the globe as well, and to learn from their different points of view. College is a time for discovery of the self and of others.”
Below are a few steps that everyone should follow as they prepare for college. Step 1: Take the required classes
Colleges and Universities require stu-dents to take certain courses to qualify for admission. It’s important to start taking these courses in ninth grade. If you wait until your junior or senior year, you’ll miss the chance to take some necessary classes.
Step 2: Take the Scholastic aptitude Test
The SAT is a standardized test for admission to U. S. colleges and universities. It takes about three hours.
The SAT is given seven times each year in October, November, December, January, March or April, May, and June.
You should plan to take the SAT in the spring of your junior year and/or fall of your senior year. You can take the test more than once, and your higher score will be the one that counts.
The fee for the SAT is $41.50. Those who cannot afford the test fee should request fee waiver cards. To do this, go to your high school counselor. Step 3: Write the essay
Most colleges and universities require students to include a personal essay with their application. Your essay helps an admissions committee understand who YOU are among thousands of applicants.
Tips:
Relax, think ahead and note ideas.
Write clear, direct sentences.
Ask someone to “proof” read your essay for spelling, punctuation and understanding.
So where do you go to get more information about earning a college degree? Come to the “You Can Go to College!” Annual College Fair, held from 6-8 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Yesler Terrace Community Center, 917 E. Yesler Way. The event is open to everyone with an interest in attending college.
It will allow participants to connect with current students and scholarship winners and get information on preparing for college. There’s also a special information session for parents. Pizza will be provided.
For more information, contact Amy Kopriva with the Yesler Youth Tutoring Program at 206-682-5590.
People with disabilities don’t always receive adequate assistance from chore workers
The issue of in-home care and who is eligible for the services is a significant one to many residents, especially with regards to chore workers. It’s an issue that requires a considerable amount of work to resolve.
The reason? Because it is a national issue that has been around for well over 20 years.
Here in the State of Washington, the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) pays for in-home care through a variety of programs, including COPES. These services are available to low-income persons of disability who need help with housework and a variety of other tasks.
However, to be eligible for chore services, you must also need help with personal care, which includes getting in and out of bed, using the bathroom and getting dressed. This means that anyone who simply needs help with his or her housekeeping (cleaning, laundry, etc.) cannot receive chore services through the state.
Obviously, this does not sit well for many people, especially those with vision impairments. But there is nothing that can be done about it, because of funding shortages. The state Legislature has been extremely reluctant to adequately fund in-home services.
The other issue that’s related to in-home services has to do with the people who actually provide the services to clients (the “employers,” if you will). At this time, chore workers are not directly employed by the clients they serve; rather, they are generally employed by agencies that contract with DSHS to provide the services to eligible clients.
While this has taken the burden of paperwork out of the clients’ hands, it also takes a lot of the “supervisory” or hire/termination authority away from those same clients, leaving clients with little or no recourse when dealing with a chore worker who may not perform his or her job to a client’s satisfaction — or not do the work requested at all.
Why? There are many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that, because of the funding issue, people who are employed as in-home care providers are, in the opinions of many workers and the clients they work for, grossly underpaid for the work they do — and the reason for the “underpayment” is because DSHS, service providers and service recipients have been unable to convince elected representatives of the need for more funding.
While many organizations such as the Alliance of People with disABILITIES (a disability-rights organization based in Seattle) and ADAPT (America Disabled for Attendant Programs Today, a national organization working to increase funding for in-home services) have been working on these issues for over 20 years, more work needs to be done.
As a result, we will monitor this issue, attempting to learn more as developments occur and provide more information as it becomes available.
If you want more information on what the Alliance and ADAPT are doing on this issue, please visit the Alliance’s website at www.disabilitypride.org or ADAPT’s website at www.adapt.org.
If you don’t have your own computer with Internet access, come over to the STAR Center, which is located on the upper level of the Center Park Community Building.
Take METRO bus routes #4, 7, 8, 42 or 48 (please call METRO Rider Information at 553-3000 for route and schedule information; TTD users: please call 684-1739) and use one of our computers — we’ll even help you, if requested.
Employment Security Department
Washington’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 4.7 percent in November from October’s rate of 4.8 percent, according to the state Employment Security Department.
The lower unemployment rate was fueled by a seasonally adjusted increase of 5,200 non-agricultural jobs.
In November, industries with the largest job growth were professional and business services, with 1,600 new jobs, education and health services, up 900, transportation, warehousing and utilities, up 800, and manufacturing, with 800 new jobs.
The weakest major industry sector was information, down 300. Since November 2006, 78,600 net new jobs have been created in Washington. Overall, non-agricultural job growth increased by 2.7 percent, compared to a national rate increase of 1.1 percent.
To view the full report, go to www. workforceexplorer.com and click the “Current Employment Situation” link.
An estimated 160,500 people (not seasonally adjusted) currently are unemployed and seeking work in Washington. Free job-readiness and job-search assistance is available online at go2worksource.com and at local WorkSource offices.
By SHA Staff
In 2005, Seattle Public Schools rolled
out an Internet-based program, called The
Source, to help parents help their children
succeed in school.
Using the computer to access information
about their children’s classes, assignments
and study materials, parents can
easily communicate with participating
teachers and otherwise increase their involvement
in the educational life of their
children.
Parents can see their children’s test
scores and individual learning plans and
learn about such things as resources for
helping with homework and identify materials
for further study.
Parents of students in the seventh grade
and higher can check on students’ attendance.
At first, the program served only English-speaking families.
Now, in a pilot program, a nonprofit
organization called Helping Link is helping Vietnamese families participate in the
program.
It is made possible through the city of
Seattle’s Technology Matching Fund and
the United Way.
Targeted at Vietnamese immigrant and
refugee parents of school-aged children in
the Seattle Public Schools, Helping Link’s
Source classes provide a preliminary
workshop and 10 class hours of computer
training. The Source program provides the
materials to be learned.
Helping Link is enrolling no more
than ten parents per quarter in the pilot
program.
In addition to the preliminary workshop
and 10 hours of computer training, parents
may take classes in English as a second
language.
Here too the materials to be learned are
those offered online in the Source program.
Some instruction is one-on-one — that is,
one tutor or teacher per parent.
Minh-Duc Nguyen, who helped found
and now heads the Helping Link organization, is herself a Vietnamese refugee.
She cites as goals for the pilot Source
program, “greater self-confidence in their
own skills” on the part of parents and “narrowing
the technological divide between
immigrant parents and their children one
small step at a time.”
The Source classes are held Tuesday and
Thursday evenings during the school year
from 6-8 p.m. at Helping Link’s offices,
located 1032 S. Jackson St. #C.
The computer course uses a bilingual
computer manual so that students can learn Basic programming language in both
English and Vietnamese.
Helping Link offers a number of other
classes — conversational English as a
second language, citizenship, computers
and the Internet, Vietnamese as a second
language, and after-school tutoring. In the
summer, it also offers a class in flower
arranging.
For more information about Helping
Link’s The Source classes or its other
programs, call 206-781-4246 or e-mail
helpinglink2003@gmail.com.
By Jim Bush
RAC Secretary
The Resident Action Council (RAC) is a citywide organization of residents living in low-income public housing communities owned and operated by SHA.
At this time, there is a current opening on its Executive Committee for the position of ombudsperson. At the meeting held in November 2007, Robert Canamar, of Ballard House, Jo Ellis, of Olympic West, and Lois
Gruber, of Lake City House, were nominated to fill this position.
The officer will be elected during the next RAC meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 22.
The ombudsperson serves as a liaison between residents, RAC and staff from SHA and works to resolve issues that may come up and can’t be resolved at the local level. He or she cannot dispense legal advice but may refer individuals to other agencies and resources.
If you have any questions, please call the RAC office at 322-1297.
For the first time ever, a new program that helps couples prepare for the challenges of parenthood is being offered — for free — to Seattle-area pregnant couples, thanks to a generous federal grant.
These classes, known as the Becoming Parents Program (BPP), have been carefully developed and tested over the last two decades by University of Washington nursing researcher and Associate Professor Pamela Jordan, Ph.D., and are showing very positive results.
Each workshop is rich with tips for couples on topics like how to deal with the crunch on time and money, how to manage fatigue and stress, find time for yourself, keep the “fun” alive in your relationship, and understand the language of your baby right from birth.
Participants have the chance to meet other couples who are expecting, and many have built lasting friendships with those in the program.
“We don’t think we would have made it if it weren’t for these classes,” said one BPP participant. “It’s worth all the time and money in the world…and it’s FREE!”
Western Washington couples are eligible if they’re pregnant, married, and earn less than around $60,000/year combined.
Couples may be pregnant with their first child or a subsequent child.
Anyone who is interested in finding out more information should call BPP, Inc., at 206-686-1880 or toll free at 1-888-898NEST. Space is limited in the program.
“This is like no government-funded program I’ve ever seen,” said Project Director, Aly Frei. “Our space (on Capitol Hill) is stunning. It is so nurturing, and warm — folks love coming here.”
Couples are paired with a nurse who provides one-on-one support for their needs and links them to vital community resources.
Transportation and childcare assistance is provided so couples don’t experience financial strain to attend, and participants receive gifts of appreciation throughout the program.
“We are thrilled to make this amazing program available to pregnant couples for free,” Jordan said. “Having a baby is hard no matter how strong your relationship. This program gives couples practical skills to prepare for, and often prevent, the really rough spots in life with a new baby.”
Lynn Sereda included in poetry anthology
By Voice staff
Lynn Sereda, a social activist, Section
8 tenant and regular contributor
to The Voice, can add another title — published poet.
Sereda’s poetry was included in
Beloved Community: The Sisterhood
of Homeless Women in Poetry,
an anthology compiled by Women’s
Housing, Equality and Enhancement
League (WHEEL).
The poetry anthology, published
by Whit Press, collects the work
of homeless and formerly homeless
female poets.
Though no longer without a home,
Sereda was homeless for nearly a year
in California earlier in her life.
The anthology was released during
a poetry reading at Seattle City
Hall Dec. 12.
For more information or to receive
a copy of the anthology, contact
WHEEL at P.O. Box 2548, Seattle,
WA 98111 or at 206-956-0334. Or visit Whit Press online at www.whitpress.org.
Proceeds benefit WHEEL.
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TRANSLATIONS
Translated Articles from The Voice
Why Bother with college?
Gelidda collegekaxagga waxbarashada waxay ku siinaysaa qaab wanaagsan oo nasiib ah kaana caawimaysa xiriirka iyo waqti badan oo shaqo lacag fiicanle ku helaysid .
Sida ku cad tira koobka guud la sameeyey 2005 dakhliga bil walba soo gala qofka Ameerikaanka ahi ooshqeeya waqti dhan 25 jir ka weyn waxaa weeye:
$19,169 for full-time workers who hadn’t completed high school
$28,645 for full-time workers with a GED or high school diploma
$51,554 for full-time workers with bachelor’s degree or higher
$78,093 for full-time workers with an advanced degree.
Wax ka badan 10 sano int u dhexeysa waa:$200,000 amaseba ka badan taasoo isu rogta waddooyin badan iyadooy ku jirto lacag dheeraad ah oo lagu caawimo qoyskaaga
In badan oofiican oo shaqo ah ood ku iibsato baabuur ,guei.
Safar. Farsamooyinka aqooneed waxay gadaal kuu siinaysaa Jaali
yaddada , ammainsanaan caafimaad . Dadka Ameerikaank ah
sanooyin waxbarasho kadib wuxuu noolaadaa nolol dheer , mrka xaggee baad ka helaysaa wararka ku saabsan , waxbarasho kollejka “Adigu waad addi kartaa kollejka”Sannadlaha kollejka lagu qabto 6-8 gelinka dambe Janaayo 30d iyo Yesler Terrace Community Center, 917 E. Yesler Way.
Goobtaas way firan tahay qof katsta
Waana loo oggolyahay ka soo qayb galka . Waxaa kaloo xitaa jira warar gaar ah ku saabsan ardayda scholarshibka winterka waalidiinta waxaa loo diyaariyey PIZZA
Wixii arar dheeraad ah la xiriir Amy Kopriva with the Yesler Youth Tutoring Program at 206-682-5590.
TẠI SAO PHẢI NGHỈ TỚI VIỆC HỌC ĐẠI HỌC ? Khi có bằng cấp đại học, qúi vị có được nhiều cơ hội khá hơn, có những nối kết hữu dụng, và nhiều cơ hội để làm điều mình thích thú, và có được công việc làm với mức lương khá. Theo thống kê của Phòng Kiểm Tra Dân Số Hoa Kỳ, thì trong năm 2005, mức lương hàng năm của người công nhân làm việc tòan-thời gian và có mức tuổi từ 25 trở lên, được thống kê như
sau:
$19,169 (là số lương hàng năm) cho người làm tòan thời gian, mà đã không học xong bậc Trung học $28,645 (là số lương hàng năm) cho người làm tòan thời gian mà có bằng tương đương GED hay có bằng Trung học $51,554 (là số lương hàng năm) cho người làm tòan thời gian mà có bằng cử nhân hay cao hơn $78,093 (là số lương hàng năm) cho người làm tòan thời gian mà có bằng cấp cao hơn nửa Sau 10 năm, thì mức lương kiếm được có sự khác biệt đến $200,000 hoặc hơn, điều này có nghĩa là có nhiều phúc lợi kể cả Có dư giả tiền bạc để giúp đở gia đình Có nhiều sự chọn lựa khá hơn trong công việc làm Có tiền của để mua sắm xe, mua nhà , hay đi du lịch Có các năng khiếu và kiến thức để giúp lại cho cộng đồng Có được sự chăm sóc sức khỏe tốt – người dân Mỹ mà có trình độ học vấn thì sống lâu hơn và mạnh khỏe hơn. Vậy thì qúi vị đi đâu để tìm hiểu những thông tin về việc học lấy bằng Đại học ? hãy đến trung tâm cộng đồng Yesler Terrace Community Center ở số 917 E. Yesler Way vào ngày 30 Tháng Một 2008 từ 6 giờ đến 8 giờ tối. Cuộc hội diễn này mở ra cho mọi người muốn học Đại học. Tạo dịp để người tham dự liên kết với các sinh viên đại học, những sinh viên đã lãnh được các học bổng, và nhận được các thông tin hướng dẫn cho việc chuẩn bị vào Đại học. Sẽ có buổi nói chuyện đặc biệt cho các bậc cha me. Có cung cấp thức ăn : pizza. Muốn biết thêm chi tiết, xin hãy gọi cô Amy Kopriva thuộc chương trình dạy kèm trẻ Yesler Youth Tutoring Program ở số
(206) 682-5590.