Fifth annual Seattle Stand Down Connects At-Risk Veterans with Vital Support

On Thursday, Dec. 17 and Friday, Dec. 18, Seattle Central College will host the fifth-annual Seattle Stand Down, an event that connects as many as 400 at-risk veterans in our community with vital support and services like housing, healthcare and job assistance.

The event will run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, and from from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18 at Seattle Central College's Mitchell Activity Center, 1718 Broadway, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Free parking will be available in the garage at the corner of E. Pine Street and Harvard Avenue.

City of Tacoma Opens Cold Weather Young Adult Shelter

The City of Tacoma, in partnership with Pierce County Community Youth Services opened a Cold Weather Young Adult Shelter Monday.

The shelter will operate seven days a week from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. through March 31, 2016 at the Beacon Senior Center to provide young adult men and women who are experiencing homelessness a safer alternative to urban camping.

To open the temporary shelter, the City has set aside $150,000 for the shelter with the intent to provide up to 50 beds per night, Chandler-Hardy said.

The City is investing an additional $84,600 in cold weather homeless services, which will allow both the Salvation Army and the Tacoma Rescue Mission to expand shelter services to families with children and adult women and men from Dec. 1 through March 31 with the intent to not turn away anyone seeking shelter.

The young adult shelter, which will operate after the Beacon Senior Center closes and before it opens, will provide participants with meals prepared and delivered by the Tacoma Rescue Mission as well as provide access to resources, case managers and social services.

The City, Pierce County Community Connections, and Community Youth Services, are hoping to have a permanent youth and young adult day center and young adult emergency overnight shelter location identified before March 31 to be able to provide a seamless transition of services when the temporary cold weather shelter closes.

The City and Pierce County are in the site selection process for the permanent facility.

For more information about the cold weather young adult shelter call Pierce County Community Youth Services at (253) 256-3087.

Fourth Flood Event in Six Weeks a Reminder to Stay Prepared Despite El Nino Forecast

The warm, dry predictions from the fall have been washed away by the reality of heavy rains and swollen rivers. The region is in the midst of its fourth flood event in just six weeks and the Chair of the King County Flood Control District says the wet weather is a reminder of being prepared to protect your family and property from the rising waters.

With today’s opening, the King County Flood Warning Center has opened for more than 100 hours to monitor rivers and provide flood information. Since October, the center has been activated on Oct. 30, Nov. 13, and Nov. 17 On Nov. 17, the South Fork Skykomish River rose to the highest levels recorded since 2006.

“This fourth flooding event in so short a period of time is a serious reminder about the value of being aware of any chance of flooding in your area,” said Flood District Chair Reagan Dunn. “Regardless of the forecast, it always pays to be prepared to protect your family and property.”

For information on preparing, responding and recovering from a flood, go to www.kingcounty.gov. The Flood Warning Center is open 24-hours a day during a flood event and residents can speak with King County staff with their flooding concerns and questions by calling (206) 296-8200 or 1-800-945-9263.

Federal Meal Assistance Funds Available

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) Child Nutrition Services section encourages eligible nonresidential licensed child-care centers, family day-care homes, emergency shelters, at-risk centers and some adult day care centers in Washington to participate in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The CACFP reimburses some costs associated with serving meals to children and qualified adults. In Washington State, the CACFP has been administered by OSPI’s Child Nutrition Services since 1989.

The following care centers and institutions may participate in the CACFP:

• Nonresidential licensed public or private nonprofit child-care centers or family day-care homes.
• For-profit child-care institutions in which at least 25 percent of children served are low income based on the center’s licensed capacity or enrolled capacity, whichever is less.
• Child-care centers that serve at-risk children.
• Nonprofit emergency shelters that provide temporary residential facilities to children.
• Qualifying public or nonprofit adult centers, or for-profit adult centers that receive compensation under Title XIX of the Social Security Act for at least 25 percent of their enrolled adults.

The federal food program reimburses meals at established rates based on the family income of the children and adults served. Meals served to eligible homeless and at-risk children are reimbursed at the free rate. The federal funds help institutions offset some of the costs of providing well-balanced, nutritious meals and snacks to enrolled participants.

Meals will be made available to enrolled participants at no separate charge.

The following monthly income eligibility guidelines determine reimbursement rates:

• HOUSEHOLD FAMILY SIZE: 1, Free Lunch: $1,276 Reduced-Price Lunch: $1,815
• HOUSEHOLD FAMILY SIZE: 2, Free Lunch: 1726 Reduced-Price Lunch: 2,456
• HOUSEHOLD FAMILY SIZE: 3, Free Lunch: 2,177 Reduced-Price Lunch: 3,098
• HOUSEHOLD FAMILY SIZE: 4, Free Lunch: 2,628Reduced-Price Lunch:  3,739
• HOUSEHOLD FAMILY SIZE: 5, Free Lunch: 3,078 Reduced-Price Lunch: 4,380
• HOUSEHOLD FAMILY SIZE: 6, Free Lunch: 3,529 Reduced-Price Lunch: 5,022
• HOUSEHOLD FAMILY SIZE: 7, Free Lunch: 3,980 Reduced-Price Lunch: 5,663
• HOUSEHOLD FAMILY SIZE: 8, Free Lunch: 4,430 Reduced-Price Lunch: 6,304
• HOUSEHOLD FAMILY SIZE: ea add’l, Free Lunch: +451 Reduced-Price Lunch: +642

Institutions may apply for the program by contacting Adele Roberts, Child Nutrition Services, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, Washington 98504-7200.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 866-632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; fax: 202-690-7442; or email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

For more Seattle and Portland area events, see our Community Calendar.