Seattle, WA. The Asian Counseling and Referral Services, or commonly known as ACRS, is a non-profit organization based on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, in Seattle. The Covid-19 pandemic has not stopped this organization from providing health services, such as mental health and behavioral support and community-building activities and social events for the Asian-American, Pacific Islanders, and underserved immigrant and refugee communities in Seattle. The global pandemic has not hampered the organization’s operations, and yearly events, if anything, have made it as equally as accessible for social promotion and justice advocacy via their online social platforms and web streaming their events for others who could not join physically, could in a remote location.
ACRS has largely impacted the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community for almost 50 years. There are currently over 25 individuals on their Board of Directors.
ACRS, which has recently celebrated its 45th anniversary in celebrating the large network, foundation, and bond within the Asian community in Seattle, was founded in 1973. Wanting to bring social awareness and injustice to the inequities that the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities in the Pacific North West have faced, to recount for years of mistreatment and misdiagnoses due to inability to understand these individuals on a cultural level, ACRS developed 14 programs. Their health services and programs include chemical dependency treatment, comprehensive mental health services, consultation and education for children and families, aging and adults services, and domestic violence batterers treatment. For communities that are struggling financially and economically, ACRS is connected with the local food bank to provide congregate meals and emergency feeding. The other services range from information and referral services that include a legal clinic, citizenship/immigration assistance, and civic engagement, and training services to prepare those seeking employment.
Going from walk-in takeaways, ACRS, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic now delivers hot meals, groceries, and other basic needs to families in the King County area.
So what’s currently happening at ACRS? Every year, for the past 31 years, ACRS holds the event “Walk For Rice” where participants register online and help raise funding for the ACRS’ Food Bank to provide enough culturally nostalgic, familiar foods, and hot ready-to-go meals for King County residents (immigrants, refugees, and other families who have been hit hard by the pandemic) for two months: April 5 – June 26th. However, since this year’s Walk For Rice event was conducted fully remote and virtual, ACRS has been able to strategize competently. Instead of their normal walk-in distribution, they have decided to do home deliveries (at a safe distance). Despite this large success, and the countless volunteers, helpers, and community partners, to keep maintaining such an efficient scale, ACRS is in need of more support from the community. As seen in the photo above and below.
ACRS volunteers and community partners helping out with the ACRS Food Bank.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, ACRS has not stunted their services. They have managed to continue providing countless and accessible support for those who need it (particularly consultation services) through an appointment-based system from 9 AM – 4 PM Mondays to Fridays to protect those immunocompromised, and for more immediate services, they have a hotline that can be contacted: Crisis Connections.
From Asian Counseling and Referral Services:
ACRS promotes social justice and the well-being and empowerment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities – including immigrants, refugees, and American-born – by developing, providing and advocating for innovative, effective, and efficient community-based multilingual and multicultural services.
Our agency’s largely bilingual and bicultural staff of about 280 collectively speak 40 languages and dialects. ACRS staff, many of whom speak the same language and come from the same cultures as the people we serve, touch the lives of more than 35,000 people annually.Asian Counseling and Referral Service helps clients attain the highest levels of self-sufficiency in Western society while maintaining their cultural identities. In most cases, clients are served by professional staff who speak the same language and come from the same culture. ACRS provides programs and services listed below in a culturally appropriate setting in order to improve the lives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, whether immigrant, refugee or native-born.
Seattle, WA. Hopelink is continuing to provide food services in a safe way for its clients, staff, and volunteers. The nonprofit is providing people with prepackaged boxes of food rather than having clients select food within its facilities. The prepackaged boxes of food contain shelf-stable items, like pasta and beans, as well as meat, dairy, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Each household can pick up enough food for 21 meals per person. All people have to do is go to the table at Hopelink’s building entrance, get their box of food, and leave. Director of Communications Todd Langton says that this process is “all done in an appropriately social distanced” fashion. Since Hopelink began offering prepackaged boxed of food, the organization has distributed the equivalent of over one million meals to community members. Click here to find hours at each of Hopelink’s food banks. More information about Hopelink’s health and safety practices are on the COVID-19 response page of its website.
The contents of a prepackaged box of food from Hopelink
Another significant change made to Hopelink’s food services is where the food is sourced. Before COVID-19, Langton says that “80% of food collected for distribution came from food donations and food rescue programs.” When COVID-19 arrived, Hopelink had to stop accepting its regular food donations and began purchasing its food on the wholesale market. Currently, Hopelink is only accepting donations of produce and face masks, in addition to monetary contributions.
Food being prepared for distribution at Hopelink
Hopelink has also trained many staff members to assist with its eviction prevention program, which exists to help provide at-risk families with funds to prevent eviction. Langton shares that from March 15 to June 30, Hopelink has spent $690,000 on its eviction prevention program and aided 550 households. This is a significant increase from 2019, in which Hopelink spent $110,000 and aided 115 households during the same three-month time period.
On the organization’s website, there are many success stories from people whose lives have been improved by Hopelink’s services. One of these stories is that of Michelle Chappon, a mother who found herself struggling to make ends meet as she juggled caring for her autistic son and working to provide for her family. Michelle says that when she came to Hopelink “things totally changed” for her. Hopelink’s Redmond food bank provided Michelle with both “food and moral support.” She shares that she “wouldn’t be able to live independently” without Hopelink’s services.
Due to COVID-19, Hopelink shut down public access to its Centers and asked its volunteers to stay home earlier this year. In addition to adapting its food services, Hopelink is also conducting its adult education, employment, financial assistance, and energy services online or through phone appointments. Transportation DART services provided by Hopelink are still operational and will continue while abiding my Metro safety guidelines. Non-emergency medical transportation services for Medicaid recipients in King and Snohomish county are also still operational. The flyer below explains which Hopelink programs are available and how people may access them.
Information about Hopelink’s programming during COVID-19
Since 1971, Hopelink has served homeless and low-income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities in King and Snohomish counties; providing stability and helping people gain the skills and knowledge they need to exit poverty for good.
Hopelink’s mission is to promote self-sufficiency for all members of our community; we help people make lasting change.
Seattle, WA. Mary’s Place is offering the same services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as it did before the virus. These services include emergency family shelter, meals, clothing, medical services, housing specialists, and many more programs and resources. Nevertheless, COVID-19 has shifted how many of these offerings are administered. Specifically, protocols have been put in place to protect guests, staff, and volunteers from the virus. Chief Communications Officer Linda Mitchell says that Mary’s Place is still “making changes every day.” Health and safety protocols include requiring all staff, guests, and visitors to wear masks in common areas and regularly wash hands. Mary’s Place is also conducting daily health assessments of guests and staff, increasing cleaning schedules and protocols, and identifying isolation areas should someone exhibit COVID-19 symptoms. For more information about Mary’s Place’s commitment to health and safety, people may visit the organization’s COVID-19 page on its website.
Watch the video below to learn about Mary’s Place’s goal of giving children, and their families, a place to stay while they work on getting housing.
Another significant change Mary’s Place has made is how its food programming is carried out. According to Mitchell, “a lot more people have been in [Mary’s Place shelters] and eating meals” which has led to a need to “increase food supply.” Before the pandemic, Mary’s Place relied on food recovery services to provide meals for guests, but these services have been hit hard due to COVID-19. To remedy this, Mitchell shares that Mary’s Place has “gotten creative with corporate partners” and “partnered with local restaurants” to obtain food for the influx of guests. Since local restaurants shut down earlier this year in light of the virus, many have turned to local organizations like Mary’s Place to provide meals for those in need. Some corporations are also buying food from local restaurants to deliver to Mary’s Place.
As far as volunteers go, Mitchell reports that Mary’s Place has paused its in-person volunteer program as a result of COVID-19. Thus, Mary’s Place has adapted how volunteers assist with programs at the organization, particularly those related to children and education. Groups of students at Mary’s Place receive virtual tutoring through Zoom, and some engage in “talk time” in which they work with volunteers to improve their English skills. Since school is starting up again, Mary’s Place is also working to keep children connected to educational resources, get their necessary equipment set up, and provide general support for students as they begin online schoolwork. Click here to see the ways you may safely volunteer and support Mary’s Place.
Children at Mary’s Place preparing to go to school. Through Mary’s Place’s services, children receive all kinds of school-related support from staff and volunteers.
Since 1999, Mary’s Place has aided hundreds of women and families in moving out of homelessness and into more secure living situations. Mary’s Place currently has six family centers across King County, as well as a Women’s Day Center in downtown Seattle. Across its shelters, Mary’s Place provides 680 beds for those in need of shelter. On average, Mary’s Place helps families move into stable housing in just 90 days.
In addition to food, shelter, clothing, and medical services, Mary’s Place possesses additional resources. The Baby’s Best Start program allows moms with newborns to recover and bond with children in a private and nurturing environment. Popsicle Place provides care for medically fragile children and their families. Housing specialists work with families to create and achieve housing and financial goals. And while parents work with housing specialists, the Kids Club provides children with age-appropriate activities, homework assistance, and more. People may learn more about these programs and others on Mary’s Place’s website.
Children reading at Mary’s Place. Through the Kids Club, children receive age-appropriate activities and homework assistance.
Looking ahead, a big event coming up at Mary’s Place is its SHINE Virtual Gala on October 23. The gala will feature a live singing competition, live and silent auction, and the opportunity to order meal packages from local restaurants. Registration for the SHINE Virtual Gala is available now, click here to learn more.
From Mary’s Place:
To support Mary’s Place, people can make financial donations, donate items off of its Amazon Charity List, or make face masks to donate. Mary’s Place also accepts donations of medical supplies and clothing, particularly underwear at the moment. While volunteer opportunities are currently limited, people may volunteer by creating inspirational cards or setting up Zoom meetings with guests. People can learn more about volunteer opportunities here.
Mary’s Place provides safe, inclusive shelter and services that support women, children, and families on their journey out of homelessness.
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