Category: Uncategorized

A new grant program is being offered to provide direct support and funding to at-risk youth and young adults who are interested in attending Skagit Valley College. 

Angel Aguilar-Corrales, Job Corps Scholars (JCS) Navigator, is recruiting potential youth (ages 16-24) who qualify for their JCS grant. Angel and her colleague will work one on one with students, helping with the application process, developing an education and career plan, and providing extra support. SVC will provide students with funding for tuition, transportation, book costs, housing and food.

Individuals who qualify are those who come from low income backgrounds, live in one of five counties (Skagit, Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Snohomish) and have one barrier to higher educations (including High School Dropout, homeless, are in the Foster Care system, Caring for a Child, Student with disabilities or English deficient).

The programs covered in this grant include certifications for Medical Billing & Coding, Pharmacy Technician, Automotive, Manufacturing, Marine Technology, Multimedia & Interactive Technology, Technical Design, and Welding. We also offer GED and High School programs concurrently.

See the attached flyer in English and Spanish. SVC is currently accepting referrals for Spring quarter.

Anacortes Senior Care and Assisted Living Guide (https://www.caring.com/senior-living/assisted-living/washington/anacortes) is produced by Caring.com, a leading senior care resource for family caregivers seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses and other loved ones. They have been featured by AARP, The Administration for Community Living, The National Legal Resource Center, and Forbes, as well as referenced by many governmental agencies and organizations across the Internet

A message from A Simple Gesture about April’s Red Bag Pickup: 

These are extraordinary times, and we hope that you are all staying safe, remaining steadfast, and supporting one another during this forced “pause” in all our lives. We want to update you on ASG’s plans in light of the COVID-19 situation and what would normally be our April pickup day.

Our desire is to make sure your donations get to the food bank and ultimately to those in need, while also keeping everyone safe. As a board, we’ve had many discussions about this, and concluded that the best way to do this is to CANCEL our scheduled April 11 pickup.  In lieu of our pickup day, we are asking you to drop off your filled bag directly to the food bank. Following are important details about this:

• For this particular donation, please use disposable bags (paper or plastic), NOT your red ASG bag.  Please save your red bag for next time
  
• Drop off your filled bag dairectly at the food bank, only if you are not ill.  If you are experiencing symptoms of illness, or are caring for someone with symptoms, do not drop off a bag until at least 72 hours after all symptoms are gone.
  
• The Salvation Army’s (TSA) food bank is considered an essential service, as are the donations made to it.  Their office remains open, and bags can be dropped off inside the lobby of their front office during business hours:  Monday-Thursday, 9am-4pm (closed 12-1pm for lunch).  They are located at 3001 R Ave. If you need assistance unloading your bag at TSA, they ask that you call ahead at (360) 293-6682 to make sure they’re available and can watch for your vehicle. Please do not drop off bags when their office is closed; we don’t want them sitting outside over night!
  

Current Food Shortages:  Spaghetti sauce, pasta, jam/jelly, single-serve fruit cups, single-serve applesauce cups, mac & cheese, meals-in-a-can, soups, Ensure-type drinks, canned meats (except tuna).  Also, while not essential, the food bank could use more bags of flour and sugar.

The food bank still has plenty of the following, and does NOT NEED: canned tuna, peanut butter, diced tomatoes, canned veggies (overstocked on green beans and corn), beans of all types.

Special Request:  **Please remember these are EXTRA items to add to your bag should you choose.  Otherwise, please focus on food shortages.**
April’s special request is for (you guessed it!) toilet paper, paper towels, facial tissues, and disinfecting wipes/cleaners.  We fully realize that many of these items are in short supply everywhere, but would you mind checking your stash at home to see if you have an item to spare?

If you would prefer make a monetary donation, you may do so online at https://a-simple-gesture-anacortes.square.site, or by mailing a check payable to A Simple Gesture-Anacortes, P.O. Box 1413, Anacortes, WA 98221.  Monetary donations will be used to purchase food to keep our Red Bag Pantries stocked.

At this time of uncertainty and anxiety for many, we are especially thankful for all of you and your continued willingness to help those in need.  We are encouraged and inspired by it!  We will continue to give you updates about what we’re up to, but in the meantime, please let us know should you have any questions.

Thank you,
Your ASG Board of Directors

Resources For Worker Assistance
Our thanks to Janet McKinney who shared this list of resources from the Washington State Labor Council. Other resources can be found at https://www.wslc.org/covid-19/.

• EDS Paid Family Medical Leave visit https://paidleave.wa.gov/
• Unemployment Benefits https://esd.wa.gov/,  if denied contact Unemployment Law Project at http://unemploymentlawproject.org/,  Waiting a week has been waived for WA State
• Washington Apple Health Special Enrollment Period is now available through April 8th at www.wahealthplanfinder.org  
• Apply for Washington Apple Health Medicaid through https://www.hca.wa.gov/
• Financial Assistance through Foundation for Working Families https://www.wslc.org/
• Financial Help through Department of Financial Institutions https://dfi.wa.gov/
• Small Business assistance at http://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/
• Insurance question contact https://www.insurance.wa.gov/
• Emergency Assistance Program through Economic Services Administration at https://www.dshs.wa.gov/ – This can cover rent including back rent, deposits for rent or utilities, home repairs, basic local telephone services, utilities and short term lodging such as motels
• United Way Resources dial 211
• Governor Inslee has instituted statewide moratorium on evictions of residential tenants for the next 30 days. Law Enforcement will not enforce eviction orders based solely on non-payment of rent
• Federal Housing Finance Agency directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to suspend foreclosures and eviction for at least 60 days

Information on what’s open and closed, restaurants that offer carry-out and delivery services and other related information is updated at the Skagit Valley Herald’s COVID-19 page, here: https://www.goskagit.com/coronavirus/

You can sign up for news updates in your neighborhood at NextDoor.com, a neighborhood hub for connections and the exchange of helpful information, goods, and services.  Here’s where you can join:

https://help.nextdoor.com/s/article/How-to-join-Nextdoor?language=en_US

Safeway (360)293-5393 hours are 6 am until 1 am.  Every Tuesday and Thursday from 7 am until 9am Seniors will have priority for in-store shopping.  (SW cannot, obviously, bar  non-Seniors from shopping but hoping people will allow Seniors to shop without large crowd during stated time on these two days of the week.
Safeway has delivery orders also.  Go to it’s website for Anacortes WA Safeway.
P.S. It is nice to tip home delivery person $3-5.

The Market 360 588 8181: hours are 6 am until 10 pm.  www.themarketswa.com  or
the marketswa.com>anacortes. “Curbside” ordering service takes orders (over phone) between 7 am and noon; you pick up your order later.

The Store is at south end of Anacortes–beyond the round -bout–919  37th St.  360 293 2851.  Hours are 7 am -7 pm.  It has delii open from 7 am until 2 pm.  Known for bakery goods too.

Old Salts  in Skyline open also.  1900 Skyline Way across from clubhouse.  360 293 0618  Hours are 6:30 am – 9 pm

From Sue at A Simple Gesture / Red Bag Pantries: Now that the Anacortes Public Library and Senior Activity Center are closed, there is food available from the Red Bag Pantries at the Police Station (across from the Middle School on M Ave) and the Fire Station #1 (13th and O).   

Additionally, the Anacortes Family Center (27th and Commercial) has kindly agreed to be a “hand out station” for us, and they want the requests to come to them via email to: 

M-Th: samantha@anacortesfamily. org
F-S:  seriah@anacortesfamily.org

Once you’ve sent an email, you can pick up food the next day between 12-2:00, and you will receive instructions via a return email as to how/ where.

Reduced Fare

Skagit Transit offers reduced fares for those with special needs. Reduced fares are available for :

• People with a disability
• People aged 65 and older
• People with a Medicare card

A Reduced Fare Card or Medicare Card should be presented to the driver when boarding.  A Reduced Fare Card can be acquired at:

• Skagit Station, 105 East Kincaid, Mount Vernon
• Skagit Transit HQ, 600 County Shop Lane, Burlington

Also available from Customer Service is a Regional Reduced Fare Permit. These sell for $3.00 and a valid on any Puget Sound transit system as well as WA State Ferries. Please bring proof of your eligibility.

Free Passes

Skagit Transit distributes free day passes to Human Services agencies through our Ride Pass Grant Program. Each agency sets their own policy and procedure for distribution to clients with financial need.

Information on the Ride Grant Pass and the other programs mentioned above are at skagittransit.org

A list of those churches and other agencies who provide food & meals in Anacortes is available in the following link: Food in Anacortes – A DropBox file

If you have any additions or corrections contact AnacortesEric@gmail.com, and I’ll forward them to Nancy Yount at Anacortes Christian Church, who holds the Master Document.