From the A Simple Gesture: How to obtain food from the Red Bag Pantries during the Pandemic

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.

Anacortes Advisory Committee on Accessibility Issues

A note from Kirk Kennedy & Sylvia Cooper:

Exciting news for people with disabilities in Anacortes, their family & friends and those serving this community. 

Please consider attending this information meeting of Anacortes’ newly forming ACAC committee, whose mission is, “To improve the quality of life for residents and visitors with disabilities by eliminating or modifying barriers burdening them.”  To be effective, our ACAC needs input from people with a wide range of disabilities and those who support people with disabilities (spouses, caregivers, professionals, etc.).    Click here to visit ACAC webpage on City’s site.

Continue reading “Anacortes Advisory Committee on Accessibility Issues”

Health Council Meeting (19 Jul 17) – The Panhandling Issue

Notes from the presentation by Officer Karl Wolfswinkel:

 Points to ponder:

Aggressive Panhandling is illegal

Being a public nuisance is illegal (offensive materials, trash, etc.)

Panhandling within city limits is not illegal

Common Questions:
Who has the right to move someone along?
Business representatives (e.g. Office Manager of the church; owner of a small business; Manager at the grocery store) can call police and request that an individual(s) be trespassed or removed Continue reading “Health Council Meeting (19 Jul 17) – The Panhandling Issue”

Skagit Transit Reduced & Free Fares

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

Cheques to the Motel Voucher Program

Please send all checks for the Motel Voucher Program directly to the Anacortes Family Center [1011 27th St, Anacortes WA 98221] with the annotation, “Motel Voucher Program’).

The Anacortes Family Center has been very successful in taking on the role as the clearing house for motel voucher requests to the community, and now that the program is so well-established,  the Anacortes Community Health Council no longer needs to be the clearing house for receiving funds this program.

Thanks to all the churches and others who have helped make the consolidated motel voucher program a great success. No other city in Skagit County (nor Whatcom County, to my knowledge) has a program like this,  and the Health Council takes great pride in its role in helping ensure that we, as a community, can provide the most assistance to the most needy in the most efficient way.

And thanks to the staff at the Anacortes Family Center for receiving all the calls from those seeking assistance and for their oversight of the program. As we all know, helping someone who is in a time of crisis is often a time-consuming but rewarding effort, and we thank the Family Center for the long hours they contribute to the program.

ACHC Meeting – 17 May 17: The Food Issue

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.