COVID-19 and Wildfire Smoke, City of Seattle, County Partner to Open New Healthy Air Center in SoDo for People Experiencing Homelessness

Tents are pitched illegally on a sidewalk in Seattle in January. The number of people sleeping outside in the city shot up by 20 percent in just the past year.

seattle homeless

by Anthony Derrick on September 11, 2020

SEATTLE (September 11, 2020) – Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the opening of a new healthy air center in SoDo for people experiencing homelessness during the wildfire smoke this weekend. The SoDo site will open this afternoon and will provide approximately 80 people with healthy air and shelter. Over the last day, new forecasts show shifting wind patterns that are causing some of the dense smoke produced by the wildfires in Oregon and California to move into Western Washington, creating unhealthy to very unhealthy air quality in the Puget Sound Region that is expected to last for the next several days. You can follow updates to impacted City services here.

Traditionally, the region’s smoke and unhealthy air quality response has relied on people minimizing time outdoors and informing people of available facilities that have air filtration. Public Health – Seattle & King County advises that facilities should meet air filtration guidance and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission including social distancing and other health and hygiene measures.

Read more HERE

HOW WHITE WOMEN KEPT JIM CROW ALIVE

‘SEGREGATION’S CONSTANT GARDENERS’
Elizabeth McRae’s recent book introduces us to good white mothers, PTA members, and newspaper columnists who were also committed white supremacists. Read more Here

Dealing with Racism

and..

The Uncomfortable Truth

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Seattle police plans hiring campaign amid plan to beef up downtown presence

The Seattle Police Department plans to launch another recruiting campaign in the coming weeks amid a plan to ramp up their downtown presence after a shooting in downtown and several other high profile crimes.

Read more HERE

If Cops Don’t Die From Incidental Fentanyl Exposure, then…..

If Cops Don’t Die From Incidental Fentanyl Exposure, a Drug Treatment Specialist Warns, They ‘Could Become Addicted to It Instantly’

The latest example is an incident in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, early last Friday morning, when three officers responded to a call about a man who had overdosed. WBRE, the NBC station in Wilkes-Barre, reports that “all three became ill and it could have been much worse.” After the officers “were exposed to the highly addictive and potentially deadly opioid fentanyl,” WBRE says, “one officer nearly overdosed,” while the other two felt unwell. Hazleton Police Chief Jerry Speziale explains the context:

My officer goes to pull him out, the first officer on scene. They hit him with Narcan [a.k.a. naloxone, an opioid antagonist],…Read more HERE

October is: National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an annual designation observed in October. For many, home is a place of love, warmth, and comfort. It’s somewhere that you know you will be surrounded by care and support, and a nice little break from the busyness of the real world. But for millions of others, home is anything but a sanctuary. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are victims of physical violence by a partner every year.

Every 9 seconds, a woman in the U.S. is beaten or assaulted by a current or ex-significant other.

1 in 4 men are victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.

Federal Way police dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence

By Andy Hwang

Federal Way Chief of Police

Domestic violence is a serious crime that affects people of all incomes, races, ages, and gender. This social problem exists in every community and Federal Way is no exception.

In our city, police officers respond to over 2,700 domestic violence calls each year and it is consistently in our top five calls-for-service each month – about seven calls-per-day. Even with the significant number of calls responded to by police, 70% of domestic violence that occurs goes unreported.

Read more Here

HOW TO OBSERVE

Use #DomesticViolenceAwareness to post on social media. Sometimes, people don’t know if they are really in an abusive relationship because they’re used to their partner calling them crazy or making them feel like all the problems are their own fault. Here are a few ways to know if you’re in an abusive relationship that you need to get out of.

Your partner has hit you, beat you, or strangled you in the past.

Your partner is possessive. They check up on you constantly wondering where you are; they get mad at you for hanging out with certain people if you don’t do what they say.

Your partner is jealous. (A small amount of jealousy is normal and healthy) however, if they accuse you of being unfaithful or isolate you from family or friends, that means the jealousy has gone too far.

Your partner puts you down. They attack your intelligence, looks, mental health, or capabilities. They blame you for all of their violent outbursts and tell you nobody else will want you if you leave.

Your partner threatens you or your family.

Your partner physically and sexually abuses you. If they EVER push, shove, or hit you, or make you have sex with them when you don’t want to, they are abusing you (even if it doesn’t happen all the time.)

Seattle Police stocking up on opioid overdose medicine – EVENT! SAT AUGUST 31, 2019

Eight cities in Washington will host events for Overdose Awareness Day, Saturday.

The Seattle Police Department has ordered 145 more doses of naloxone, the opioid overdose medicine, to be distributed across their five precincts. Read More

According to the National Safety Council, there were 61,311 preventable drug overdoses in the country in 2017.

Of those, more than 43,000 involved opioids.

For more information of the efforts in Washington state to stop overdoses, click here.

August 31, Seattle
Who: VOCAL Washington

What: Resilience, Remembrance and Healing. An event to create a space that holds people that are grieving and also increases awareness of the issue of overdose and what can be done to prevent them. Naloxone distribution and overdose prevention training.

Where: Occidental Park, 117 South Washington Street, Seattle, WA 98104

When: August 31, 2019, 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Contact: info@vocal-wa.org

Overdose Awareness Day Events 2019

August 21, Mount Vernon
Who: Pioneer Counseling/Phoenix Recovery Services. Skagit County

What: Overdose Awareness Event, Awareness Walk at 5:00 p.m. Free NARCAN, overdose response trainings, food, music, tribute board, resource booth.

Where: Cleveland Park, 1401 Cleveland Street, Mount Vernon, WA, 98273

When: August 21, 2019. 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Contact: (360) 848-8437

August 28, Yakima
Who: Triumph Treatment Services

What: “Time to Remember. Time to Act”. Memorial wall to honor those who were lost due to an overdose. Attendees are encouraged to bring photos of loved ones impacted or lost, and to stand in solidarity with friends and families of fatal overdose victims.

Where: Franklin Park. 410 S 19th Ave, Yakima, WA, 98902

When: August 28, 2019, 3:00 p.m. – Dusk

Contact: Triumph Treatment Services (509) 571-1455

August 28, Belfair
Who: Mason County

What: “Mason County Overdose Awareness Month”. Overdose awareness walk, resources, treatment providers, naloxone distribution and overdose response training.

Where: North Mason Timberland Library. 23081 NE State Route 3, Belfair, WA 98528

When: August 28, 2019, 4:00 p.m. till 7:00 p.m. Awareness walk starts at 6:00 p.m.

Contact: Abe Gardner (360) 463-2238

August 29, Shelton
Who: Mason County

What: “Mason County Overdose Awareness Month”. Overdose awareness walk, resources, treatment providers, naloxone distribution and overdose response training.

Where: Kneeland Park, West Railroad Ave, Shelton, WA 98584

When: August 29, 2019, 4:00 p.m. till 7pm. Awareness walk starts at 6:00 p.m.

Contact: Abe Gardner (360) 463-2238

August 31, Vancouver
Who: Clark County Public Health, Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health, and Clark County Opioid Task Force

What: Opioid overdose intervention training with the overdose prevention drug, Naloxone. A limited supply of free Naloxone kits will be available at the event. RSVP for overdose intervention training: https://sw_wa_opioid_awareness_day_2019.eventbrite.com

There will also be the third annual Southwest Washington Overdose Awareness Day candlelight vigil from 6-8pm, no RSVP needed.

Where: Marshall Community Center, 1009 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98663

When: August 31, 2019. Overdose prevention training 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Candlelight Vigil 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Contact: jim.jensen@southwestach.org

September 5, Everett
Who: Snohomish County Overdose Prevention

What: “A Night to Remember, A Time to Act.” Resource fair, speakers, candlelight vigil, attendees are encouraged to bring photos of loved ones lost to overdose or impacted by drug use.

Where: Snohomish County Campus, 3000 Rockefeller Ave, #5, Everett, WA, 98201

When: September 5, 2019. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Doors open at 6pm, indoor resource fair 6:30-7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. move outside for speakers and candlelight vigil.

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/events/342389723365852/

September 6, Okanogan
Who: Okanogan County Public Health

What: An event to remember friends and family affected by overdose. We will offer resources, including overdose response training and naloxone distribution.

Where: Okanogan County Public Health 1234 2nd Ave South, Okanogan, WA 98840

When: September 6, 2019. 6230-4:30 p.m.

Contact: (509) 422-7140

Homeless Employment Program (HEP) Tue., May 14, 10 – 11am

Homeless Employment Program (HEP)

The Homeless Employment Program (HEP) is an employment program for folks who are experiencing homelessness. Some of the assistance includes job search, resume help, interview skills, money management, housing search and some supported services.

Tue., May 14, 10 – 11am
WorkSource Affiliate Downtown Seattle
2024 3rd Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121

Deadline: March 1 – Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP)

Youth Employment

Visit the Seattle Youth Employment Program Website

HSD’s Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides internship opportunities for young people (16-24) in our community who are from low-income households and communities that experience racial, social, and economic disparities. SYEP promotes work readiness and helps young people explore career opportunities during their summer internships. Through 150 hours of paid employment and training, young people develop the skills needed to compete in Seattle’s competitive job market.
SYEP Internships

Important Dates & Information

Applications open: February 08, 2019

Applications close: March 01, 2019

Internships start: June 26, 2019

Internships end: August 20, 2019
Eligibility

City of Seattle resident
Ages 16 to 24
Demonstrated ability to be responsible, determined and committed
Completion of designated job readiness trainings and orientations
Low-income (based on 2018 HUD Income Guidelines)
2018 HUD Guidelines

Due to the limited number of internships, applications will be offered based on a lottery and placements in job are not guaranteed. Apply online using a smart phone, desktop computer, laptops, or tablets. NO paper applications will be accepted.

*Proof of residence and income eligibility is required*

Apply Now!
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Refer a Young Person to SYEP

If you are interested in recommending a youth or young adult to the Seattle Youth Employment Program, please contact us at (206) 386-1375.

Become an Employer!

If your company or organization would like to hire a young person through the Seattle Youth Employment Program, please email HSD_SYEP@seattle.gov or call (206) 386-1375.

DEA: Teens ‘I Choose my Future’ and Teens increase in Vaping

You could hear a pin drop as 700 Boise middle school students hear DEA’s #ICHOOSEMYFUTURE DEA Caribbean, DEA San Diego and DEA Seattle challenged kids know their why & chose their futures. Dont be copy, be yourself. Way to deliver Bobby and Rocky! #drugsaresonotcool

Seattle DEA Twitter
Overall, the #MTF2018 survey found within the past year, teens in all three grades have greatly increased use of “any vaping” (i.e. nicotine, marijuana), raising the possibility of teens transitioning to smoking tobacco cigarettes within the next few years.

Public libraries and YMCAs to get Narcan to prevent opioid overdoses

Narcan, that drug meant to help prevent an opioid overdose, is becoming more readily available.

Seattle police carry it. It’s available at CVS and Walgreens without a prescription. And now, it’s going to be available at thousands of public libraries and YMCAs nationwide.

drugs addicts in south tel aviv

Every day, 115 people in the U.S. die because of opioid overdoses.

Read more <HERE