Many renters will need state aid to pay back rents and avoid eviction. Nonprofit groups are walking them through the process.
Category: Social Services
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Essential Workers, Labor, Social Services
Yes, Mail-Order Boxes Are a Pain for Sanitation Workers
Some customers had their boxes broken down and neatly bundled, which Recology recycling driver Gareth Willey said helps, Willey but too often, he would open a door to a basement and find the boxes piled high, and would have to figure out a way to get all the material out onto the street and into the truck.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Community, Coronavirus, Health, Social Services, Vaccine Distribution
Campaign Phone Bankers Pivot to Vaccine Outreach
Former state senate candidate and public bank advocate Jackie Fielder recently launched a political action committee, Daybreak PAC, and has shifted some campaign organizing infrastructure toward a vaccine access effort. Some phone bank volunteers now make calls to seniors living in neighborhoods like the Bayview, to ask if they would like to get vaccinated and if they face any barriers to doing so.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Back to School, Coronavirus, Education, Social Services
Teachers Brace for Hybrid School Reopening, Flag Equity Concerns
Three educators — school social worker Yajaira Cuapio, special education teacher Megan Coluza and kindergarten teacher Cathy Sullivan — weighed in on the new school schedule and talked with “Civic” about the impacts of school closures on them and the families they work with.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Aging, Coronavirus, Social Services, Vaccine Distribution
Nonprofit Brings COVID-19 Vaccines to Seniors
Self-Help for the Elderly, has stepped in not just with advocacy for improved access to vaccines, but by bringing doctors who can administer vaccines to the seniors who need them at community centers they already visit. President and CEO Anni Chung joined “Civic” to share how the organization has been vaccinating the seniors it serves.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, City Hall, Coronavirus, Essential Workers, Social Services, Vaccine Distribution
Though Eligible for Vaccine, Some Homelessness Response Workers Turned Away
Mary Kate Bacalao, director of external affairs and policy at Compass Family Services and co-chair of the Homeless Emergency Service Providers Association, spoke with “Civic” about how her staff — and other workers in the sector — have experienced the process of figuring out their eligibility for a vaccine and actually getting one.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Bay Area, Community, Public Safety, Social Services
After Violent Attacks, Community Groups Call for Social Services, Solidarity
A series of violent crimes against Asian seniors in the Bay Area has sparked concern and calls to action, including public gatherings. In San Francisco and Oakland, organizers arranged for socially distanced events over the weekend to emphasize the need for additional resources and services to advance public safety.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Bay Area, Food Systems, Social Services
As Lockdowns Wear on, Food Bank Grows Services to Meet Still-High Need
Hunger has come along with job losses during pandemic-related shutdowns. In the Bay Area, food banks continue to see long lines. The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank has roughly doubled the number of people it serves since before the pandemic. The cost of procuring that food, meanwhile, is rising as federal aid programs expire.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Health, Homelessness, Social Services
Swords to Plowshares Providing In-Person Veterans Services During Pandemic
While its Veterans Day dinner on Wednesday evening will be virtual, staff at the veterans services group Swords to Plowshares have been reaching out to and providing help for veterans in person at drop-in centers and on the street in San Francisco. In addition to some 400 veterans it had already housed permanently, the organization has been able to secure temporary stays in hotel rooms for about 200 people during the pandemic, said executive director Michael Blecker.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Homelessness, Social Services
Responding to Homelessness With Law Enforcement Ineffective, Researchers Say
Researchers at the Urban Institute have been looking into how effective various responses to homelessness are. In a series of blog posts, they issue a warning against a punitive response to homelessness and recommend other ways to respond to homelessness, especially in the context of the coronavirus pandemic that threatens millions of people’s livelihoods and housing stability.