This article is sponsored by InterIm CDA.
The Employment Navigation Program, InterIm’s newest program, supports individuals find jobs and resources to ensure that they are financially secure. During the pandemic, the team had to be creative about working with clients and providing with resources.
The pandemic hurt many of the residents and community members in the Seattle’s Chinatown International District. Many residents had lost their jobs and had a hard time applying for unemployment benefits and looking for a job.
The Employment Navigation Team stepped in and started to help them start applying for jobs and unemployment.
Vincent, program manager, and Carmen Hom, former employment navigation coordinator, tabled in Hing Hay, while wearing PPE, supported individuals looking for jobs.
The Employment Team distributed flyers to local restaurants and business to give them information about Small Business Grants. The Team managed to distribute over 50 flyers to local businesses in the CID to bring awareness that there is financial support from local government to keep them open.
COVID-19 exposed the technological inequities in low-income, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), immigrant, and refugee communities. The Employment Navigation applied for King County’s Digital Equity for Vulnerable Adults grant. The Employment Navigation was awarded $35,500 to provide 100+ laptops and 20+ hotspots to the community and individuals that are experiencing homelessness. These were all free laptops.
Laptops are being prepared for delivery! InterIm also provided digital literacy materials for residents to teach them how to care of the laptops and how to use their laptops.
