NOVEMBER 17, 2020
Alameda County Responsibility to Community Health (ARCH) Program Expanded to Serve Residents throughout County
Since August 24, 2020, the Alameda County Responsibility to Community Health (ARCH) program has issued over 800 one-time stipends to qualifying residents. As a partnership between the Alameda County Social Services Agency, Health Care Services Agency (HCSA), Auditor-Controller, and designated community health clinic partners, the ARCH program provides much needed financial support and makes it possible for COVID-19-positive individuals to self-isolate for the requisite number of days recommended by the Alameda County Public Health Department. Eligible residents are referred to ARCH via HCSA's network of Case Investigation/Contact Tracing partners.

During the pilot stage of the program from August 24 through November 1, 2020, eligible individuals were required to reside in one of the designated high-risk neighborhoods and zip codes. Effective November 2, 2020, eligibility of this program has been expanded to all Alameda County residents who meet the program eligibility criteria.

The program will be operational until December 31, 2020.
Download Frequently Asked Questions
Just Launched: eCF37 - Mobile-Friendly Website for Online CalFresh Recertification (CF37)
Alameda County CalFresh recipients can now recertify their eligibility by completing, signing, and submitting verification with their CF37 online through a new mobile-friendly website: https://ecf37.acgov.org.
Pandemic-EBT Benefits Extended to Help Feed California's Kids As Schools Continue Distance Learning
Over the summer of 2020, Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) provided food benefits to eligible school-aged children for the months of March, April, May, and June 2020. P-EBT benefits help families in California buy food when schools are closed because of the pandemic emergency. Recently, California was approved to provide additional P-EBT benefits to children who already received P-EBT benefits for the months of August and September 2020. Under the P-EBT extension, each eligible child will receive a new P-EBT card.

California began mailing new P-EBT cards on Monday, October 26, 2020. To reach all eligible children, the state will continue mailing new P-EBT cards through the end of December 2020.

Benefit amounts are unique to each child and determined based on how many school days a student can be assumed to be attending school via distance learning.

Families that have already received a P-EBT card and need assistance with PIN set-up, need to request a replacement card, or did not receive their card in the mail as expected, may contact the P-EBT Helpline at (877) 328-9677.
Download the flyer

For more information: visit https://www.cdss.ca.gov/home/pandemic-ebt
P-EBT Survey for Families
The California Association of Food Banks, the Congressional Hunger Center, and the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights are conducting a survey on families' experience with P-EBT: how it helped them to buy food, and what challenges were faced in applying for or using P-EBT.

Families who received P-EBT are encouraged to complete this survey. It is anonymous, unless the respondent chooses to provide their email address to be entered into a drawing for a $50 Visa gift card. The survey will take about 5-10 minutes to finish: https://bit.ly/pebt-surveynk

Providers - please help spread the word and encourage your clients to complete the survey! Here is a social media toolkit with sample posts in English, Spanish, and Chinese that you can use.
Emergency Food Distribution Sites Extended to End of December 2020
Emergency food distribution sites have been extended until the end of December 2020. Pre-packaged emergency food bags, boxes and/or produce are distributed on a first come, first served basis. No walk-ups are permitted. Masks must be worn by customers.

Days and hours of operation are contingent upon weather.
Through December 31, 2020:
Alameda County • Pleasanton Fairgrounds
4501 Pleasanton Ave, Pleasanton, CA 94566
Tuesday and Thursday weekly
9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Enter Gate 8 off of Valley Avenue and proceed down Road 8. Customers will be required to enter a one-direction car line. Follow the signs and proceed to the large parking lot near Building A. Each car will be directed to drive up, one at a time, to the covered pick-up location next to Building A to receive food bags/boxes.

Please note: this site will be closed on November 26 and December 24. 
Through December 30, 2020:
Zhone Way (Arena Center) Distribution Site
7105 Oakport Street, Oakland, CA 94621
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday weekly
9:00 am to 3:30 pm

The car line forms on Oakport St. and proceeds in the southern direction. Customers are directed to drive up one at a time to a covered pick-up location next to the building.
Great Plates Delivered:
Extended to December 8, 2020
The Alameda County Great Plates Delivered (GPD) meal delivery program for older adults has been extended through Tuesday, December 8, 2020Administered by the Alameda County Social Services Agency, with services provided by GoGoGrandparent and local restaurants, GPD has helped ensure that eligible older adults remain safely sheltered and still have access to healthy meals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information on the Alameda County GPD program, go to https://acgreatplates.acgov.org. The Alameda County GPD program serves eligible older adults age 60 and older, with the exception of Oakland residents. The City of Oakland operates its own program; for more information, go to Great Plates Delivered - Oakland.
Covered California Open Enrollment for 2021 Coverage: November 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021
Open enrollment for 2021 coverage through Covered California has begun. For 2021 coverage, the open-enrollment period is November 1, 2020, through January 31, 2021. California residents and lawfully present people in the state are eligible for a health plan through Covered California. Click here to apply or renew coverage.

Outside open enrollment, people who experience qualifying life events can apply during special enrollment. The most common change is loss of health insurance, usually due to a change in your job. Other changes include getting married, having a baby, and moving to a new area. For most qualifying life events, you have 60 days from the date on which the qualifying life event happens to enroll in a Covered California health insurance plan or change your existing plan.

If you have recently experienced a qualifying life event, you can enroll at any time of the year. Medi-Cal enrollment is also year-round. Medi-Cal and Covered California use the same application. After you enter your information, you will find out whether you qualify for Medi-Cal or Covered California.
Tax Season is Coming Up - Save the Dates for the
Social Services Agency's No-Cost Tax Preparation
The Alameda County Social Services Agency is providing no-cost IRS-certified tax preparation assistance to low- and moderate-income taxpayers from February 1, 2021 through April 14, 2021 through our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

We are currently mapping out a virtual service model that will be a hybrid of virtual, drop-off and limited in-person tax preparation services. Starting in December 2020, customers will be able to book an appointment at one of three locations to have their taxes prepared at no cost by our qualified IRS-certified preparers. With the help of technology and new IRS guidelines, we are working to set up a structure that will allow social distancing, facial coverings, and sanitation of work stations.

When it is available, the online appointment scheduler will be published on our Agency homepage.
Community Input Wanted: BenefitsCal Logo Survey
BenefitsCal will be a unified site for customers to apply for and manage their benefits. It will replace the existing portals: MyBenefitsCalWIN, C4Yourself, and YourBenefitsNow!

A new logo will be selected for BenefitsCal. The community is invited to participate in a short survey and share their input. The survey is completely anonymous and will close Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 5:00 pm.

Featured Job Postings and Hiring Events
The Alameda County Social Services Agency's Career Development Specialists work closely with local employers to host hiring events and share recruitment information with the community. Interested applicants will need to refer to the specific job postings for requirements and contact information. For openings within the County of Alameda, please visit https://www.acgov.org/hrs
United States Postal Service: Virtual Hiring Fair on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 - 10:00 am. Free and open to the public. Pre-register: https://rb.gy/rugm5s

Virtual Job Fair – Healthcare: Thursday, November 19, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm hosted by the City of Oakland Workforce Development Board. Pre-register: https://bit.ly/2YVbI46

Hire Together 2.0 Virtual Career Fair: Thursday, November 19, 2020 - 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Pre-register: https://tinyurl.com/hiretogether2

Safeway Virtual Recruitment Event - Wednesday, November 25, 2020 - 10:00 am. Complete your pre-application in advance to receive your Zoom link.

Beacon Homecare: Full-time, part-time, and on-call opportunities available.

Plastikon Industries: Seeking Material Handlers and Warehouse Team Members in Hayward.
Alameda County Contract Opportunities
Businesses and organizations are encouraged to visit the County of Alameda Contracting Opportunities website to learn about current contract opportunities for goods, services, and construction projects.
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NEW REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: Career Services Collaborative
DEADLINE: Friday, November 20, 2020 - 2:00 pm
The Alameda County Workforce Development Board (ACWDB) is requesting proposals for the in-person and virtual delivery of employment and training services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 within the Alameda County local workforce area. Under this Request for Proposals (RFP), ACWDB seeks responses from experienced organizations with the capacity to act as the Career Services Collaborative (CSC) lead and coordinator for provision of WIOA Career Services for Adult and Dislocated Workers. See flyer.

DEADLINE: Friday, November 20, 2020 - 4:00 pm
The Alameda County Workforce Development Board (ACWDB) is requesting proposals for the in-person and virtual delivery of employment and training services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 within the Alameda County local workforce area. Under this Request for Proposals (RFP), ACWDB seeks responses from experienced organizations with the capacity to act as the Comprehensive America’s Job Center of California (AJCC) Operator, and provide Career Services to Adult and Dislocated Worker clients in the Eden Area, consisting of the cities of Hayward, Castro Valley, San Leandro, San Lorenzo and the unincorporated areas of Ashland and Cherryland. See flyer.

DEADLINE: Thursday, December 31, 2020 - 2:00 pm
The Alameda County Social Services Agency seeks qualified vendors for a vendor pool to rapidly deploy expanded emergency food distribution and meal delivery services that will help meet the growing food and nutritional needs of home-bound seniors, youth, medically vulnerable individuals, and individuals and families who are experiencing food insecurity and hunger as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Program Contact Information
PUBLIC BENEFITS PROGRAMS

To apply for benefits online:

By telephone:
Speak to an eligibility worker to apply for Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, General Assistance, Refugee Cash Assistance, and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) over the phone or request an application for any program:
510-263-2420 or 1-888-999-4772
EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Housing and Emergency Lodging Program (HELP)
This program is available to single adults who are Alameda County residents and are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless.

Alameda County Season of Sharing (SOS) provides one-time emergency housing assistance and critical family needs to families with children 18 and under living in the home; seniors age 55 and older; individuals with medically verified disabilities; veterans; emancipated or former foster youth; victims of domestic violence or violent crimes; and pregnant women in their 2nd trimester or later. Read more about eligibility and program criteria
CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES

ADULT & AGING SERVICES

Office Locations
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Alameda County Social Services Agency provides limited in-person services at each of our office locations. 
Adult & Aging Services
Eastmont Town Center
6955 Foothill Blvd. | Suite 300
Oakland, CA 94605
510-577-1900

Eastmont Self-Sufficiency Center
6955 Foothill Blvd. | Suite 100
Oakland, CA 94605
510-383-5300

Eden Area Multi Service Center
24100 Amador St.
Hayward, CA 94544
510-670-6000
Enterprise Self-Sufficiency Center
8477 Enterprise Way
Oakland, CA 94621
510-639-1090

Fremont Office
39155 Liberty St., Suite 330
Fremont, CA 94538
510-795-2428

Livermore Self-Sufficiency Center
2481 Constitution Drive, Suite B
Livermore, CA 94551
925-455-0747

North Oakland Self-Sufficiency Center
2000 San Pablo Ave.
Oakland, CA 94612
510-271-9100
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For more information on the COVID-19 preventative measures Countywide, and other helpful resources, please view the Alameda County Public Health Department's website.