Washington County COVID-19 Response and Recovery Community Newsletter |
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As grocery prices surge, WIC is here for you! |
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Please share the news! WIC is here for you! |
The BAD NEWS: grocery prices rose nearly 12% in the past year, the largest increase in 40 years. The GOOD NEWS: WIC can help 24,000 more families in the Portland metro area. The program helps young families buy grocery staples like milk, eggs, cheese, canned goods and fruits and vegetables. It also provides vouchers for fresh produce at farmers markets. Please spread the word that people who are pregnant and families with kids under five may qualify. Families that qualify for the Oregon Health Plan meet the income guidelines for WIC and a family of four can make up to $51, 388 a year and still qualify. WIC stands for Women, Infants & Children, but the program also helps dads, grandparents and foster parents. Watch and share this video to see how WIC can help. Call 1-844-599-9714 or visit signupwic.com. to find WIC services near you. You will find all of our videos, quotes from WIC families and social media posts in our WIC is here for you! Media Toolkit.
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COVID vaccines authorized for kids 6 months + |
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Vaccines for children 6 months to 4 years are finally available in Oregon. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup authorized the vaccines in mid-June. The Pfizer vaccine for kids 6 months to 4 years requires three doses. The Moderna vaccine for kids 6 months to 5 years requires two doses. Check with your health care provider to see if they are offering vaccines for this age group or visit our vaccine page to find many other options including the walk-up site on the Tektronix campus in Beaverton. Neighborhood Health Center and Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center will also vaccinate this age group. See their websites for details. Still have questions? Read this interview with a CDC epidemiologist.
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One-stop COVID clinic in Washington County |
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Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center has opened a COVID clinic where you can be tested, treated and receive vaccinations and boosters. The new clinic is located at 232 7th Avenue in Hillsboro, only a block from their other medical clinic. No insurance or ID is required and you do not have to be a Virginia Garcia patient. This clinic is also providing vaccinations for children 6 months and older.
Testing is drive-through, PCR and rapid tests available. Treatment is available for those at high risk of severe disease, you will be screened if you test positive. You can make an appointment by calling 503-214-1668 or visiting virginiagarcia.org/vaccine
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Are you or a loved one unable to get to a vaccine clinic because of a disability or other physical or mental health barrier?
Washington County is accepting requests for in-home vaccinations for people ages 5 and older who are experiencing barriers.
Please share the flyer for this service available in multiple languages ( Arabic, Chinese - Traditional, Chinese - Simplified, English, Farsi, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Tagalog, Vietnamese). |
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COVID-19 Testing Sites & Information |
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American Rescue Plan in Action |
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Strength in Partnerships
“Partnerships with local governments, local partners have really given Centro the ability to respond dynamically to what communities need.” - Juan Carlos González, Centro Cultural.
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Stay up to date on the American Rescue Plan
Washington County is currently planning for the second ARPA phase. The Board of County Commissioners will finalize the planning process in summer 2022 and anticipates reviewing potential investment options throughout fall and winter 2022.
For questions regarding ARPA funding opportunities, please email Washington County’s ARPA Senior Program Coordinator, Dorian Russell, at: Dorian_Russell@co.washington.or.us
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$2M ARPA investment in past-due water bills |
Washington County and Clean Water Services are partnering to reduce the number of households experiencing past-due water bills accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those who qualify to have their account cleared will be contacted directly by their service provider.
On June 7th, 2022, the Board of Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement with Clean Water Services to use $2 million of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
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Work at Washington County |
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We're hiring for several positions including:
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Bring your skills to Washington County!
Find more employment opportunities with Washington County here.
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Funding, grants and community opportunities |
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Neighborhood Health Clinic for Youth |
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Neighborhood Health Center in conjunction with Washington County Health and Human Services is bringing back its Fifth Annual Teen Health Expo.
The Teen Health Expo is an interactive health and resource fair that is geared towards young people 24 and under. One of the goals is to bring awareness about the youth clinic and provide youth with information on services and opportunities available to them in our community.
This year’s event will be held on Tuesday, July 12th from 5 to 7:30 pm in the Neighborhood Health Center Parking lot at 266 W. Main St., Hillsboro 97123.
There will be free pizza, snow cones, cotton candy and drinks for people who attend, in addition to a DJ, raffles and hopefully some great interactive things going on for people to get involved in.
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Community Resilience and Capacity Building Grant
Applications due July 1st
Portland Bureau of Emergency Management has grants available for community based organization’s working in community preparedness and resilience and serving the Portland area.
- Increase disaster resilience in households in Portland that face disparate risks, focusing on resilience in the face of climate-change-induced and/or earthquake risks.
- Strengthen the ability of CBOs to serve their community during an emergency.
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Request for Grant Applications (RFGA) for Supportive Housing for individuals with a Serious and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI)
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Health Systems Division (HSD) announced the Request for Grant Applications (RFGA) for forgivable loan assistance in the development of Supportive Housing for individuals with a Serious and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI).
Application materials must be submitted by email to OHA HSD no later than 11:59 pm on July 29, 2022 to: Richard Malloy, HSD Housing Investment Coordinator RICHARD.F.MALLOY@dhsoha.state.or.us.
For more information, visit this page or view the community partner meeting about this funding opportunity.
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Places to stay cool during extreme heat |
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Summer has arrived and with it comes the potential of life threatening heat waves. Keep your family, neighbors and pets safe during extreme heat by visiting Washington County's Extreme Heat Information webpage to learn about the symptoms of heat-related illnesses and how to stay prepared. |
Click on the map to find cooling locations that are added as temperatures rise. It will show you splash pads and buildings with air conditioning, the hours and days they are open, and if they are pet friendly.
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Find Heat Safety Tip sheets in multiple languages:
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More people will have full Oregon Health Plan benefits! |
Starting July 1, 2022, people who are 19-25 or 55 and older will be eligible for full Oregon Health Plan (OHP) benefits regardless of their immigration status.
Who will be eligible?
People who live in Oregon who:
- Meet income and other criteria,
- Currently don’t qualify for full OHP benefits because of their immigration status, and
- Are 19-25 years old or 55 years and older.
If you need help signing up for OHP, you can contact local organizations that provide assistance on this webpage.
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PDX Earthquake Workshop Sign Up 2022 |
Join the upcoming workshop on July 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 about earthquake preparedness, facilitated in Spanish by our local CBOs, Latino Network and Project Access Now in collaboration with researchers at Boise State University.
In this interactive workshop, participants will
• Discuss what a major PDX earthquake means for you
• Discover how taking actions now can help you respond
• Set goals to protect your loved ones and home
• Have a chance to *win prizes* (emergency preparedness items)
Date: Tuesday, July 5th
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Location: Beaverton Resource Center (13565 SW Walker Rd, Beaverton, OR 97005)
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Public Alert System for Washington County
Are you registered for Washington County's Public Alert system? Stay prepared this summer so when an emergency is happening you will be notified quickly. Sign up for the Everbridge public alerting system here.
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First Aid Training for Heat Safety
Learn about warning signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and how to assist people in distress through a free webinar on Wednesday, June 29th from 6 - 7 pm. Live captioning, and ASL and Spanish interpretation will be provided. To register for the event and request accommodations, please visit this link. For questions, please contact Kathleen_Johnson@co.washington.or.us.
This event is presented by the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management as part of Heat Week 2022.
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Utility Assistance and Energy Conservation - Community Action |
If community members are experiencing financial difficulty, Community Action can make a payment directly for them. For more information, please visit Community Action's utility assistance page. If repair is needed to improve energy efficiency, weatherization assistance is available. For more information, visit this page. Or call (503) 615-0771, Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. |
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Portland General Electric encourages all customers to call and ask for information on payment plans, fee waivers, and other assistance. The phone numbers are 503-228-6322 (for Portland), 503-399-7717 (for Salem), or call toll-free at 800-542-8818.
Income-Qualified Bill Discount program is available for qualifying households. Check here to see if you qualify. |
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Help with Past-Due Balances at NW Natural Gas |
Oregon Arrearage Management Program (AMP): Oregon NW Natural Gas customers in need may be able to receive assistance through several grant options available to help with a past-due balance. This new program provides instant grants of up to $300 and more options for larger balances. A grant can be used to help offset the cost of a payment plan or to pay off a past-due account balance. Click here https://www.nwnatural.com/account/payment-assistance or call Customer Service at 800-422-4012.
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Homelessness Resources
For clients who are houseless and looking for temporary shelter in their community, this site lists all available shelters in the area: www.shelterlistings.org
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Domestic Violence Resource Center 24hr Crisis Line |
Click here https://www.dvrc-or.org/ or call the 24hr Crisis Line at: 503-469-8620. If the survivor experiencing domestic violence has a minor child in their care, they may be able to apply for the Temporary Assistance for Domestic Violence Survivors grant through ODHS (Oregon Department of Human Services), which may be able to help them flee, if eligible. To apply for this assistance, the survivor needs to contact their local ODHS Self Sufficiency office and request Domestic Violence services. Click here for information: https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/abuse/domestic/pages/tadvs.aspx or call: Tigard – 503-670-9711 – 10777 SW Cascade Ave, Tigard, OR 97223
Beaverton – 503-646-9952 – 15425 NW Greenbrier Pkwy, Beaverton, OR 97006
Hillsboro – 503-693-4555 – 5300 NE Elam Young Pkwy, Hillsboro, OR 97124
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Access to Healthcare Services
Project Access NOW has a mission to improve the health of our community by creating access to care and services for those most in need. They support comprehensive solutions adapted to meet the changing needs of our community. As they continue their core work of connecting low-income uninsured people to donated healthcare services, their focus has expanded to include innovative initiatives and partnerships that go beyond simple healthcare and address the social determinants of health. For more information click https://www.projectaccessnow.org/programs.
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This monthly newsletter is designed for community-based organizations to share COVID-19 related information and resources specific to Washington County. Please email us if you have:
- Information or resources you would like to include in this newsletter
- Question about resources needed in the community not included in this newsletter
- Opportunities or ideas you’d like to collaborate with another CBO on (e.g. Media campaign or events)
- Successful outreach events or stories you would like to share with other CBOs
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Subscribe to receive this monthly newsletter into your inbox. |
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