10/2: Erin Sarvis of The New Generation 2.0

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Erin Sarvis talks about The New Generation 2.0 and the Bite of Black Business, a movement to bring wealth and safety to the Black community through uplifting Black-owned businesses and working to end police brutality.

STATE

  • Public school students whose families are low-income and did not have internet access before August 2020 are eligible for a state-funded program to get free internet for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year from one of 3 contracted service providers.
    • Potentially eligible families should be receiving information, including a promo/offer code from a provider, from their local school districts
    • Families may also contact their district to request information
  • Job search requirements for those collecting state unemployment benefits will remain suspended through Nov. 9
    • The soonest claimants may be required to actively seek work is Nov. 15.
    • Until then, or until the requirement is reinstated, claimants can continue to answer “no” to the job search question on weekly claims.
  • The Washington State Departments of Commerce and Agriculture will be offering grants up to $5,000 to shellfish growers severely impacted by COVID-19
  • The Washington State Department of Health will be distributing the first batch of rapid COVID-19 test kits to community health centers, tribal clinics, and critical acccess hospitals.
    • The tests provide results in about 15 minutes, and are approved for people with COVID-19 symptoms.

REGIONAL

  • The Pierce College Science Dome will be hosting Spook-tober virtual night sky tours this month every Thursday at 6pm
    • Astronomers and other observatory staff will present a free, 30-40 minute family-friendly talk focused on an aspect of our night sky, with real-time telescope observations, weather permitting.
    • Find links to register at pierce.ctc.edu in the “Science Dome” section, or on facebook at PierceCollegeScienceDome.
  • Latinos Unidos de SouthSound, or LUSS, will hold its 4th annual Latinx Festival coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month virtually this year October 5-10.
    • The festival will include artistic, musical, literary, and cultural performances and workshops from individuals of varied Central and South American regions, a Community Dialogue with local panelists exploring Afro-Latino identity in the Northwest, an online art exhibition, and a resource fair including bilingual health information.
    • Email latinxunidosssound@gmail.com for more info, or search for “LatinxUnidos” on facebook and twitter

TACOMA

  • The City of Tacoma will be hosting a virtual community meeting to discuss and answer questions about the location of a planned emergency micro-shelter site on Wednesday Oct 7 at 6pm.
    • The city plans to lease property at 6th Avenue and Orchard Street under the authority of the Public Health State of Emergency on Homelessness from late 2020 through mid-2023.
    • Info on how to participate in the meeting via phone or zoom can be found online at cityoftacoma.org/authorizedencampments or by calling (253) 591-5119 in advance of the meeting.
  • The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has advised districts to pause on moving ahead with in-person schooling plans because of increasing rates of COVID-19 in the county.
    • The Clover Park School District Board of Directors voted Friday to postpone in-person hybrid learning and continue remote virtual learning until at least Dec. 4, and not to bring young students to school for face-to-face learning in October as had been announced previously
    • Puyallup schools have also paused their plans to bring back lower grades for partial in-person schooling.
    • Peninsula School District’s kindergardeners and 1st graders who have begun in-person schooling may remain in their hybrid program, but other grade levels will remain fully remote
    • Some groups of special needs students in Tacoma will receive limited in-person schooling services, but all other student groups in the district will remain fully remote until further notice.

TESTING SITES

  • There are numerous free COVID-19 testing sites in our region:
  • Next week’s free pop-up testing events in Pierce County include:
  • Norpoint Community Center and Fox Island Alliance Church on Saturday, Oct 3rd
  • Metro Parks Kandle Park and the Buckley Fire Department on Tuesday, Oct 6th
  • Metro Parks Oakland Madrona Park, the Prairie Ridge Community Center on Wednesday, Oct 7th
  • Stewart Heights Park and UW Tacoma on Thursday, Oct 8th
  • TCC on Friday, Oct 9th
  • No ID is required and tests are free and open to anyone.
  • Many testing events run all day from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, but check TPCHD.org/covidtest for times.
  • Community Health Care, with locations in Tacoma, Spanaway, and Lakewood, is offering testing for COVID-19, even if you are not a Community Health Care patient.
    • Call (253) 722-2161 for a Tele-Health Screening Appointment