BY R. DYER, Allied Residential

Have you been hearing the phrase, “The Silent Depression” lately? It’s being said and written that we are currently experiencing one. We work hard to stay housed, fed, warm, part of a community, entertained, educated, and employed. We see our neighbors working just as hard. We tighten our collective belt. We use apps from the library instead of streaming services, cut down on unnecessary spending, have gotten rid of zoo and aquarium passes and get free passes from the library, take public transportation instead of driving, and go to free community events. Some of us are making more money than we have ever made. Some of us are living on credit cards and hope we can catch up next month. Some of us have welcomed family members into our households to save on bills and share our resources. Still, we are not making ends meet.

The good news is there are resources funded by federal, state, city, and local sources that we can share and help each other to access. Please consider sharing! If you have a phone or device with an internet connection, you can share access within your community by saving the resources below as contacts on your phone and then Airdropping, emailing and texting them to people who need them. You don’t have to have a smart device and internet access to share knowledge, resources,
and skills — you can tell people who to ask about resources and share flyers, handouts and even these articles. Here we will focus on five websites that show local resources here in Washington State, Pierce County, Tacoma, and resources by phone number.

FindHelp.org

You can find free or reduced-cost resources like food, housing, financial assistance, health care, and more on Find Help.org. The website says, “Help starts here.”You can refine your search by ZIP code or by, household demographics like income, household composition, or resource type. Then you can refer the resources to others, once you’re able to view eligibility requirements, availability (including when it will be available again, if it is not currently available), address, hours of operation, links to websites, and next steps, along with the option to apply online and upload supporting documents

WashingtonConnection.org

Have you ever wondered if you qualify for any state or federal programs? Washington Connection offers a fast and easy way for families and individuals to apply for a variety of services such as food, cash, childcare, long-term care, Medicare savings programs, and more on their website by clicking “See if I qualify” to be prescreened for many programs. Individuals that are age 65 or older, blind, or disabled may also apply for medical assistance. This site has links that allow people to see not only if they qualify, but to also apply now, renew their benefits, report a change, complete mid-certification reviews, find services, create Washington Connection and Client Benefit Accounts, find help in their community, find emergency assistance, access frequently used DSHS forms, and contact local community services offices where they can get help applying in person.

Benefits.gov

This is another website where you can find disaster relief assistance, health care and medical benefits, financial assistance, loans, agriculture and environmental sustainability aid, employment and career development, education and training, grants, life event assistance, social security, and retirement and more benefits that you may be eligible to receive.

Crisis Connections.org

Crisis Connections has so many resources available: assistance with basic needs like food and housing but also a person-to-person connection if you or someone you know wants to discuss mental health, substance use, or emotional concerns. This resource provides phone numbers for immediate help for people in crisis, a confidential help line for teens, a substance use disorder/problem gambling/mental health line, a line for peer support for people living with emotional and mental health challenges including loneliness, and other resources for older adults, persons with disabilities and their families, community resources, and community training. They are in the business of hope, help, and healing, and their site reads, “If you or someone you know wants to discuss mental health, substance use, or emotional concern — or needs assisting with basic needs like food or housing — we can help.”

WA211.org

Dialing 211 helps connect you to community resources statewide. If you are looking for help you can dial the number 211, text 211WAOD to 898211 or use the website to search with similar information to findhelp.org’s website. While it is getting harder and harder to make ends meet for many of us, we are part of a community rich in information, experiences, and resources. We are not alone. Together, we can make a difference for our communities. Please consider sharing, connecting, consider mutual aid. No matter how we define community, we are all a part of it, as it exists right here and now. We can contribute to resilient, resourceful, successful communities without making withdrawals from our own savings or quality of life by sharing resources, knowledge, and skills.

Do you know resources you would like us to share? Connect with us via email at: outreach@weekly-volcano.com