COVID-19 Resources and Updates for Beacon Holders

We know this is a difficult time for you, with access to many critical resources even harder to come by now. We’ve created this page to share what we know with you, regarding not only Samaritan operations, but community resource updates as they come in. If you have other resources to share, please let us know by emailing support@samaritan.city, and we’ll get them added to this page. Stay safe. Stay healthy.

• COVID-19 Call Center: 206–477–3977, every day 8am-7pm

(Looking for ways you can help? Check out our post on how you can get involved!)

(Updated 6/29/2020)

Latest Mask Update:

Starting June 26, King County residents have been directed to wear face coverings in indoor public settings, and outdoor if you cannot maintain social distancing. Read King County’s directive on face masks here.

SAMARITAN UPDATES

Samaritan Merchant Updates (pdf map of store locations can be downloaded here). Please make sure you have a face covering to enter any store!

• Army Navy Surplus Store — open: Mon-Fri, 9:30am-6pm, must wear a mask to enter the store and practice social distancing
• Outdoor Emporium — open: Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm; Sun, 9am-5pm; mask not required, but must social distance while in store. Planning to use your beacon? Please call ahead to let them know. (206) 624–6550
• Manu’s Bodega — open for takeout only: Tues-Fri, 11am-2pm
• Grocery Outlet — open: everyday, 8am-10pm
• Street Bean Coffee — open for takeout only, beginning June 1: Mon-Sat, 8am-2pm; must wear a mask and social distance
• Chocolati (in the library) — closed
• Goodwill (voucher needed) — most locations still closed. Check out Goodwill’s locations to see if a retail store near you is open. Remember, you need to ask your case manager for a voucher!
• St Vincent de Paul Thrift on Aurora — closed
• Verge Hair — closed

Other Spending Options

Ask the case manager that normally helps you with your lifecare visit if they can assist you remotely with a purchase:

• Safeway vouchers ($25 minimum; must have an email address and a way to print the voucher)
• Target e-gift cards (must have an email address)
• Storage bills (if they can be paid over the phone or online)
• Phone bills
• Or, you can just save your funds!

(Orca fare — King County Metro has temporarily suspended fare collection, and passengers are asked to board through the rear doors, except for passengers with mobility challenges. However, some areas are beginning to charge for service again. Check out the Orca website for more information. See reduced service updates here: tinyurl.com/wplknra)

(Goodwill vouchers — did you spend your funds on a Goodwill voucher, but found they had already closed their stores? We can put that money back on your beacon. Send us an email at support@samaritan.city or a text to (509)-590–0480 with your name, your beacon PIN, the amount on the voucher, and the voucher ID number.)

Lifecare Visit Updates

• For now, all lifecare visits will automatically be marked as complete each month.
• If you would still like to connect with your case manager by phone or email, feel free to do so!
• If you have updates you’d like to share with our samaritan community, feel free to fill our our Lifecare Visit form so we can share those updates to your profile.
• If you have specific needs you’d like to share on your profile (such as “groceries”, “storage bill”, “notes of encouragement”), please fill out our Beacon Holder Needs form.

RESOURCES

Libraries: Seattle Public libraries remain closed until May 31. However, the following library branches have open restrooms, 10am-6pm, every day of the week:

• Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W.
• Beacon Hill Branch, 2821 Beacon Ave. S.
• University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way N.E.
• Capitol Hill Branch, 425 Harvard Ave. E.
• Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave

Service Provider Changes:

• Here is a tracker for service providers changes: Check out the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness website here, or click here to link directly to the google sheet with updates. (Be sure to look at each tab of the sheet!)

The Stimulus Package:

Stimulus checks

• The IRS has launched a website for “Non-filers”, people who are not required to file taxes. Find more information here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here. Have questions? Send them our way, and we’ll do our best to find out the answer!
• If you earn less than $75,000, you may receive up to $1,200, with an extra $500 for each qualifying child age 16 or under.
• In most instances, you must have a valid social security number.
• Checks will be direct deposited to your bank account (if the IRS has that information) or mailed to you at the address you use to file your taxes.
• For more information, check out this NY Times article and this IRS update.

Unemployment

• Unemployment guidelines have changed to expand access if you have lost your job or reduced hours due to COVID-19.
• Read more here: https://esd.wa.gov/newsroom/covid-19

Seattle / King County Resources

• COVID-19 symptoms: the CDC has updated its list of symptoms to include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, fever, cough, and shortness of breath
• Resources for Community: http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/covid-19 Includes resources for healthcare/hygiene, immigration related information, food support, internet access, childcare, bill support, and more
• COVID-19 Call Center: 206–477–3977, every day 8am-7pm
• How to stay up to date: Click here to sign up for King County’s COVID Homelessness Response email alerts
• Food banks: See a map of food banks here: http://www.seattlefoodcommittee.org/food-bank-map/. We recommend you call ahead of time to confirm hours, updated procedures, and requirements.
• Seattle Area Emergency Food Map: click here

Samaritan COVID-19 Response

• Samaritan staff: To protect the safety and health of our staff, Samaritan employees are all working from home at this time.
• Lifecare visits: The health of beacon holders and case managers is a top priority for Samaritan. For now, lifecare visits will automatically marked as complete each month. We will continue to assess the situation, along with our nonprofit partners, to determine when beacon holders should begin meeting with lifecare providers again, and will notify all beacon holders of that decision. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out.
• Meeting with your case manager: To protect the safety and health of all beacon holders and case managers that use Samaritan technology, we are asking beacon holders and case managers to communicate via phone or email, when possible. You can do a remote lifecare visit!
• Replacement beacons and batteries: We are not recommending that anyone get replacement beacons or batteries at this time. You can do lifecare visits and make payments without your beacon by 1) having your case manager or the merchant search for your profile, and 2) giving your beacon PIN, if necessary (4 letters/numbers printed on your beacon). If you can’t find your beacon PIN, email us at support@samaritan.city or text us at (509) 590–0480.
• If it isn’t an emergency, stay where you are the safest!

Stay Home — Stay Healthy order

The statewide Stay Home — Stay Healthy order has expired. However, King County has not met the criteria to reopen. The county has applied to the secretary of health to move into a “modified Phase 1” of the state’s “Safe Start” plan.

Phase 1 (read more here)

• High-risk populations: Continue to stay home, stay healthy.
• Outdoor: Some outdoor recreation (hunting, fishing, golf, boating, hiking).
• Gatherings: Religious organizations can now hold outdoor services with up to 100 people. Proper social distancing should be practiced and attendees should wear face coverings.
• Travel: Only essential travel.
• Business/Employers: Essential businesses open, including existing construction that meets agreed-upon criteria, landscaping, automobile sales, retail (curb-side pick-up orders only), car washes, pet walkers.

View Washington’s Phased Reopening Approach here.

Stay up-to-date on other news on Washington’s official coronavirus website: coronavirus.wa.gov

OTHER RESOURCES

Healthcare

• Emergency prescription refills: a pharmacist may grant an emergency refill of an expired prescription. Call your pharmacist ahead of time to see if this applies to you.
• What are COVID-19 symptoms? How do I care for someone with those symptoms? Click here for some guidance.
• *NEW* New Hygiene Stations have been set up. Read Mayor Durkan’s announcement here.
• Other resources from the Healthcare for the Homeless Network: Click here.

I have symptoms. Where can I get tested?

Free COVID-19 testing for people with symptoms and experiencing homelessness.

Click here to download a pdf of all available locations and their updated days/times (as of 5/20/2020). The below is not a full list.

Downtown Public Health Center (2124 4th Ave): M-F, 8:30–4pm, closed noon-1pm, no appointment needed

Swedish: near 3rd and Jackson near three permanent supportive housing sites

Neighborcare Housing & Street Outreach Team: Testing at various shelters & permanent supportive housing, identified by our partners (DESC & Plymouth Housing & Catholic Housing), mainly along the 3rd avenue corridor downtown. Efforts will be targeted at shelters and permanent supportive housing residents who are symptomatic and for whom testing would change management.

Community Health Clinics:

International Community Health Services (International District)

• Drive-through testing at the International District location. Testing efforts may extend to other sites as circumstance allows.

Seattle Indian Health Board

• A combination of walk-in and scheduled appointments. Testing will take place in-clinic and will be performed in a respiratory isolation wing.

Sea Mar

• Scheduled patients/appointments and walk-ins. In the process of implementing outdoor testing. Not doing community testing at this time.

Health Point

• Auburn, Bothell, Kent, Tukwila and Midway are doing testing outside; sister clinics also refer patients for testing.
• Drive-through testing at Powell St, Renton.

Neighborcare

• Ballard: walk-in starting 3/27
• St Vincent de Paul: walk-in
• Rainier Beach: referral by medical provider/appointment

Current moratorium on evictions

• In Seattle, residential evictions for non-payment will be temporarily stopped, in effect for 30 days, or when the civil emergency ends (currently June 4)
• Tenants will still owe the rent, once the moratorium is over.
• Landlords can still issue evictions for other reasons; the only valid reason for no eviction is non-payment.
• Seattle City Council passed an emergency bill giving tenants with a defense against rent-related evictions for six months after the coronavirus emergency moratorium expires. Tenants will have to certify that they’ve suffered financial hardship.

Current moratorium on parking enforcement

There is “a temporary moratorium on enforcement of the 72-hour parking rule. This moratorium will last until further notice…This decision will allow RVs parked in 72 hours zones to remain in place. It’s important to note that all other standard parking rules will be enforced: unpermitted parking or blocking access to an existing or created zone at clinics and hospitals, fire hydrants, police precincts or other public health and safety locations, and illegal parking in a bicycle or transit lane.

You can stay up-to-date on other parking rules here.

Resources shared by beacon holders

• Free and confidential grief support by API Chaya and The Journey Program; start by the process by filling out this form: https://tinyurl.com/206griefsupport
• 80 Awesome Mental Health Resources
• If you need help for your pet, the Humane Society is closed, but can be reached by email at pethelp@seattlehumane.org or by phone at (425) 641–0080
• COVID-19 tracker that shows global cases: click here
• A team of North Seattle librarians put together this amazing resource list. There are resources for people all over King County, not just North Seattle.
• If you have more resources that should be shared, please let us know so we can get them added!

The team at Samaritan is here for you, and will do our best to get you connected to available resources. Stay well and healthy.

The Samaritan Team