Solid Ground's New Website

After more than a year of development and design, Solid Ground has launched a new website design. 

As part of the redesign, Resource Wire will now be a part of the main Solid Ground blog, Groundviews. Resource Wire subscribers should be able to continue getting the same content as before but it will look a little different.

As with any big transition, there might be some snags along the way. The Resource Wire emails will be coming from a different address so check your spam filter if you haven't received the regular posts. If you have any other trouble getting the emails, please let me know by emailing chelseam@solid-ground.org. 

To see the latest Resource Wire content, go to https://www.solid-ground.org/groundviews/resource-wire/.

Youth Community Resource Exchange

United Way and New Horizons Ministries are partnering to present the Youth Community Resource Exchange on Thursday, January 28. This event is dedicated to connecting youth and young adults ages 12 to 26 to the resources and services that they need while experiencing homelessness. 

Attendees of the Youth Community Resource Exchange will receive a meal and a care package as well as access to free dental and eye care, haircuts, resources to get a job or education as well as loads of fun stuff. The event will be held on January 28 from 4-7pm at New Horizons Ministries, 2709 3rd Ave in Seattle. For more information, call 206.461.5096 or email mridgeway@uwkc.org.

Job Opportunities 1/19/16

Universal Protection Service is seeking Security Professional candidates for full and part time positions at a variety of sites located in Seattle. Pay rates range from $12.40 to $15.00 per hour depending on site and position. Go to universalpro.com/careers.html to see the positions that are currently available and start your application process.

Trader Joe’s is opening a location in Shoreline and they are hiring for crew. The store is located at 1201 N 175th St, Shoreline 98133. Check out traderjoes.com/careers to get more information on what Trader Joe’s can offer you as an employer. Applications are accepted in person Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm. You can print off an application from their website to have it completed before you arrive or get an application from the store.

CenturyLink is holding a hiring event to fill more than 100 positions in King and Pierce Counties. The event will be open to veterans from 11am to 12pm. After noon, non-veterans will be welcomed. They are looking for installation technicians and trainees. Successful candidates must have a valid driver’s license, be able to work full time and meet hiring criteria including a background check and drug test. The event will be on on Thursday, January 21 at WorkSource Auburn, 2707 I Street NE in Auburn from 11am to 1pm.

WorkSource Downtown is hosting a Hospitality Employer Panel and Recruiting Event on Wednesday, January 27 from 1-3:30pm. The first half of the event will be a panel where the employers will present information about the jobs they have available. The second half will give you a chance to speak with the employers one-on-one. Representatives from Beecher’s Cheese, Sheraton Hotels, Tom Douglas Restaurants and other employers will be present. If you wish to attend this event, you must register by going to worksourcedowntown-hospitality.eventbrite.com.

Also, a quick reminder about the Diversity Employment Day Career Fair that will take place on Wednesday, January 20 at Seattle Center from 11am-3pm. Go to citycareerfair.com for more information.

Housing Discrimination Stories

Solid Ground is looking for people who have experienced difficulty in finding housing that have criminal records. There will be opportunities to share your story in an effort to outlaw discrimination based solely on the existence of a criminal record. Even an arrest without a conviction can show up on a background check and impact the chances of moving into the housing that you want. Other cities and states have created ordinances that outlaw discrimination based on arrest records or certain types of convictions. We would like to bring that protection to our area.

If you have any type of criminal or arrest record and have experienced difficulty in finding a place to live, please share your story with us. You can leave a message on our Tenant Services Hotline at 206.694.6748 or email us at tenantwa@solid-ground.org. 

Job Opportunities 1/12/16

Sahale Snacks is a Seattle based snack manufacturer. They are looking for people to fill 20 full time openings on their production line for various shifts. Pay starts from $12.35 to $18.35 per hour plus benefits. Interviews will take place at their Seattle office. There will be a hiring event on Friday, January 15 from 12-3pm for these positions. Registration is required at www.worksource-sahalesnacks.eventbrite.com.

Princess Cruises is holding an information and interview event for driver guides in Alaska. The event will be held on Tuesday, January 19 from 9am to 12pm at the WorkSource Downtown YWCA located at 2024 Third Avenue on the 2nd Floor. Drivers receive paid airfare from Seattle to Alaska as well as paid training to get your CDL. No previous commercial driving experience is necessary. Go to http://www.worksourcedowntown-alaskatourjobs.eventbrite.com/ to register for this event and alaskatourjobs.com to learn more about being a driver guide.

Want to make more than $15 an hour? The Wendy’s at SeaTac Airport is holding open interviews on Tuesday, January 19 from 10am to 3pm in the Airport Jobs office. Wages start at $15.24 per hour. These interviews are first come, first served so arrive early to register and complete an application.

The Seattle Center Pavilion will be hosting the 16th Annual Diversity Employment Day Career Fair on Wednesday, January 20 from 11am-3pm. There will be representatives from more than 30 employers. You can skip the line by emailing your résumé to fasttrack@citycareerfair.com with “Seattle” in the subject line to get your confirmation number before the event. 

Reminder: MLK Advocacy Day

The Statewide Poverty Action Network will be hosting their annual lobby on Martin Luther King Day, which is Monday, January 18th.  Free transportation will be provided to Olympia from Solid Ground located at 1501 N. 45th Street, Seattle, WA 98103 leaving at 7am; there are other transportation options available—please inquire by phone call. Additionally, they will provide breakfast, lunch, childcare, and training on how to speak to your legislators.

This year, Poverty Action is focusing on criminal justice reform, TANF and maintaining regulations on payday lending as well as other policies to end poverty.

Please RSVP by Monday, January 11, so they can save a spot for you on the bus! Call 206.694.6867 and ask for David Reyes or email him at david@povertyaction.org. Thank you!

Job Opportunities 1/5/16

Hudson Group is hiring for several positions at the SeaTac Airport. They will be holding open interviews on Thursday, January 7 and Friday, January 8 from 10am to 3pm at the Airport Jobs Office. Hudson Group is hiring for Sales Associates, Assistant Store Manager, Beverage Stocker and Warehouse/Stock Associates. Interviews are first come, first served. The Airport Jobs Office is located on the Mezzanine level at the far north end of the airport above Security Checkpoint 5. Any airport employee can give you directions if you need help.

People over the age of 55 can get extra help with finding employment. If you are a low income older adult, the Senior Community Service Employment Program can connect you with a paid internship at a nonprofit. These positions are 18 hours per week and come with additional support in developing or updating your résumé and connecting with employers. Most participants in these internships find regular employment in 3-4 months. Call 206.624.6698 for more information or to enroll in this program.

Tax Time Is Coming

January is the start of tax season. No need to fear because United Way offers free tax preparation help for anyone making less than $62,000 per year. Even if you didn’t make much money this past year, you can still qualify for tax credits and deductions which can add up to a significant refund.

The key to a smooth tax process is preparation. Make sure that any employer you worked for in 2015 has your current address so you can get all of your W-2s. Keep the records of your childcare and employment related expenses. If you can find it, bring your tax return from last year.

United Way has 24 different locations around King County to serve you. Go to uwkc.org/taxhelp to find the site nearest you and get a full list of what you should bring.

Job Opportunities 12/29/15

The YMCA is offering a paid internship program called Clear Path to Employment for people between 18-25 years old. If you are receiving food stamps and currently live in a housing program or have a history of homelessness, this program can provide you with job readiness training, job search assistance and a 3 month long paid internship. Clear Path to Employment also offers a bonus for people who are able to obtain jobs after the end of their internship. Information sessions on this program are held every 2nd and 4th Wednesday from 2-3 pm at the 2100 Building, 2100 24th Ave S, Suite 250 in Seattle. For more information, you can also contact Elizabeth Hough at 206-549-3899 or ehough@seattleymca.org.

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Full Life Care is looking for home care aides. Home care aides assist people with personal care and perform basic household services like cooking, cleaning and doing laundry. Home care aides are needed for part and full time work all around the Seattle area. If this position sounds like a good fit for you, go to fulllifecare.org/about-us/join-our-team/.

There are tons of jobs at the SeaTac Airport. The airport is easy to get to using public transportation and offers a wide variety of options for people with all sorts of skills and experience. Employees working at the airport also get access to various training programs through Airport University. Contact the Airport Jobs Office by calling 206-787-7501. You can also see all of the open positions by look at the Airport Jobs Hotlist which is updated weekly.

Website Survey

Solid Ground is building a new website and we want your help to make it better! The site is still a work in progress, but we want to know your thoughts to help us improve the final product.

Here’s where you come in: Please take our usability study! You will get a chance to check out the new website, try out a few tasks, and let us know what you think. We want to know how users experience the website. Can you find what you’re looking for? Is it user friendly or not? What do you think of the overall look and feel of the site? Let us know what you think by going to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/solidgroundwebsite and completing the survey.

The survey will close in about two weeks, so don’t delay. We recommend that you complete it on a computer or tablet instead of a phone, but it will work on your phone. Keep in mind that the website is still under construction, so some forms are not ready, and some copy is still being added. Please treat this survey as confidential and do not share any links, images or content you see on the site.

Thanks so much from all of us at Solid Ground!

Job Opportunities 12/15/15

Hopelink has a new education program called Work Ready. This program is based around a class twice a week from 5:30 to 8pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. Students who complete the program will receive a free laptop. Registration is on Monday, January 4 at 5pm at the Ronald United Methodist Church at 17839 Aurora Ave N in Shoreline. Classes will run through March 23rd at the same location. Students will also get bus tickets to get to and from class as well as additional financial coaching and employment support. For more information, call Kelli Graham at 425-361-3703 or email to kgraham@hope-link.org.

South Seattle College is still enrolling for students in their short term programs starting the first week of January. All of these trainings are free for people receiving basic food or unemployment benefits. From taking the first steps in office work to aerospace composites, there are classes to help you move toward a career. Contact the South Seattle College’s Workforce Education Office at 206-934-5835 or go to startnextquarter.org.

Due to the holiday, there will be no Resource Wire posts during the week of the December 21st. Resource Wire will return on December 29th on the usual schedule.

MLK Advocacy Day

January marks the start of legislative session and it's time to make your voice heard in Olympia. The Statewide Poverty Action Network will be coordinating a trip to the capitol on Martin Luther King Day, January 18th for their annual lobby day.  Free transportation will be provided to Olympia. If you have never been to a lobby day, it's a time to speak directly to your legislators about what matters to you.

This year, Poverty Action is focusing on criminal justice reform, reducing restrictions on TANF and maintaining restrictions on payday lending businesses as well as other policies to end poverty.

Again, this will be on Monday, January 18th. Please save the date. More information will be coming in the next few weeks.

For more information about this advocacy day, call Poverty Action at 206-694-6794 or email David Reyes at david@povertyaction.org.

Job Opportunities 12/8/15

Swedish Medical Centers will be holding an interview event on Thursday and Friday, December 10 and 11 from 9am to 4pm. This interview event is for both clinical and non-clinical positions including administrative, patient service and food service at all the Swedish locations. The interviews will be held at the Met Park East Building 1730 Minor Avenue Suite 400. Please RSVP by going to this link. You can search available positions by going to swedish.jobs.

Ashley Furniture is hiring for several positions in the Seatac and Tacoma areas. Open interviews will be held on Tuesday, December 15 at the Worksource Pierce Office at 1305 Tacoma Ave S, Suite 201 in Tacoma. They are looking for people to fill Warehouse, Porters, Sales, and Management positions. The event is from 1-2pm. The following are links for the job descriptions:

Upholstery Repair Technician

Sales Associate

Warehouse Associate

Store Manager

Tacoma will also be hosting a “Get Hired” Job Fair presented by Pierce County Library System and Workforce Central. This event will take place on Tuesday, December 15 from 3-6pm. The job fair will be preceded by a networking workshop from 2-3pm. This event will be held at the Pierce County Library Administrative Center at 3005 112th St E in Tacoma.

DSHS and YWCA are now offering the Resources to Initiate Successful Employment, or RISE, program. This is a pilot program that is looking to help people with multiple barriers to successful employment and may lack employment experience. For more information about this exciting opportunity to gain skills and employment, call Larissa Lincoln at 425-264-1425 or Trina Aboulhoson at 206-436-8618. 

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Community Voicemail and Lifeline Phones

As many of you know, the Community Voicemail program is coming to an end after 23 years. We will not be able to enroll any new participants after the end of this year and the service will end in March 2016. Maureen Jones, the ConnectUp Program Coordinator, will be working with our partner agencies to transition people to other voicemail providers such as Laser Voicemail or Google Voice. More information about that transition will be coming as the specifics are decided.

Although the Community Voicemail program is ending, the Lifeline cellphones which provide a free handset with 250 minutes per month will continue without any changes. If you currently have a phone through Safelink, Assurance Wireless or any of the other Lifeline providers, there will be no change to your service.

Resource Wire, the broadcast message and email newsletter, will continue as well. After the Community Voicemail program comes to an end, it will be sent out in digital form only but the same content will continue.

Job Opportunities 11/24/2015

Every year, United Way King County helps people complete their tax returns and maximize refunds. They are looking for Community Outreach Specialists to get the word out on this service. Outreach will occur from January to March and the position will be 10-15 hours per week at $15/hour. Training will occur in December and no prior outreach experience is required. Email your cover letter and résumé to cgavell@uwkc.org or call 206-461-4562 for more information. Apply by November 25 to be considered. We apologize for the late notice on this posting.

Macy’s is holding a hiring event on Saturday, November 28 from 10:30am to 3pm at their Executive Offices in Southcenter Mall. There will be wayfinding signs or you can ask a Macy’s associate for directions to the offices. Individual interviews will be held during this event. Please plan on 1-2 hours to complete the application and interview. For further information, call Laurinda Kravis at 253-426-8619 or email Laurinda.Kravis@macys.com.

FedEx is hiring part time package handlers in Kent. There will be a hiring event on Tuesday, December 1 from 1-4pm at the Rainier Worksource Office, 2531 Rainier Ave S in Seattle.

People with Limited English proficiency or limited employment history in the United States are encouraged to attend the Multilingual and Multicultural Job Fair at Everett Community College, 2000 Tower St in Everett. This event will be held in the Jackson Building from 10 am to 2pm on Wednesday, December 2.

Consolidated Aviation Services will be holding open interviews on Thursday, December 3rd from 10am to 2pm in the Airport Jobs office at SeaTac airport. They are looking for part time customer service agents. People in this position help passengers find their way to and from their gates, navigate through customs and immigration and reschedule passengers after flight delays or interruptions. You can bring your résumé with you to the event or send your résumé to rsanpedro@casusa.com before attending.

Day of Dignity

The Muslim Association of the Northwest and Islamic Relief USA present their annual Day of Dignity this Saturday, November 21. This event is an opportunity for people who are experiencing homelessness to get needed supplies as well as a place for compassionate listening and human connection. 

This event will serve the first 300 people to line up at Millionair Club Charity, 2515 Western Ave in Seattle. Participants will receive a new sleeping bag, hygiene kits, and a warm meal. Massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, haircuts and resource referral will also be available. Please be prepared to wait outside for these services as only 20 people can be served at a time. Doors open at 9:30am and tickets are distributed on a first come, first served basis.

For more information, email dayofdignityseattle@gmail.com.

Job Opportunities 11/17/15

The YWCA Career Pathways Program supports students pursuing a Medical Administrative Assistant certificate at South Seattle College or Seattle Vocational Institute. There will be a workshop at YWCA Career Center Greenbridge at 9720 8th Ave SW in Seattle to learn more about the training opportunities and how this program can open doors in a growing industry. The workshop will be on Thursday, November 19 from 10:30 to 11:30am. If you can’t make this one, the same workshop will be held on Tuesday, December 1st at the Downtown Worksource Office and Thursday, December 3rd at the Rainier Worksource Office. Register for any of these dates by calling 206-436-8633 or emailing Jan Johnson at jjohnson@ywcaworks.org.

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Bartell Drugs is holding a career fair on Thursday, November 19 from 10am to 2:30pm at their corporate center in West Seattle, 4025 Delridge Way SW, Suite 400. They are looking for a variety of candidates including seasonal cashiers, pharmacy techs and warehouse staff. Bring a copy of your résumé and 3 professional references.

KWA Cares is hiring a home care supervisor for their Federal Way office. The home care supervisor provides management, scheduling and support to the caregivers that work for KWA. The supervisor needs a high school diploma and two years of supervisory experience. Go to kwacares.org/jobs to complete an online application.  

Friends of Youth is offering a Free GED Prep Class to King County youth ages 16-25 who are not currently enrolled in school. Friends of Youth also offers additional assistance in planning for and achieving educational goals. Classes are offered in Redmond and Kirkland. For more information on these classes, call Education Specialist Darlene Germino at 425-614-6683 or email darleneg@friendsofyouth.org.

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Rent Smart Workshop cancelled

The Rent Smart Workshop has been cancelled.  Call the Tenant Hotline if you have questions:
206.694.6767

Tenant Tips and Rent Smart Workshop 11/12/15

While it’s great to have a landlord you can chat with, make sure that all of your communication about your rent, repairs or anything else to do with your unit is in writing. It is a best practice to document all your communications with your landlord in writing, and get proof that they were sent and received. You can do this by sending important documents by certified mail or getting a written receipt when you pay your rent.

Without written documentation, every repair request or agreement between you and your landlord will come down to your word against theirs. In many places in the law, the tenant is actually not allowed a remedy until the request has been put in writing and sent to the landlord. A thorough paper trail will ensure that you’ll have the proof you need to protect yourself if you end up needing to fight a disputed bill or take your landlord to Small Claims Court.


For more information on how to protect your rights as a tenant and have a positive relationship with your landlord, come to the Rent Smart Workshop on Tuesday, November 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Seattle Public Library Southwest Branch, located at 9010 35th Ave SW. To RSVP, call 206-694-6748 or email tenantwa@solid-ground.org.

Job Opportunities 11/10/15

Eurest Dining is hiring for 3 full time cooks on the Microsoft campus in Redmond. Eurest only accepts online applications. Follow this link to learn more and apply for this position.

ResCare is hiring in home care givers and CNAs all around Washington State. Care givers help older adults and people with disabilities stay independent and live a full life. Go to rescare.com/careers to search the openings near you

Target Stores are holding a recruiting and interviewing event in Renton on Friday, November 13. Full and part time positions are available in several different roles. Register for this event at target-worksource.eventbrite.com. You can also apply prior to the event at jobs.target.com.

Matheson is holding a job fair on Sunday, November 15 and Monday, November 16. They are hiring for about 120 temporary material handlers, forklift operators, clerks and leads. These positions will be from November 27th through January 1st. They prefer that you apply online as soon as possible to get your application processed rather than going to the job fair. Go to http://jobs.mathesoninc.com/job-fair-november-15-16-jobs-up-to-22-68-per-hour/job/5692480 to apply. The Job Fair will be 10am to 2pm on the 15th and 9am to 1pm on the 16th at Building E, 18414 80th Court South in Kent. This building is not the same as the main Matheson warehouse near the airport. See Kathy or Kristy at those times. Again, you do not need to go to the job fair if you have completed the online application.

PTI is hiring van drivers in Seattle. There will be 2 sessions on Wednesday, November 18th at 10 am and 1pm. The interviews will be held at the PTI South Seattle Office at 5700 6th Ave S,Suite 104. They are looking for drivers who have had their license for at least 7 years and have a clean driving record. Bring 2 forms of government issued ID to this event. To learn more or apply online, go to professionaltransportationinc.com/careers.