Archives: Resources

Housing for Ukrainian Refugees

3/10/22 UkraineTakeShelter.com is an independent platform connecting Ukrainian refugees with potential hosts and housing.
This website is a public bulletin. We encourage everyone with spare space to post a listing and to mark their listing as filled once they have successfully taken in refugees.
For refugees, UkraineTakeShelter.com asks for your nearest city to display the closest listings. We do not track your precise location. Hosts are only required to provide minimal information, such as their city and contact information. Multi-language: English, Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, German, French, Dutch, Slovakian, Spanish and more.
For more information: ukrainetakeshelter@gmail.com.

SEPARATION AND STIGMA: Transgender Youth & School Facilities

2017 Schools across the country have a legal obligation to
enforce policies that protect students from harassment
and discrimination”and that obligation includes
protecting transgender students from discrimination,
harassment, and violence. Unfortunately, too many
transgender students experience school to be a place
where they are unsafe and unsupported”a place where
they can’t even safely use the restroom. A school’s
responsibility and ability to keep all students safe is not
compromised by allowing a transgender student to use
the facilities consistent with their gender identity. When
schools deny transgender students access to these
facilities, they are inflicting profound harm on these
students, and making it impossible or unsafe for some
transgender students to attend school at all.

FHFA’s Request for Input on the Enterprise Equitable Housing Finance Plans

Comment from the National Consumer Law Center,
Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund, CA Reinvestment Coalition, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, Consumer Action, National CAPACD, National Fair Housing Alliance, National Housing Law Project, National Housing Resource Center, Public Counsel, and UnidosUS on behalf of its low-income clients in response to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (“FHFA”) Request for Input on the Enterprises’ Equitable Housing Finance Plans. Key Words: LEP, Language Access, equitable

Assistance for Governments and Private Non-Profits After a Disaster

FEMA helps state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and certain types of private nonprofit organizations respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies. After an event like a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or wildfire, communities need help to cover their costs for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and restoring public infrastructure.
FEMA Public Assistance and Program Policy Guide 6/1/20

With protections ending, what tenants and landlords need to know

4/1/22 After two years, four extensions and untold numbers of public and private aid programs, California’s broad safety net for renters struggling through the pandemic is being dismantled this month. Lawmakers this week extended a statewide eviction moratorium through June but only for families that have applied to the state’s emergency relief assistance program, Housing is Key. The $5.5 billion relief fund closed to new applications March 31.

San Jose mandala ceremony offers universal lesson in change

4/6/22 As chanting filled the main hall of a local Buddhist temple Sunday afternoon, San Jose resident Trang Huynh joined with about 50 people in praying and celebrating a sand mandala dissolution ceremony.
The monks, assigned by the Dalai Lama, spent more than three days meticulously pouring sand by hand onto a blueprint to create the mandala. The holy ceremony ends with the breaking of the sand circle, as colorful grains of sand are swirled together into a gray pile. This symbolizes a core lesson of impermanence: Everything is bound to change and nothing lasts forever.

FHFA Mortgage Translations Clearinghouse

An easy-to-use collection of translated documents and tools to assist lenders, servicers, housing counselors, and others in helping mortgage borrowers who have limited English proficiency? (LEP). Created by FHFA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac in collaboration with industry, consumer, and government partners, the SITE contains resources such as translated documents, borrower education materials, a standardized glossary of mortgage terms, and more.
Multi-language: English, Spanish, traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Tagalog.
Key Words: Language Access, housing

The Black-White Wealth Gap Left Black Families More Vulnerable

12/20/20 The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted devastating effects on the U.S. economy, with job losses especially concentrated among women, minorities, and low-wage workers. Economists have described the uneven and unequal economic recovery from the COVID-19 recession as a “K-shaped” recovery, characterized by divergent recovery trajectories for the affluent relative to those of less means. While considerable attention has been devoted to examining the preexisting disparities in labor market outcomes that left some households more vulnerable than others to the COVID-19 recession, less attention has been paid to the role of wealth in determining a household’s ability to buffer the pandemic’s economic shocks. Key Words: Equity

UndocuBlack: The Cruelty Behind Title 42 and Its Impact on Black Migrants

3/19/22 The official reason for the enaction of the policy by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is to protect Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and the public health from COVID-19, public health emergencies. And to curtail the swarm of people in congregate settings such as that in immigration detention centers. But as all harmful policies, this policy, specifically and disproportionately, affects the Black and brown immigrants who are making the treacherous journey to the U.S. seeking safety from violence, civil unrest, murder and natural disasters.

SAVE Fact Sheet – Information for SAVE Users: Afghan Arrival Categories, Documentation, and SAVE Responses

4/3/22 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is leading and coordinating ongoing efforts across the federal government to support vulnerable Afghans, including those who worked alongside us in Afghanistan for the past two decades, as they safely resettle in the United States. These Afghan arrivals generally fall within one of four categories that are eligible for resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits available to refugees admitted under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

San Jose council ends COVID mask mandate

4/5/22 The city’s masking guidelines now align with the county and state, which lifted mask mandates earlier this year in almost all public indoor settings. The City Council unanimously approved ending local restrictions Tuesday with no discussion.
Residents, regardless of vaccination status, are no longer required to wear a mask except in certain high-risk settings such as hospitals, jails, homeless shelters, long-term care facilities and on public transit.

Trauma-informed instruction for immigrant students

More and more educators across the country are learning about the impacts of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on students. Researchers estimate that half of the U.S. student population has experienced or is still experiencing some type of trauma, violence, or chronic stress
For immigrant students, the sources of trauma may be complex and may be related to:
***the reasons the family left their home country (such as war or wide-spread violence)
***difficult conditions, violence, sexual assault, or casualties during the journey to this country
***forced separation from a parent or sibling on the journey
***Experiences related to immigration enforcement
trauma and anxiety can impact students’ behavior and the importance of getting a complete picture of the source of the issue before taking steps that can have long-term consequences for the student.

Drowning just below the surface: The socioeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic

11/22/21 The COVID-19 pandemic has had major economic, as well as health, impacts on every nation in the world. It has amplified existing inequalities, created new ones, and destabilized communities”reversing development gains made in recent decades.
The enormous socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 are wide-ranging and have not affected everyone equally. Throughout this pandemic, those facing the greatest vulnerabilities have been the people and groups most neglected by society”those who were already drowning just below the surface. Multi-language:
Spanish |
Arabic |
French |

Santa Clara County Tackles Children’s Covid-19 Grief

2/25/22 More than one in 330 children in the state have lost at least one of their caretakers to Covid-19, a disease that has now killed more than 928,000 people nationwide.
Loss is crushing for anyone, but the death of a parent or guardian carries potentially lifelong impacts for children ” and could very well be one of the most enduring consequences of this pandemic.

Economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on South Asians in the U.S.

10/10/20 Economic and social impacts of the current pandemic that are based on immigration status, employment opportunities, and healthcare access are major issues for South Asians in the U.S. There is wide income inequality with nearly 10% of South Asians in the U.S. living in poverty. Many have low paid and temporary jobs, including in the informal sector, and little to no savings. The pandemic disproportionately impacts these communities but there has been little media coverage. To highlight this gap, we present selected research from our forthcoming manuscript to be published later this month, which are complemented by community-based findings from the recent SAALT report on the disparate impact of COVID-19 across South Asian communities.

SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together)

South Asian Amer­i­cans Lead­ing Togeth­er (SAALT) is a nation­al move­ment strat­e­gy and advo­ca­cy orga­ni­za­tion com­mit­ted to racial jus­tice through struc­tur­al change, which means we focus on trans­form­ing insti­tu­tions while lever­ag­ing incre­men­tal change as a means to shift con­di­tions and pow­er.
Know Your Rights Pock­et Cards. in Pun­jabi, Hin­di, Urdu, Bangla, and Nepali Pro­duced by Restau­rant Oppor­tu­ni­ties Cen­ter.

Know Your Rights Poster to hang in the home with a reminder of your rights, what to say, and what to document in case of an ICE (immigration raid 11″ x 17″ POSTER, available in )
English |
Spanish |
Traditional Mandarin |
Simplified Mandarin |
Tagalog |
Korean |
French |

Neither Safety nor Health – How Title 42 Expulsions Harm Health and Violate Rights

7/21 Report from Physicians for Human Rights – Toward the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the Trump administration overrode the objections of public health experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and compelled them to issue an order under Title 42 that closed the border to migrants and asylum seekers. The government used public health as a pretext to summarily expel children and adults seeking refuge at the U.S. border more than 980,000 times, while at the same time allowing other types of travelers to continue to cross the border with no testing or quarantine requirements.

Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law

9/30/21 Revised Policy from Alejandro Mayorkas – The immigration enforcement guidelines require the protection of civil rights and civil liberties. A noncitizen’s race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, national origin, political associations, or exercise of First Amendment rights cannot be factors in deciding to take enforcement action. For the first time, they explicitly guard against the use of immigration enforcement as a tool of retaliation for a noncitizen’s assertion of legal rights, such as the right to exercise workplace or tenant rights. The guidelines make clear that immigration enforcement authority shall not be used as an instrument of unscrupulous employers seeking to exploit their employees’ immigration status.

Affordable Connectivity Program Replacing Emergency Broadband Benefit

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is being replaced by the Affordable Connectivity Program on March 1, 2022. Those enrolled in the EBB can learn more about the transition and steps to take to stay enrolled after March 1st, by visiting fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit.
Go to Affordable Connectivity Program Consumer FAQ for more information and .
application form
Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Tagalog |
Korean |

California leaders rush to improve student mental health care

3/4/22 As California kids struggle with the emotional toll of the pandemic, natural disasters and community-wide trauma, and schools grapple with an inadequate supply of mental health care services and clinicians to support students, state leaders are sprinting to pass a bill that could allow public schools to hire as many as 10,000 new mental health counselors.

Multilingual COVID-19 Resources

This FDA toolkit is designed to help community, health and social service organizations, lay health advisors (promotoras), YMCAs/YWCAs, fraternities, school organizations (e.g., PTAs/PTOs), senior centers, faith-based organizations, and others to share accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines in their social media networks and educational channels using FDA official COVID-19 messages to fight misinformation and vaccine hesitancy. In this toolkit, you will find Twitter, Facebook and Instagram messages and images about the most common myths about the COVID-19 vaccines. Multilingual COVID-19 Vaccines Myths Social Media Toolkit in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Korean Tagalog, Vietnamese

Stanford Law School Immigrants’ Rights Clinic

Students in the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic have full responsibility for defending clients against deportation in San Francisco Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the federal courts of appeals. As part of that work, students write complex legal briefs, argue cases, conduct fact investigation, interview witnesses and clients, and represent clients in mini-trials. Students also engage in cutting-edge litigation and advocacy in partnership with local and national immigrants’ rights organizations.

Improving Access to Public Websites and Digital Services for Limited English Proficient (LEP) Persons

12/21 Many entities – government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses – use websites and digital services to provide information and services to the public, to accept applications, and to manage accounts. Individuals with Limited English proficiency (LEP) access these websites and digital services.
Digital services involve the electronic delivery of information, including data and content, across
multiple platforms or devices, such as text, audio, video, mobile applications, and graphics that are transmitted for viewing over the internet. This includes social media (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc.), websites, and applications that enable users to create and share information and content or to participate in social networking. Vital information displayed on these platforms or devices should be accessible to persons with LEP in frequently encountered languages.

Immigrants in California

3/21 Report from the Public Policy Institute of CA (PPIC)- California has more immigrants than any other state.
California is home to almost 11 million immigrants”about a quarter of the foreign-born population nationwide. In 2019, the most current year of data, 27% of California’s population was foreign born, more than double the percentage in the rest of the country. Foreign-born residents represented at least one-third of the population in five California counties: Santa Clara (39%), San Mateo (35%), Los Angeles (34%), San Francisco (34%), and Alameda (33%). Half of California children have at least one immigrant parent. Multi-language:
Spanish

Ukraine Community Resources

3/11/22 The City of San José is closely monitoring the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and proudly stands in solidarity with Ukraine and our Ukrainian community in this extraordinarily challenging time. We are ready to support our community now and long into the future.
We will continue to share resources and information as it becomes available both on this page and on our social media pages: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
SJ Ukranian Resources
Bay Area Ukrainian Resources
Keu Words: TPS, Temporary Protected Status

Training for Mental Resilience and Well-Being for Nurses

Osmosis and #FirstRespondersFirst have collaboratively developed an interactive e-learning course on mental health training for first responders. Self paced and open ended, based on materials and subject matter experts provided by #FirstRespondersFirst, the course includes custom Osmosis animations/videos, text resources, and assessments within 8 core modules each consisting of one or more videos (approximately 11 videos in total for a total of 50+ minutes of video content), other learning materials, and assessment items. The total estimated time to completion will be 3 – 4 hours. This course is entirely free for nurses.
IPMA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 6971, for 3.75 contact hours.

Elevate Mt. View guaranteed basic income (GBI) pilot program

2/22/22 The City Council approved over $1 million in funding for 166 families The Elevate MV pilot program will involve:
**Aiding extremely low-income Mountain View families and custodial caregivers with at least one child under the age of 18. Income eligibility would be set at 30% Area Median Income (AMI).
**Restricting eligibility to Mountain View residents without regard to immigration documentation and/or housing status.
**Providing participants $500 a month from 12 to 24 months ($6,000 per year), serving approximately 166 families.
The City anticipates applications for Elevate MV will start being accepted in the May/June timeframe through an online portal available in multiple languages.

The importance of race, gender, and religion in naturalization adjudication in the US

3/1/22 This study examines group disparities in naturalization approvals by race/ethnicity, gender, and religion. We find that all else being equal, non-White applicants and Hispanic applicants are less likely to be approved than non-Hispanic White applicants, male applicants are less likely to be approved than female applicants, and applicants from Muslim-majority countries are less likely to be approved than applicants from other countries. In addition, we find that race/ethnicity, gender, and religion combine to produce a certain group hierarchy in terms of approval probabilities. For example, Blacks from Muslim-majority countries are much less likely to be approved than Whites from other countries. These findings underscore the continuing importance of race, gender, and religion in the making of US citizens.

2021 Trafficking in Persons Report

Human Trafficking in the Context of a Global Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is a health crisis with unprecedented repercussions for human rights and economic development globally, including in human trafficking. COVID-19 generated conditions that increased the number of people who experienced vulnerabilities to human trafficking and interrupted existing and planned anti-trafficking interventions. Governments across the world diverted resources toward the pandemic, often at the expense of anti-trafficking efforts, resulting in decreased protection measures and service provision for victims, reduction of preventative efforts, and hindrances to investigations and prosecutions of traffickers. At the same time, human traffickers quickly adapted to capitalize on the vulnerabilities exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic.

Cyberattack on International Committee of the Red Cross

2/4/22 Recently, a sophisticated cyberattack was detected against computer servers hosting information held by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The attack compromised personal data and confidential ICRC information of more than 515,000 vulnerable people, including those separated from their families due to conflict, migration and disaster, missing persons and their families, and people in detention.
The attack impacted the ICRC system that the American Red Cross uses to conduct the Restoring Family Links program. The ICRC, along with the wider Red Cross and Red Crescent network, jointly runs Restoring Family Links, which seeks to reunite family members separated by conflict, disaster or migration.

Vietnamese – American Service Center (VASC)

4/10/22 All Health Services now Open
offer a wide range of culturally competent services including resources will eventually include primary care, dental care, social services, on-site child supervision, and an array of community programs to promote wellness. Language capacity at the center will include, at minimum, English, Vietnamese, and Spanish, reflecting the communities and populations that will be served at the Center, located at 2410 Senter Road in East San José.
call (408) 828-4981 or email VASC@ceo.sccgov.org. Multi-language: Vietnamese and Spanish

California’s new plan for moving from “pandemic” to “endemic” COVID-19

2/17/22 State’s top health official unveils a strategy for living with the virus. The plan promises more reliable supplies of essential tools, so California is less dependent on unstable global supply chains. It will stockpile thousands of ventilators, 75 million masks and 30 million over-the-counter tests.

Schools often fail to identify gifted and talented students”especially if they are Black, Latino or Native American

10/14/20 There were 3.3 million U.S. students identified as having gifts and talents in the 2015-2016 school year. Based on our findings, we estimate that even more – another 3.6 million – ought to be designated this way.
These students are missing from the official data because their school does not identify any students as gifted and talented, they attend a high-poverty school or because they are Black, Latino or belong to another underidentified group.
For example, only 276,840 Black students were identified as gifted and talented in 2016. We estimate that as many as 771,728 would be identified this way if systems were working properly.

Guide for Developing HighQuality Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship

6/13 This guide provides houses of worship with information regarding emergency operations
planning for the spectrum of threats and hazards they may face. It discusses actions that may be
taken before, during, and after an incident in order to reduce the impact on property and any loss
of life and it encourages every house of worship to develop an EOP.

Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA)

A majority of our rapidly growing community is comprised of graduate students, and early career rising leaders. We are a proud member of the Council of National Psychology Associations for the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Interests (CNPAAEMI) Leadership Development Institute.
Committed to advancing and promoting, learning and teaching, mentoring and networking about mental health in the AAPI communities! Scholarships, awards, online forums, mentorship programs, leadership development program, and annual conventions.
COVID related Mental Health Resources for Asian Americans

Training on Conscious & Unconscious Biases in Health Care

Free on-line course from University of Georgetown – Course Purpose and Learning Objectives
This course focuses on conscious and unconscious biases in health care and their impact on people who are disproportionately affected by disparities in health and health care. It will offer an array of innovative activities, based on current evidence and best practices, that are intended to diminish the negative impact of biases.

COVID Collaaborative

12-9-21 We’ve assembled a diverse and comprehensive team of leading experts in health, education, and the economy to shape the work of the COVID Collaborative, develop consensus recommendations, and engage with state and local leaders across America – ensuring that our efforts are truly from the nation, for the nation.

SCOTUS Agrees to Hear Biden’s Bid to Rescind ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy

2/18/22 The Supreme Court will hear a proposal by the Biden administration to rescind a controversial Trump-era immigration policy.
Despite the official end of the policy in June 2021, Remain in Mexico was ordered to reinstate the policy by a federal judge in Texas in August 2021. It came after Texas and Missouri filed suit against the Biden administration for its removal, saying that it was improperly terminated. A week after the order, the U.S. and Mexico agreed to restart the program. Since the policy’s restart, 572 people have been deported to Mexico from the United States.

South Asian Therapists

Directory of South Asian therapists, including therapists of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Afghanistani, and Nepali heritage. Multi-language

Covid-19 hospitalizations average $4,000 in out-of-pocket costs per visit, research says

2/18/22 Measures to protect patients hospitalized with Covid-19 from financial liability have been rolled back by most insurers in the US, leaving the vast majority of patients with an average out-of-pocket bill of about $4,000 for each hospital stay,.
Between March 2020 and January 2021, less than 9% of patients with private health care insurance had any cost-sharing associated with Covid-19 hospitalization. By March 2021, more than 84% of patients with private insurance had some financial responsibility.
In December, the risk of hospitalization was 44 times higher for unvaccinated adults than it was for adults who were fully vaccinated and boosted, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Overtime Pay: Why Are Farmworkers Excluded?

2/10/22 Last week, the New York State Wage Board passed three resolutions that will finally provide overtime for farmworkers working for more than 40 hours a week. The resolutions also delineate a ten-year phase-in to ratchet down from the current 60-hour-a-week threshold to 40 hours. Immediately after the announcement, the New York Farm Bureau and other farmer-aligned organizations began rallying Governor Hochul for a reversal.
Until last week, farmworkers were part of a very slim subsection of workers in New York State who lack overtime pay after 40 hours. No other industry as large as agriculture has maintained the restriction of such a basic worker right.

Mitigating Attacks on Houses of Worship –Security Guide

December 2020 Acts of targeted violence against houses of worship are a real”and potentially growing”problem in the United States and a top priority for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). CISA has prepared this comprehensive security guide based on original analysis to help houses of worship develop a comprehensive security strategy to mitigate future incidents.

Webinar (Recording): Preventing Targeted Violence and Protecting the Safety and Security of Houses of Worship through Faith and Community Based Approaches in the US and in Europe
Key Words: FBO, Faith Based Organization,

LatinXCEL Fund

Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) created this fund in partnership with the Castellano Family Foundation. This initiative calls for vastly increased funding for Silicon Valley’s Latinx community leaders and Latinx-led nonprofits through targeted, long-term investments.
The LatinXCEL Fund is founded on the belief that investing in Latinx-led organizations will, in turn, build the power and self-determination of Latinx people most impacted by structural racism. The ultimate aim is to transform our region into one that is more inclusive and just, where all Latinx community members can thrive.
Key Words: Ethnic, grants

US flood risk is about to explode – but not for the reasons you think

2/3/22 Most new risk will come not from climate change but from population growth in areas that are already vulnerable to flooding. The findings underscore a hard truth with dire implications for climate adaptation policy: The lion’s share of U.S. flood risk does not stem from the changing nature of storms and seas, but instead from our decisions about where to build and where to live.

CISA TABLETOP EXERCISE PACKAGE

The CISA Tabletop Exercise Package (CTEP) is designed to assist critical infrastructure owners and operators in developing their own tabletop exercises to meet the specific needs of their facilities and stakeholders. CTEP allows users to leverage pre-built exercise templates and vetted scenarios to build tabletop exercises to assess, develop, and update information sharing processes,
emergency plans, programs, policies, and procedures.
For more information, email CISA Exercises at
CISAExercises@cisa.dhs.gov
Fact Sheet

Vice President Kamala Harris Swears In President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders

2/3/22 Vice President Kamala Harris swore in 23 members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (PACAANHPI) The PACAANHPI was created in May 2021, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to advise the President on ways to advance equity, justice and opportunity for the AAPI and Native Hawaiian communities.

2022 SF LANGUAGE ACCESSCOMPLIANCE SUMMARY REPORT

2/22 This year’s LAO report features direct feedback from community members via a comprehensive Language Access Community Survey conducted in 11 languages from June-September 2021 by OCEIA, in partnership with the IRC and the Language Access Network of San Francisco (LANSF). Survey results from over 2,000 City residents demonstrate that even with a clear commitment, a strong local language access law, and extraordinary efforts by emergency, public health and other City departments, not everyone was able to access the same information and services at the same time during a major public health crisis.

Joint Statement – URGENT POLICY ACTION NEEDED BY WHITE HOUSE TO SUPPORT THE AFGHAN PEOPLE

1/11/22 As detailed in a joint statement issued by the nine humanitarian organizations, more than half the country’s population of 23 million people are facing acute food insecurity, including 9 million who are on the brink of famine. According to the United Nations, if no action is taken, more than 100,000 children could die of starvation. While prices skyrocket, Afghan families cannot access cash to pay for food, medicine, or other items.
The 9 global charities include:InterAction
Alliance for Peacebuilding, |
CARE USA |
Catholic Relief Services |
International Rescue Committee |
Norwegian Refugee Council USA |
Save the Children US |
War Child USA | and
World Vision U.S

Health Equity Considerations & Racial & Ethnic Minority Groups

Health equity is when all members of society enjoy a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Public health policies and programs centered around the specific needs of communities can promote health equity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought social and racial injustice and inequity to the forefront of public health. It has highlighted that health equity is still not a reality as COVID-19 has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19. Multi-language: Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Korean |
Social determinants of health (SDOH)

Ensuring Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers Have the Ability to Work Safely

An extensive list of identified essential critical infrastructure workers in the fields of Healthcare, Law Enforcement, Public Safety / First Responders, Education and Food & Agriculture, It is intended to be overly inclusive reflecting the diversity of industries across the United States.
Providing instructions and guidelines for government and businesses to keep workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency)

News Literacy Project

The News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan national education nonprofit, provides programs and resources for educators and the public to teach, learn and share the abilities needed to be smart, active consumers of news and information and equal and engaged participants in a democracy.

Family Calming Kit from First 5

A Family Calming Kit is a set of tools that supports children and families with understanding and regulating emotions and lowering feelings of stress. By using the Family Calming Kit, children develop and understanding of their feelings to be better prepared to engage with others and learn in school. To register and schedule a time to pick up a calming kit, please call 1-888-479-0837.
Multi-language:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QgjtBCVy_-N7N6EOfRdqB1qEsM3W-k_P/view
Spanish

Vacciine Hucksterism – VAERS and the War Against Medical Science

1/23/22 Anti¯vaxxer disinformation activists are intensifying their attacks on medical efforts to combat the pandemic utilizing pseudoscience to manipulate public opinion One example is the perversion of the VAERS database, which is used to drum up opposition to vaccination against Covid19. “VAERS ° the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System ° is a data tool run by
both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration
It was created in 1990 to provide citizens with one central location to report their experiences with potential side effects of vaccines This database has become a key piece of §evidence¨ used by anti-vaxxers to cultivate public distrust of vaccines.

Transgender Law Center

Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation.

Supreme Court Blocks Biden’s Virus Mandate for Large Employers

1/13/22 The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a vaccine-or-testing mandate for large employers, dealing a blow to a key element of the White House’s plan to address the pandemic as coronavirus cases resulting from the Omicron variant are on the rise.
But the court allowed a more modest mandate requiring health care workers at facilities receiving federal money to be vaccinated

A Limiting Lens: How Vaccine Misinformation Has Influenced Hispanic Conversations Online

12/8/21 It isn’t possible to tell a single story about how this vaccination gap came to be. A history of medical exploitation and discrimination may play one role [4][5]. Data shows that language barriers, as well as concerns about immigration status, childcare and work schedules may also impede access to care [6][7].
All of these factors create a foundation of doubt and mistrust that allows misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines to flourish on social media.

SCC COVID Testing Guidance

1/14/22 With a high demand for COVID-19 testing locally and throughout the nation, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department is offering guidance to those unsure of what kind of test to use and whether or not they need one.
The testing options are a PCR test, typically administered in a clinic or drive-through operation; and an antigen test, which are also available for home use.
The County recommends that the antigen tests be used for purposes of shortening isolation or quarantine periods for those who have tested positive or been exposed to a person with COVID.
Positive antigen results should be recognized as valid – there is no need for a follow up PCR test at a healthcare or County facility.
Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Tagalog |

Bay Area Vanpool Program

Enterprise and MTC (Metropolitan Transportation Commission) connect employees who live near each other and provide them with a recent-model van or SUV. Riders commute together, saving money, freeing up time to relax or catch up on work. MTC will subsidize eligible* commutes up to $350/month. Vanpools must start or end in one of the 9 eligible Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma Counties). Check for other program requirements.

Census Bureau Releases 2021 Determinations for Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act

12/8/21 The U.S. Census Bureau has released a list of 331 jurisdictions (counties and minor civil divisions) across the nation and three states that are required under the Voting Rights Act to provide language assistance during elections for citizens who are unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process.
The list, published in the Federal Register, identifies the jurisdictions that are covered by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act and must provide language assistance for “persons who are American Indian, Asian American, Alaska Natives, or of Spanish heritage.”

Employment-Based Visa Categories in the United States

7/8/21 One of the key principles guiding the U.S. immigration system has been admitting foreign workers with skills that are valuable to the U.S. economy. Current U.S. immigration law provides several paths for foreign workers to enter the United States for employment purposes on a temporary or permanent basis. This fact sheet provides basic information about how the employment-based U.S. immigration system works.

Nixle Alerts

Nixle keeps you up-to-date with relevant information from your local public safety departments & schools
Text your zip code to 888777 to opt in to receive emergency alerts. Nixle asks new subscribers for both their mobile phone number (for emergency texts) and their email address if they want to also receive informational messages. Multi-Language: Spanish option.
Frequently Asked Questions

CA Community College Immigration Legal Services & DACA Scholarship Funds

Free immigration legal services are available to students, staff and faculty affiliated with the Community Colleges. Priority for services is given to undocumented students, staff and faculty. The immigration legal service providers offering services at the 65 campuses have developed scheduling, intake, and reporting processes that ensure student information remains confidential and protected. Contact the closest provider in your region. For questions contact Alonso Garcia at algarcia@foundationccc.org or at 916-400-2778.
.Legal Service Providers
DACA Scholarship Fund

Closing the Connectivity Gap for Older Americans

1/27/21 Older Adults Technology Services, Inc. (OATS), in partnership with the Humana Foundation, today released a new report that for the first time quantifies the size and degree of the digital isolation crisis among seniors in the United States, finding nearly 22 million older Americans continue to lack broadband access at home. Stressing the importance of digital health tools and social connectedness amid the coronavirus pandemic, OATS and The Humana Foundation are launching a new effort to close the technology adoption gap through Aging Connected – a national campaign to bring at least a million older Americans online with high-speed internet by 2022.

Minimum wage in Silicon Valley going up in January

12/29/21 San Jose workers will see their hourly rate go from $15.45 to $16.20, while those in Mountain View and Sunnyvale will see theirs bump to $17.10 from $16.30″the highest minimum wage in the region.
Once a national leader in increasing the minimum wage, San Jose continues to fall behind other cities who previously followed its footsteps. After voters approved Measure D to bring wages from $8 to $10 in 2012, six other cities in Santa Clara County also adopted their own increases. A decade later, San Jose is trailing behind all of them”almost $1 less than the highest rate in the region. Key Words: Employment

ILRC Immigration Enforcement Tracker

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) and Detention Watch Network (DWN) are actively collecting examples and trends in immigration enforcement around the country.
We are asking partners to please fill out this form to share details of what you’re seeing in your communities, specifically on enforcement actions and decisions since January 2021. This includes immigration detainers, arrests, and detentions by ICE or CBP, including when local police or sheriffs are involved. Centralizing this information is critical to track patterns of enforcement, identify of problematic trends, and advocate for improvements.

Assyrian American Association of San Jose (AAASJ)

Promoting the Assyrian language, heritage, and culture among all Assyrians and to assist Assyrian charitable, cultural, and educational organizations.
COVID-19 RAPID RESPONSE INITIATIVE – Santa Clara County & Surrounding Bay Area HOTLINE: 408-800-2799
*Delivering meals to the hungry and elderly who are home-bound.
*Providing health counseling for local community members in crisis.
*Supplying financial guidance for basic needs and vital social services to those affected by COVID-19
*Alleviating social isolation by ensuring that seniors receive regular phone calls, support and the services they require.
*Promoting location businesses that depend on daily transaction to remain viable.

San Jose expands community use at Viet Heritage Garden, after years of dispute

12/30/21 After sitting empty for 6 years due to a lack of funding, a garden honoring San Jose’s vast Vietnamese community sprouts signs of life.
San Jose is expanding a community garden program at the Viet Heritage Garden located at 1499 Roberts Ave.
The Viet Heritage Garden, which spans 4 acres will include 45 plots where people can farm their own vegetables and herbs.
The community garden in District 7 will be the newest addition to a list of 20 community gardens across the city, some of which have provided a place for residents to grow vegetables since 1977. Key Words: Food

SCC Division of Equity and Social Justice (DESJ)

DESJ departments provide numerous resources to the community. The County of Santa Clara provides fiscal resources to numerous community organizations or agencies within the county to help best serve the community. The DESJ is a partner with many organizations to provide information, resources and leadership in efforts to assist the most marginalized individuals within the county.
Office of Cultural Competency |
Office of Immigrant Relations |
Office of Labor Standards Enforcement |
Office of Women’s Policy |
Office of Gender Based Violence Prevention |
Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Affairs |

Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law

9/30/21 Foundational Principle: The Exercise of Prosecutorial Discretion – It is well established in the law that federal government officials have broad discretion to decide who should be subject to arrest, detainers, removal proceedings, and the execution of removal
orders. The exercise of prosecutorial discretion in the immigration arena is a deep-rooted tradition.
Icr New Enforcement Policies

2022 Silicon Valley Index

The Silicon Valley Index has been telling the Silicon Valley story since 1995. Released early every year, the Index is a comprehensive report based on indicators that measure the strength of our economy and the health of our community”highlighting challenges and providing an analytical foundation for leadership and decision-making. Produced by JOINT VENTURE SILICON VALLEY. NAME” target=”_blank””>Silicon Valley Index Data
Key Words: Santa Clara County, SCC, research, demographics

$165 million California fund to battle anti-Asian hate could come this year

11/16/21 Community groups will get the bulk of money to battle tide of bigotry and violence.
Community groups fighting against the rise of hate crimes and related actions directed at Asians could start seeing some of a new $165.5 million state fund by the end of this year, state and local leaders said Monday, Nov. 15, during a news conference in Garden Grove.
Most of the California API Equity Fund, roughly $110 million, is expected to be awarded over the next three years to organizations with deep ties in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities that they serve. Such groups were the first to respond to the rise in hate crimes and hate incidents faulting Asian Americans for the coronavirus pandemic.

SCC Quick Guide to Services 2019

Santa Clara County provides essential services that people need on a daily basis to work and live in Silicon Valley – whether residents need a marriage license, access to children’s health services or want to know about local recreational facilities. Customer service is a top priority for the County, which oversees services and programs for a multilingual, culturally diverse community. This is a Quick reference for many services that are provided to the community.

Six men arrested in connection with 70 crimes targeting Bay Area Asian women, police say

12/15/21 Six men have been arrested in connection to a string of robberies allegedly targeting Asian women in the Bay Area, concluding a yearlong investigation, according to authorities.
Ethnic slurs were allegedly used against some of the women by the three men and officials said the suspects followed the women to their cars in parking lots and waited until they were inside before opening the door or breaking a window to snatch a purse from their passenger seat.
Key Words: Hate Crimes

RAINN: Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network

RAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country.
Anyone affected by sexual assault, whether it happened
to you or someone you care about, can find support on
their National Sexual Assault Hotline. Call 800-656-HOPE (4673)
Online Chat Hotline |
Spanish Online Chat Hotline |
Multi-language: Spanish

DiversityInc Job Board

Apply to work at companies that “get it.” In 2020, DiversityInc’s job board included more than 166,000 job listings hiring diverse applicants. Our job board is a useful tool both for recruiters working to hire qualified talent and job seekers looking to work at organizations that value diversity, inclusion, equity and innovation. Free to job seekers.

Omicron in Santa Clara County and Boosters for Everyone 16+

12/11/21 County Public Health Department publichealth@phd.sccgov.org via mailchimpapp.net
As anticipated, the COVID-19 variant Omicron has been detected in Santa Clara County.
“Although there are still many unknowns about this variant, we strongly recommend getting vaccinated and getting your booster if you haven’t already to help guard against Omicron” said Dr. Sara Cody, Health Officer and Director of Public Health, County of Santa Clara. “It is a new variant, but we know what to do, and that’s to continue with all our layers of protection: Vaccinate, boost, mask, ventilate, distance, and test often.” Multi-language:
Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Tagalog |

White House Establishes New AAPI Visibility Task Force

1/4/21 With Business Leaders and Actor Daniel Dae Kim
The group will be tasked with advising President Biden and other D.C. lawmakers on issues important to the AAPI community, including initiatives like adding more language options in federal programs, disaggregating AAPI data to improve policy changes and rehabilitating small businesses crippled by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Key Words: Asian

CDC is expanding eligibility of booster doses to those 12 to 15 years old

1/5/22 CDC is expanding eligibility of booster doses to those 12 to 15 years old. CDC now recommends that adolescents age 12 to 17 years old should receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series.
Data show that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen protection against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for adolescents aged 12-17.

Who Are the Adults Not Vaccinated Against COVID?

12/28/21 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that as of December 14, roughly 85% of adults ages 18 and over in the United States had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but 15% remained unvaccinated.
Who are the unvaccinated and why are they choosing not to get a COVID vaccine? Household Pulse Survey Shows Many Don’t Trust COVID Vaccine, Worry About Side Effects

Child Tax Credits a Huge Boost for Many, But Not All, Latino Families

11/23/21 The expanded child tax credits are working to help families make ends meet and experience less stress, a new survey shows.
As part of the American Rescue Plan, Congress expanded the child tax credit in March 2021. Since July, the IRS has been providing cash benefits to most households with children, including some of the country’s poorest families.
Now, given sufficient time to study this effort, a survey by the Center for Law and Social Policy found that the enhanced child tax credit made a difference for many parents and children. Many Latinos and other families of color benefitted, but many immigrants also were left out.

Special Immigrant Juveniles

If you are in the United States and need the protection of a juvenile court because you have been abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent, you may be eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification. If SIJ classification is granted, you may qualify for lawful permanent residency (also known as getting a Green Card).
Multi-language: Spanish

Why hundreds of thousands of kids in the US dread their 21st birthdays

“All my friends excitedly talk about turning 21 — hitting the bars, all of that…but it’s just something that I dread,” she says.
The day she turns 21, Parvathinathan will no longer be protected by the work visa that allowed her parents to immigrate to the United States from India. And she may face deportation.
It’s known as “aging out,” and experts estimate that about 200,000 people like Parvathinathan are living in a similar limbo. Brought legally to the United States as children, many are scrambling to find ways to stay in the country they love. Some are forced to leave the US when they run out of options.
They’ve dubbed themselves “documented Dreamers,” and they say their plight shows how broken the US immigration system is.