InterIm CDA - Holiday Gift Bags to Residents!

In the beginning of the year, InterIm began grocery deliveries to low-income senior residents and their families once a week to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. It began with a GoFundMe page and weekly volunteers from all over the Seattle area, and then turned into a partnership between InterIm, other non-profit organizations that were also participating in grocery deliveries, and Asian Counseling and Referral Services' food bank.

For the holidays, we decided to get together to offer gift cards to grocery stores Uwajimaya, Safeway, or Viet-Wah, depending on the residents' choice. To go along with the gift cards, we put together a gift bag with freshly baked cookies, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, and tea bags.

Enjoy these pictures of some of the InterIm team that put the holiday gift bags together!

Carmen Hom (Employment Navigation Coordinator), Vincent Kwan (Employment Navigation Manager), Derek Lum (Equitable Development Policy Analyst) assembling gift bags for various buildings

Freshly baked cookies with tags that included ingredients!

Tom Im (Deputy Director) on his way to make his delivery

Carol Xie (Resource Development & Marketing Manager) 

Another batch on their way out!

Alec Mac (Employment Navigation Assistant) wheeling boxes of gift bags out

Each bag was hand delivered to each resident - they were pleasantly surprised and thrilled to receive their bags!

Connect with us:
Instagram: @interim_cda; @dannywoogarden
Facebook: @interim_cda; @dannywoogarden

by Carol Xie

InterIm CDA - Laptops Provided to Low Income and Homeless Communities

Through the King County "Digital Equity for Adults with Barriers to Access and Services" grant, the Employment Navigation team at InterIm was able to secure over 100 laptops to support seniors, limited-English proficient, unemployed, and/or homeless individuals, and an additional 22 hotspots for those that did not have access to internet.

Abby Frias (Sustainability & Education Coordinator), Carmen Hom (Employment Navigation Coordinator), Silver Ly (Housing Stability Case Manager), Lizzy Baskerville (Environmental Design & Sustainability Manager), Alec Mac (Employment Navigation Assistant), Vincent Kwan (Employment Navigation Manager), Carol Xie (Resource Development & Marketing Manager), Renae Figuriera (Family Navigator) on the day of laptop delivery

The grant was approved for 21 organizations across the county, including InterIm CDA. The purpose of the grant was to provide individuals and/or families with digital services to "navigate online resources for health, economic, or other basic needs" who would otherwise not have access to them in an effort to help recover from the vast impacts of COVID-19 (King County).

Alec & Vincent organizing laptops to be delivered to residents

On the morning of December 16, 2020, InterIm staff gathered and formed teams of two to deliver laptops to different apartment buildings to residents that were approved to receive one. Upon arrival, the recipients were told in advance of our scheduled arrival time and signed off to confirm receipt of their new device(s), accepting with gratitude.

Vincent, socially distanced, instructing staff on laptop deliveries and assigning everyone to teams of two

Digital Literacy flyers, with both English and Chinese, that were given to the residents to go along with their laptops

Lizzy organizing and prepping the laptops to be delivered to Rex Apartments' residents

Silver and Renae finishing up their deliveries - they even got to support local restaurant, Tai Tung!

Carol and Lizzy preparing for their last delivery of the day.

Alec during the middle of a delivery

We are working hard to provide services and resources for the communities that we serve, especially during these times. We are confident that the laptops and hotspots that were delivered will help their recipients in their journey to finding employment and other resources, which is now more important than ever.

Thank you to all our supporters that continue to support our work!

Connect with us:
Instagram: @interim_cda; @dannywoogarden
Facebook: @interim_cda; @dannywoogarden

by Carol Xie

InterIm CDA - Coming to the End of 2020

This year, our organization, as well as the rest of the world, has faced some drastic changes and challenges. As an organization, we have learned to navigate these changes by sticking together and remembering our mission and commitment to all immigrants, refugees, and low income communities.
Even though we have not been able to hold events and interact with everyone as we used to, we are making the most of it.
In the early months of this year, Community Engagement Manager, Henry Liu, started a GoFundMe to provide groceries to the various CID residents. It soon surpassed the initial goal, and we were able to get even more groceries in bulk from local grocery stores. We had the help of many, many, many volunteers during this process. After a few months, we started partnering with our friends at the Asian Counseling and Referral Services (ACRS), who help us package hundreds of bags per week for us to deliver to different households in the neighborhood.
On top of this, we have helped senior residents fill out the 2020 Census and even register to vote! We had a great turnout this year and it was great to see the residents excited and engaged in their civic duties.
The Danny Woo Community Garden has also seen some changes. We have seen an increase in crops being utilized in the garden, and have even heard from gardeners that their groups have helped them during this time. It gives them time to be outside, exercise, and even helps them grow food for their families. Lizzy Baskerville, Environmental Design & Sustainability Manager, quotes gardener Deng Xia Tang, "Very happy because [otherwise] there is nothing to do. My husband labors in the plot. At home we feel very lonely but we go to the garden to enrich our lives. We have this plot to have fun.”
You may have even see Matt Chan's video of the Danny Woo Community Garden, which honors the annual Pig Roast that was unfortunately canceled this year.
Our Employment Navigation department has also been hard at work during this time. Employment Navigation Managers, Vincent Kwan and Carmen Hom, have continuously helped community members file for unemployment or find jobs, which are both especially important during this time. They work tirelessly each week to check up on clients and have even set up several events and workshops!
InterIm has also been a part of the I-5 Steering Committee, which is working to revitalize the freeway underpass on Jackson & King St. in an effort to create more open space and a sense of public safety, as well as better connect Little Saigon to the rest of the CID neighborhood. Be sure to join the upcoming Community Meeting on December 16, 2020 at 4:00pm!
Another way that InterIm has been engaging with senior residents is by leading weekly cooking and exercise classes. Community Engagement Manager, Henry, and Nutritional Education & Food Security Manager, Eliza Guan, purchase ingredients for dozens of senior residents each week and hand deliver them. Based on the ingredients for the week, each resident comes up with their own dish and shares what they made with other participants in a WeChat group chat. From these group chats, the residents have made friends with each other and keep each other company even on non-cooking class days!
Our administrative team has also been hard at work. Administrative Assistant, Lynette Seigafo, and accounting team Anca Bolden and Shegaw Masresha, have been hard at work at the InterIm office making sure that everything behind-the-scenes is seamless and that the rest of the team can do their jobs effectively and by the book. They truly are the backbone of InterIm CDA.
There are several other departments that have not been captured in this video, but deserve the recognition just as much - Housing Services, Real Estate Development, Equitable Development Policy Advocacy, Wilderness Inner-City Leadership Development (WILD) youth program, Homelessness Prevention, and Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault services have all done amazing work for the communities that they serve.
While this year has been both challenging and different, we at InterIm are grateful for each other and our community. We continue to do our work as best as we can, under the circumstances, and uphold our commitment to the community. At this time, your support means the world to us and we cannot thank you enough. Please consider to continue supporting us during this time so that we can continue our neighborhood advocacy efforts.
Thank you all - we are excited for 2021 and all that it may bring!
Connect with us:
Instagram: @interim_cda; @dannywoogarden
Facebook: @interim_cda; @dannywoogarden

by Carol Xie

InterIm CDA - I5 Underpass Activation Project

Check out our new video that features a walkthrough of our I5 Underpass Activation Project!

We will be hosting a community meeting on December 16th, 2020 at 4:00pm to discuss the design. Please join us and let us know what you think!

by Carol Xie

Interim CDA - WILD Program

 

WILD (Wilderness Inner-City Leadership Development) is InterIm CDA's youth leadership program that promotes civic engagement, environmental justice, inter-generational engagement, and college readiness while fostering confidence and compassion in immigrant youth leaders. At the end of each year, the WILD Banquet is held to celebrate and connect the program's youth leaders and the community's senior residents.

For the first time in 23 years, we were not able to hold our annual WILD Banquet to ensure everyone's safety. We've compiled a short video to commemorate and celebrate some joyful moments in the WILD program. Please enjoy this video and join us in remembering these happy times.

Please continue to support us during this time. Your donation helps us continue our community support work in the Chinatown-International District neighborhood.

Connect with us!

Instagram: interimcda
Facebook: @interimcda
Website: interimcda.org

by Carol Xie