20 Organizations That Are The Heart of our Community!

Our Issaquah School District community is a very special place. We have many organizations that support our families with services, locations, activities, and things for free or at an affordable price. But it can be hard to know how to get these resources, especially for those who are new in the area or have not needed or heard about them.

1. Issaquah School District is a public school district that serves close to 21,000 students and has 26 schools in the cities of Issaquah as well as portions of Sammamish, Renton, Bellevue, and Newcastle.

FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH PROGRAM This school year, lunch is free for all kids in the District. It’s still important that you fill out an application, as you may be eligible for additional benefits: https://www.myschoolapps.com

FAMILY LIAISONS Do you have any questions about your child’s school programs? Do you need help filling out forms or connecting with your child’s teacher(s) or counselor? Feel free to contact them: https://www. issaquah.wednet.edu/family/culturaland-family-partnerships/FPL

FAMILY EDUCATIONAL EVENTS In these (in-person or Zoom) events, families learn about schools and programs in the District. Parents have an opportunity to ask questions and talk to District staff and other parents. Chinese and Spanish are available, and you can request an interpreter in another language. These events are hosted in partnership with the Cultural Bridges Program. To learn more, go to page 13 or https://www.issaquah. wednet.edu/family/cultural-and-familypartnerships/events

SCHOOL COUNSELORS Issaquah schools provide counseling services in each school. All students have the right to participate. To get help, contact your student’s teacher or the counselor at your school. To learn more, go to page 17.

PRESCHOOL ACADEMY A program designed to prepare each student to be ready for kindergarten and beyond. Now they are offering 3 locations for the 2021-2022 school year! To learn more: https://www. isdpreschoolacademy.com/

NURSES' FUND Each school nurse has access to a fund to help pay for glasses, eye exams, medical needs, and some basic needs. For more information, contact your school nurse.

2. Issaquah Schools Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides:

CULTURAL BRIDGES MAGAZINE We offer this publication in 7 languages: Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Here you can find lots of useful schoolrelated information from Kindergarten to High School, community-related information about resources and events available to our families, and cultural-related information to help our communities in their process of developing cultural competence. To read or download the magazine: http:// isfdn.org/cultural-bridges-magazine/

COMMUNITY RESOURCES PRESENTATION During these Zoom events, we present information about resources available to families. The information is shared in English, Spanish and Chinese. Other languages are available if needed. To learn more, go to page 13.

TOOL 4 SCHOOLS PROGRAM Provides backpack filled with new school supplies for kids who need them. There is an event at the beginning of each school year, and the backpacks are also available at the schools’ offices during the year. To learn more: https://isfdn.org/tools-forschool-registration/

STUDENT ACADEMIC GRANTS For students who need help paying for tutoring and other academic assistance programs. Grants are awarded up to $500 per student for those most in need of academic support. The family is responsible for setting up the tutor or other academic support they wish to use and will be asked about their choice in the application. Any grant money awarded will be given directly to the service provider. To learn more: https://isfdn.org/academicgrants.

SUMMER PROGRAM Offered in 4 locations: Talus, Downtown Issaquah, Renton, and Sammamish. Three sessions in August. Students get books, art materials, and snacks. For questions, email culturalbridges@ isfdn.org

GREAT CAREERS CONFERENCE This event introduces 9-12 grade students to secondary education options outside the typical four-year career path. To learn more, go to pages 18-19 or: https://isfdn.org/ourpurpose/connecting-students-to-theirfuture/great-careers-conference/

3. School PTA/PTSAs are parentteacher non-profit organizations that support their school and offer programs, events, and volunteer opportunities. Every school in the District has a PTSA or PTA. Some examples of the activities that they organize are:

CULTURAL EVENTS Families participate by hosting a table to represent their culture. They offer activities for kids and traditional food. Everybody in the school is invited. These events are great for families to share a little bit of their culture or to learn about their neighbors’ cultures.

FAMILY FUN EVENTS Bingo parties, movie nights, talent shows, etc. They are very good opportunities for families to get to know each other.

ANGEL PROGRAM Anonymous parents (known as “Angels”) donate basic necessities to students who need them. To learn what is offered at your school, check your PTA/PTSA website: https://www. issaquah.wednet.edu/family/PTSA

4. Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank is a non-profit organization that provides:

FOOD The food bank looks like a small grocery store and it’s open every other week. Families can visit one time each week they are open. They will ask you for an ID, but it’s not required. To register: https://www.issaquahfoodbank.org/

SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM During the summer (when kids are not receiving free/reduced school lunch), families get a week’s worth of breakfast, lunch, and snack foods. To register: https://www.issaquahfoodbank.org/ special-programs/

POWER PACKS PROGRAM Provides about a weekend's worth of kid-friendly breakfast, lunch, and snack items to any school-aged child. They are distributed through the school. To receive Power Packs, contact your child’s counselor or teacher. More information here: https://www. issaquahfoodbank.org/issaquahpower-packs

GROCERIES TO GO PROGRAM Home delivery service for families facing transportation, health, aging, or other challenges. Clients receive an order based on household size, delivered directly to their door, once every two weeks. To get this service, email or call Jaek 360-525-3619, jaek@issaquahfoodbank.org

SEASONAL CLOTHING EVENTS Families get new or very gently used clothes. For an update on when the next event is taking place, visit: https:// www.issaquahfoodbank.org/specialprograms/

HOLIDAY GIFT BARN PROGRAM To make the holidays special, the food bank turns Pickering Barn into a toy store. Parents get what they want for each child. To help keep everyone safe, the last two years they offered instead gift cards. To learn more: https://issaquahfoodbank.org/holidaygift-barn

5. Eastside Baby Corner is a non-profit organization that provides:

KID'S CLOTHES (0-12) They work with different partners. If you are interested in getting their help, contact the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank or a Nurse at your school.

6. ParentWiser is a non-profit organization that provides:

PARENT EDUCATION In these events, local and nationally known experts share the latest information on effective parenting with caregivers. To learn more, go to page 13 or https://www.parentwiser.org/

7. 424 Tutoring, EmP, and Mission InspirEd are three student led nonprofit organizations that provide:

TUTORING 424 Tutoring [https:// www.425tutoring. org/] provides support for K-5 grade students, EmP [https://www. emeraldparents.org/tutoring-program. html] for K-8 grade students, and Mission InspirEd [https://www. missioninspired.org/] for K-12 grade students.

8. Club Inclusive is a community organization that provides:

MEETINGS FOR KIDS OF ALL ABILITIES Members hang out and participate in art workshops by Epic Art. These meetings are every 2nd Thursday of every month from 7 to 8:30pm at The Garage in downtown Issaquah.

9. Influence the Choice is a non-profit organization that provides:

COMMUNITY EDUCATION Programs and events to prevent substance use and promote mental, physical, and social wellness of our youth. To learn more: https://www. influencethechoice.org/

10. Friends of Youth is a non-profit organization that provides:

MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE COUNSELING Services are by appointment only. Monday through Friday, from 8:30am to 5pm, virtually and in their offices in Issaquah.

11. Eastside Legal Assistance Program (ELAP) is a non-profit organization that provides:

LEGAL SERVICES Families can meet one-on-one with a lawyer. Their clinics cover topics that include housing, family law, domestic violence, immigration, debt collection and bankruptcy, and more.

WILLS CLINICS Qualifying participants will receive a Simple Will, Power of Attorney, and/or an Advance Medical Directive for free during a 2-hour appointment with a professional attorney. Interpretation is available for these events.

LEGAL SERVICES Families can get individualized legal help, free legal clinics, educational webinars, and access to legal resources. To learn more: https://elap. org/

12. Hopelink is a non-profit organization that provides:

ENGLISH FOR WORK PROGRAM For adults who would like to improve their English language skills for employment. To learn more: hopelink. com

13. Issaquah Community Services is a non-profit organization that provides:

HELP WITH RENT AND UTILITIES Funds are sent to landlords or utility companies based on the severity of need. To learn more: https://www.issaquahcommunityservices.org/needhelp/

14. The Ruby Room is a non-profit organization that provides:

FORMAL WEAR A wide selection of formal dresses in every color and sizes ranging from 0 to 30. Students can choose from brand new and lightly used dresses with a few designer labels throughout their collection! Shoes and jewelry are also available. A limited collection of men’s formal wear includes suits, tuxes, ties, and accessories. To learn more: info@rubyroomseattle.org

15. Religious organizations in our community support our families with different resources. Some examples are:

DENTAL VAN EVENT This service is for adults. The Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank Case Manager schedules the dental appointments for the van: rebecca@issaquahfoodbank. org

TURKEY GIVEAWAY EVENT Eastridge Church gives families a turkey, a bag of groceries, and some winter accessories for children. This event happens every year before Thanksgiving.

RENTAL ASSISTANCE St. Vincent de Paul volunteers visit the homes of those in need with rental assistance, food, clothing, and furniture. To learn more: https://sjcissaquah.org/st-vincent-de-paul

ENGLISH CLASSES Jubilee REACH offers English language classes for adults to improve their communication skills in order to find employment, build relationships, and thrive in our communities. To learn more: https://www.jubileereach.org/esl

16. King County Library is a public organization that provides:

BOOKS, READING PROGRAMS, HOMEWORK HELP, CULTURAL AND FAMILY EVENTS All the cities of our community have libraries: Issaquah, Sammamish, Renton, Bellevue, and Newcastle. To learn more: https://kcls.org/

17. Community Centers are public organizations that provide:

A SPACE FOR FAMILIES Some of our cities have community centers: Issaquah [https://www. issaquahwa.gov/768/Community- Center] and Renton [https://rentonwa. gov/cms/one.aspx?pageId=8838936]. Some examples of the activities that they offer are exercise classes, open gym, drop-in activities, indoor track, and toddler time. Look for the schedule of their activities on their websites. And note that they offer scholarships for their programs.

18. The Garage – A Teen Café is a nonprofit organization that provides:

A SPACE FOR TEENS High School teens can drop in to hang out with friends, grab a coffee and a snack, play a game, play music, watch TV, talk over homework, meet with a counselor, and much more! To learn more: https://www.issaquahteencafe. org/

19. Seniors Centers are public organizations that provide:

A SPACE FOR SENIORS Some of the cities of our community have senior centers: Issaquah [https:// wwwissaquahwa.gov/1744/Seniors], Renton [https://rentonwa.gov/cms/ one.aspx?pageId=8715840], and Bellevue [https://bellevuewa.gov/ city-government/departments/parks/ community-centers/north-bellevuecommunity-center]. Some examples of the activities that they offer are exercise classes, hot lunch, rooms with puzzles, ping-pong, and billiard tables.

20. Eastside Friends of Seniors is a non-profit organization that provides:

HOME VISITS This service is provided to seniors living independently.

MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION A door-to-door service from their home to their health care provider’s office, and back.

SHOPPING AND ERRANDS Not just a ride, but help in the store and putting their groceries away at home, if they need it.

There are many more resources available to all Issaquah School District families. This is just a sample of how these wonderful organizations are helping our families to make a home in our communities.

During the pandemic, we learned that no one is exempt from adversity. If you can help, these organizations are always looking for donations and volunteers. We all are in charge of our community. We all can make a difference in the lives of our children.

To learn more about how to help or how to get any of these or any other resource, send an email to culturalbridges@isfdn.org.