Connects directly with individuals on a one-on-one basis to assess and address the needs of each individual, and to provide services according to the need. Programs include: Community Garden ( helps needy people with seeds and plants to grow at home); Benefit Services (assists with applying for SSI/SSDI, Veterans benefits, SNAP, referrals to shelters, and other services); firewood for those whose only resource is wood for cooking and heating; free ESL classes;  clothing for children and families in need; computer lab; basic computer classes to learn internet skills, word, and email; and Spirit of Giving Fest, which is a free holiday meal, including caroling and games for children.

Community and Family Support Services offered at Entiat Valley Community Services Food Bank

Connects directly with individuals on a one-on-one basis to assess and address the needs of each individual, and to provide services according to the need.

Programs that provide training that is designed to enable employees to perform a job that their previous training has not equipped them for or to adapt to changes in the workplace. Retraining may be needed when new methods or equipment are introduced or when jobs for which employees have trained are phased out. It may also be provided by employers or governments for employees who have been laid off and are no longer able to find employment using the skills they already possess. The need for retraining may arise because of a decline in a particular industry sector or because of rapid technological change.

Job Retraining

Programs that offer the services of individuals, usually volunteers, who gather, cut, split, haul and/or stack firewood for people who need assistance.

Firewood Stockpiling

Programs that offer opportunities for non-English-speaking and limited-English-speaking adults to learn listening, speaking, reading and writing skills with an emphasis on developing the level of communication competence that is essential for adults who are living in a setting in which English is the primary language. Also included are programs that provide English language instruction for younger people.

English as a Second Language

Programs that maintain information about community resources that are appropriate for a specific target group or human services sector (for example, youth programs or addiction services) and which link individuals who are in need of specialized services with appropriate resources and/or which provide information about community agencies and organizations that offer specialized services.

Specialized Information and Referral

County or state offices that accept Food Stamp applications, determine eligibility for the Food Stamp program and allotments, and issue Food Stamp EBT cards which are presented at the grocery checkout counter when purchasing food. Certified households receive their EBT card and instructions for setting up a PIN number within 30 days of the date their application was filed. Expedited food stamps are available within seven days for people who are in an emergency situation and whose income and spendable resources for that month are within specified limits. Also included are other programs that help people prepare and file Food Stamp/SNAP applications and/or are authorized to do eligibility determinations for the program.

Food Stamps/SNAP Applications

Programs offered by churches, restaurants and other organizations that provide meals in a central location for people who lack the resources needed to buy and prepare food. The food may be distributed to people who line up for the meal or may be served to people seated in a dining hall setting, and participants rarely need to establish eligibility for the service.

Soup Kitchens

Programs that provide instruction for adults and eligible minors who have elected to take a series of tests which measure the extent to which they have gained the knowledge, skills and understanding ordinarily acquired through a high school education. Instruction and testing focus on writing, social studies, science, reading and mathematics. Individuals who pass the tests receive a high school equivalency certificate.

High School Equivalency/GED Test Instruction

Programs that provide plots of land on which groups of people living in a neighborhood can grow fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. Community gardens provide access to fresh produce and plants; may be located in parks, schools, hospital grounds or other open areas; and may be nurtured communally and the bounty shared, have individual plots for personal use, or be dedicated to "urban agriculture" where produce is grown for a market. Some have raised beds that are accessible to people with disabilities. The gardens provide an opportunity for participants to savor the freshness, flavor and wholesomeness of home-grown produce; save money on their food bills; grow traditional foods not available in the supermarket; or simply get some exercise and enjoy the benefits of being outdoors. They also support a community's food security, contribute to the preservation of open space, strengthen community bonds, provide a sense of connection to the environment and offer opportunities for community education.

Community Gardening

County or state offices that accept applications and determine eligibility for the TANF program. Also included are other programs that help people prepare and file TANF applications and/or are authorized to do eligibility determinations for the program.

TANF Applications

Programs that provide information concerning the basic principles of healthful eating, food handling, food preparation and shopping skills. Included is information about the basic food groups, vitamin and mineral requirements, the relationship of nutrition to the preservation of good health and the prevention of illness, and dietary choices such as vegetarianism.

Nutrition Education

Programs that prepare individuals to take the oath of U.S. citizenship and to exercise the attendant rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Citizenship courses help immigrants develop an understanding of and appreciation for American culture, institutions and ideals; and focus on important events in U.S. history, the Constitution and its historic background, and the organization, powers and duties of federal, state and local governments.

Citizenship Education

Programs that pay for or provide equipment which keeps track of specific bodily functions such as respiration, heart beat or blood pressure and which may sound an alarm when an individual's functioning falls into abnormal ranges.

Monitoring Equipment

Offers a variety of activities including aquatic exercise, camps, community gardening, exercise classes and activities, public parks, recreation centers, senior centers, summer meal programs, swimming facilities, and youth centers. The website offers a park and trail finder, special events list, and Vancouver Culture, Arts and Heritage information.

Parks and Recreation Programs offered at City of Vancouver

Offers a variety of activities including aquatic exercise, camps, community gardening, exercise classes and activities, public parks, recreation centers, senior centers, summer meal programs, swimming facilities, and youth centers.

Centers, often operated by the local community department of parks and recreation, that offer, at a single location, a variety of recreational facilities such as athletic fields and courts, a gymnasium, a swimming pool and locker facilities. Recreation centers usually offer an organized program of activities for community residents of all ages and provide all necessary equipment.

Recreation Centers

Programs that develop, maintain and make available to the public, swimming pools which may be equipped with diving boards of various heights, slides and other equipment.

Swimming Facilities

Residential or day camp facilities where care and recreational activities are provided for children during the summer vacation period.

Summer Camps

Programs that provide creative recreational experiences in cooperative indoor and/or outdoor group living for children, usually age four to 13, or adults who are transported to the site each morning and who return to their homes at the end of each day. Transportation may be provided by the program or may be the responsibility of the family.

Day Camps

Programs that offer a wide variety of activities including arts and crafts, academic programs, sports, reading clubs, workshops and other recreational, leisure, cultural, social and civic activities for school-age children and youth in out-of-school hours. The objective of youth enrichment programs is to promote healthy social interaction and help participants maximize their social, emotional, physical and academic potential.

Youth Enrichment Programs

Programs that offer guided or self-guided walks or drives through parks, beach areas, wildlife preserves and other natural settings to acquaint participants with particular aspects of their environment and to increase their understanding of and appreciation for ecological balance.

Nature Centers/Walks

Multipurpose centers that serve as a focal point for youth in the community and which offer, at a single location, a wide variety of services and activities that are needed by and of interest to this population.

Youth Centers

Open spaces within town, city, county or regional boundaries that are acquired, developed and maintained by local or regional governments and made available to the public as venues for recreational and leisure programs.

City/County Parks

Multipurpose centers that serve as focal points for older adults in the community and which offer, at a single location, a wide variety of services and activities that are needed by and of interest to this population.

Senior Centers

Programs that operate during the summer when school is not in session and provide nutritional meals (breakfasts, snacks, lunches and/or dinners) or supplemental EBT benefits for children and youth. Summer food service programs are generally available to youth age 18 and younger who live in designated low-income areas; and may be federally-funded or funded by other entities.

Summer Food Service Programs

Programs that provide opportunities for people of all ages to learn, become competitive in and enjoy the organized recreational activity, sport or game of their choice. These programs may be offered by local clubs devoted to a particular activity or sport; may provide individual or team coaching assistance or instruction, access to equipment and facilities, and uniforms, if necessary; and may sponsor or make arrangements for athletes to participate in amateur competitions, usually at the local, regional or state level, and provide officials for games. These events are generally for the enjoyment of the athletes and are not at a high enough competitive level to be considered spectator sports.

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Community and Family Support Services offered at Entiat Valley Community Services Food Bank

Parks and Recreation Programs offered at City of Vancouver