Naturalization (Citizenship) Program
The program helps qualified California residents apply for US citizenship. Qualified residents are those who enter the US legally (either as a refugee, via asylum, or as an immigrant) and who have been in this country continuously for at least 5 years (with exceptions for some special cases such as spouse of a US citizen which requires the US residency for three years only). SEACC helps applicants prepare forms, organizes various workshops/forums to educate applicants on the citizenship process, and organizes mock interviews to familiarize applicants with actual INS interviews.
Services for Seniors
SEACC in partnership with the Vietnamese Community Development Inc. (VCDI) received a grant from the City of Oakland to provide multiple services to the Vietnamese seniors residing in District 5 of Oakland. Services include outreach, case managing, counseling, training in computer access, citizenship application assistance, and capacity building for the seniors. The Southeast Asian elderly, almost all of whom are refugees, have been in the US for an average of 20 years. Even after so many years, due to language and cultural issues, most of them lack an understanding, and therefore have difficulty assessing, many common practices in daily life in this country. Thus they tend to be prone to various forms of economic frauds and scams as well as other difficulties. SEACC’s senior program provides services and addresses ways to help these seniors by connecting them with available resources and educating and empowering them to be productive and knowledgeable members of American society.
Free Food Program for Low-Income Immigrants:
SEACC has been selected by the San Francisco Food Bank (SFFB) as one of their official free food distribution sites. Recipients, which include more than 230 low-income immigrant households, are selected by the City of San Francisco’s Social Services Department which verifies income levels, household size, and need. Generally, each household consists of 5 members thus the program reaches and impacts approximately 1,500 low-income people. The most notable feature of this program is that it relies almost 100% on the volunteer services of local residents, specifically of those living in the Tenderloin. Rain or shine, at 5:30 am on every Friday of the week, about 20 volunteers are at SEACC to prepare for the food distribution. Most of them stay until the closing time at 12:00 pm
Phone Assistance Center
SEACC received a grant from the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) to educate members of Asian immigrant communities in the Bay Area about phone services in California, to help them resolve any complaints they may have with their phone carriers, including wireless phone carriers. Services include Outreach, Consumer Education Workshops, Complaint Resolution, California Lifeline, and Understanding Billing.
