The Power of Three
Borrego Comes Together to Assist Locals With Disaster Relief Benefits
Last updated 5/22/2020 at 11:38am
The Power of Three: Client, Blanca Rodarte and Urmi Ray
What happens when you have an unemployed worker with no computer who needs to apply for Unemployment Insurance, and you have a couple with strong computer skills and a desire to assist people, but the two don't speak the same language?
Well, you bring in a bilingual unemployed young mother who appreciates the small stipend (thank you, Soroptimist Club) and you have a win-win-win situation all the way around! This highly successful trio- all wearing protective gear and sitting 6' apart on disinfected tables – debuted last week to high praise.
The brainchild of local semi-retired Qualcomm Engineers, Sanjiv Nanda and Urmi Ray, the "trio" concept came to fruition when COVID-19 required businesses to close down and folks lost jobs overnight. For some locals, the technology and the paperwork necessary for the Unemployment Insurance application were daunting. Some applied incorrectly, some didn't know they even qualified and others had no Internet or computer.
Working with ABDNHA Executive Director Betsy Knaak and Education Program Director, Mike McElhatton, Urmi and Sanjiv created a conference room complete with safe distancing, a large projector screen and a computer.
Local bilingual resident, Blanca Rodarte, translated and clarified questions during the session while Urmi and Sanjiv filled in the application on their large screen. When the application was finished, it was signed and sent off.
This is another example of how Borrego Residents are giving of their time and talent to help Borrego Springs through this difficult time.
If you know of someone needing assistance with UI and other disaster relief programs, please call Urmi or Sanjiv at 760-533-1393 or for Spanish, call Martha Deichler at 619-948-5900.
