Rebound Idaho: Reflecting on resources we're uncovering in this time of uncertainty
Rebound Idaho: Reflecting on resources we're uncovering in this time of uncertainty
Idaho News 6 reporter Madeline White got the chance to be interviewed by event organizers about why we feel it’s important for a newsroom to take on such a large subject.
IDAHOANS...ARETRYING TO GET BACKTO WORK... AND GETBACK ON THEIR FEET.OUR NEWSROOMHAS BEENCAREFULLYFOLLOWING THEFINANCIAL FALLOUTOF THE COVID-19CRISIS.AND OUR REBOUNDIDAHO SERIES... ISPART OF OURCOMMITMENT... TOBRINGING YOU ANDYOUR FAMILY THEINFORMATION YOUNEED... TO BOUNCEBACK .THAT'S WHY.WEPARTNERED WITHTHE VIRTUAL IDAHOCAREER AND JOBFAIR HOSTED BY I-B-LEVENTS.OUR MADELINEWHITE HAS LED OURREBOUND IDAHOREPORTING EFFORT.SHE SPOKE WITHEVENT ORGANIZERSWEDNESDAY.ABOUT WHY WE FEELIT'S IMPORTANT TOTAKE ON SUCH ALARGE SUBJECT.FROM QUESTIONSABOUT BENEFITSCLAIMS. TOINFORMATION ONUSING TELEHEALTH.OUR REBOUND IDAHOTEAM IS WORKING TOPROVIDE YOU WITHTHE RESOURCESYOU NEED TOPROTECT YOURBOTTOM LINE DURINGTHIS TIME."THE REBOUNDINITIATIVE IS AREALLY GREAT WAYTO GET THECOMMUNITYINVOLVED, AND HEARTHE FRUSTRATIONSAND THE STORIESAND WHAT'S GOINGON WITH THE IMPACTTHAT WE'RE SEEINGACROSS THE STATE.WHY DOES A NEWSSTATION WANT TOTAKE THIS ON?""YEAH GREATQUESTION NICK,WELL, I THINK THATWE'RE IN A UNIQUEPOSITION ASJOURNALISTS, TONOT ONLY HOLDGOVERNMENTAGENCIES, UHPOWERFUL PARTIESACCOUNTABLE, BUTALSO WE CAN HELPSPREAD AWARENESSON INFORMATIONON RESOURCESTHAT CAN REALLYEMPOWER PEOPLEDURING THIS TIME."THIS STORY, FROMLAST MONTH - FOREXAMPLE SHEDSOME LIGHT ON THEISSUES WITH THEBACKLOG OF CLAIMSFROM IDAHODEPARTMENT OFLABOR."NOW IMAGINE THEPAGES IN THIS BOOKREPRESENT THEROUGHLY 5,000CLAIMS IDAHODEPARTMENT OFLABOR USED TO SEE,PER WEEK, ONAVERAGE LASTYEAR.
NOW TAKETHAT SAME NUMBEROF CLAIMS, ANDMULTIPLY IT BYABOUT NINE, ANDYOU CAN SEE JUSTHOW MANY CLAIMSTHEY'RE DEALINGWITH THIS WEEK PERWEEK ON AVERAGE."DAYS LATER.GOVERNOR LITTLEADDED SEVERALNEW STAFFERS TOANSWER PHONESTHROUGH THELABOR DEPT.'SCONTRACT WITH ACALL CENTER.
ASWE'VE REPORTED,PROGRESS ON THEIRPAYMENT BACKLOGHAS BEEN MADESINCE THEN.
BUT THEREBOUND ALSOFOCUSES ONCOMMUNITYRESOURCES."CAN YOU TELL ME ALITTLE BIT ABOUTTHOSE OTHERRESOURCES?""YEAH SURE SOREALLY WHAT ITCOMES DOWN TO ISWHAT ARE THE BIGEXPENSES THATIDAHOANS HAVERIGHT NOW, UM, FORA LOT OF PEOPLEIT'S RENT, JUSTMAKING RENT, SOWE'VE BEENHIGHLIGHTING A LOTOF NONPROFITS, UM,ST.
VINCENT DE PAULFOR EXAMPLE, CANCOME IN WITH SOMECASH ASSISTANCE IFYOU NEED IT FORMAKING RENT THATMONTH, OR JESSETREE IS ANOTHERGREAT NONPROFITHERE IN THETREASURE VALLEYTHAT PROVIDESEMERGENCYEVICTIONINTERVENTION, FORPEOPLE WHO ARE ATRISK OF EVICTIONTHEY CAN HELP WITHTHAT.
UM, YA KNOWWE'VE ALSO LOOKEDAT YA KNOW TIPSFOR DEALING WITHCAR PAYMENTS, ANDPROTECTING YOURCREDIT SCORE, ANDTHE GOVERNMENT-ASSISTEDRESOURCES ASWELL, SO YA KNOWTHE IDAHO REBOUNDCASH GRANT, THEBACK-TO-WORKBONUS THEGOVERNORINTRODUCED, ANDLENDING PROGRAMSFOR SMALLBUSINESS OWNERSAS WELL."JOIN OUR "REBOUNDIDAHO" FACEBOOKGROUP TO STAY UPTO DATE ON OURREBOUND FINDINGS.
OR VISITIDAHONEWS6.COM/REBOUND TO VIEWSOME OF OURREPORTING SO FAR.OUR WORK IS FARFROM OVER.MADELINE WHITE.IDAHO NEWS 6.IF YOU MISSED OUTON WEDNESDAY'SEVENT JUSTSEARCH "IDAHO JOBAND CAREER FAIR"ON YOUTUBE.YOU CAN WATCHMADELINE'S FULLINTERVIEW.
ANDLISTEN AS SPEAKERSSHARE TIPS ONACEING VIRTUALINTERVIEWS.
