Yolo County tends to have high seasonal variation in employment and, unlike Davis itself, run higher than US figures. (source: Google/US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
It happens. You got laid off. Or fired. Or quit. Whatever. Regardless, you'll most likely be facing an extreme shortage, if not a complete cessation, of incoming money. Fortunately, there are different programs in place to help you until you can find your next job.
Luckily for Davis, the town's unemployment rate has been significantly lower than the state average for many years.
Temporary Financial Assistance
Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment benefits are available to qualifying individuals who have recently been laid off due to no fault of their own. Benefits come in cash (or debit card) payments, and amount to somewhere around half of your regular paycheck. Benefits also come with the stipulation that you register with the CalWorks job search and keep track of your job search efforts. They also have a few training opportunity programs with limited enrollment.
General Assistance
The county provides emergency assistance to people in dire need. The program provides financial assistance, substance abuse counseling, health care benefits and job training. Visit the Yolo County General Assistance webpage for more info.
Paying for Necessities
General
- Davis Community Meals and STEAC offers not only food assistance, but also assistance regarding housing, family issues and substance abuse.
- Living Cheaply
Food
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Formerly/colloquially known as Food Stamps, this program issues Electronic Benefit Transfers (also known as EBT cards) to use to buy groceries and food items. They work much the same way as debit cards, and can only be used on specific food and food-related items. Admission to the program occurs via application submission and an interview.
- The Food Bank of Yolo County has a number of programs to help alleviate hunger in the county. You can visit their website for more information on distribution of food.
- Food Not Bombs can help you with a hot meal once a week in Central Park. The Episcopal Church of St. Martin hosts hot meals to the community on for lunch on Saturday, as well as for dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Cheap Food is a pretty nifty listing of good deals in town
- Free Food is even better.
- Free Beer
Health Care
Termination of employment often results in termination of insurance benefits, so it's good to know what other options you have available.
Medi-Cal
Medi-Cal is a state-sponsored public health care program available to eligible individuals, notably caretakers (whether for children or dependent adults), pregnant women, and children. Denti-Cal is available for dental care services. Download Application forms here.
Community Clinic
CommuniCare Health Center is the local community clinic that serves low income and uninsured (or under-insured) individuals. They accept various insurance plans, but also operate on a sliding-scale payment system.
Other Programs
- WIC Program WIC provides assistance to pregnant and breastfeeding women and infants
- QuickHealth inside the West Sacramento Wal-Mart is a non-emergency clinic designed to handle common ailments (like health screenings, wart removal, yeast infection treatment, etc) as well as general physicals. They also offer package deals for related screenings and tests. No insurance is needed.
- Planned Parenthood offers reproductive health education, gynecological exams, birth control, and abortion services
Child Care
- HeadStart offers programs for expectant parents, infants/toddlers (Early Head Start), and preschool-age children
- The Children's Center is a state-subsidized preschool and childcare center with low-cost and free childcare. The center is affiliated with the local school district. For children ages 3-5.
- CDC provides childcare and daycare for children of all ages in low-income families
- The city also provides childcare subsidies to qualifying families
Low-Income Housing
The city has a low-income housing program for families meeting the requisite income and household size. Essentially, qualifying households may receive Section 8 housing vouchers to offset the cost of rent. Section 8 vouchers are accepted at a number of Davis housing complexes. Unfortunately, there tend to be long wait-lists for openings at these complexes, and it is not uncommon for the wait for an available apartment to last between six months and a year.
A more expedient option for individuals who rent housing may be to relocate to less expensive areas, especially Woodland, Dixon/Solano County, or in rural Yolo county.
Finding Work
Check out Employment, Job Applications and Job Board
