Taking Care of our Seniors

In May, our Senior Hub provided 681 meals to 71 adults over the age of 55. Five of those participants are new to our services. We provide senior participants to-go lunches Mondays through Fridays from 11 AM to 1 PM. In addition, we deliver 25 lunches three times a week to homebound seniors. On Wednesdays, we include a bag of groceries with their lunches.

As we continue to check in with our senior participants by phone, we ask them whether they need a face mask or other resources. When seniors come to pick up their lunches on Wednesdays, we also provide hand sanitizer and face mask, made possible by a generous donor.

Meeting Diverse Nutritional Needs

Our Food Bank continues to distribute groceries during COVID-19. During the week, we provide grocery items to 700 individuals and deliver groceries to roughly 100 households, of which 40% are people who are homebound because of varying circumstances.

Each week, our Food Bank staff receive voicemails and emails from these households letting us know how helpful it is to have the option to receive weekly grocery deliveries. In particular, one family emailed to request a wider variety of fresh items due to existing dietary restrictions.

In that same week, our Food Bank staff responded by coordinating with Pacific Coast Foods to receive a weekly delivery of roughly four pallets that included boxes of fresh produce and dairy items. Produce ranged from strawberries to kale, celery, and cauliflower. The dairy boxes contained milk, cheese, and yogurt. We are grateful we can meet the diverse nutritional needs with help from our partners for our neighbors.

Brenda’s Story

A Latina single mother named Brenda* with four children called El Centro de la Raza seeking rental assistance. Brenda and two of her children contracted COVID-19. The entire family was quarantined in their home, so Brenda was no longer working and could not pay rent since February.

In May, our staff assisted Brenda by providing rental assistance for that month, but Brenda had three months of back rent to pay. Our team advocated for Brenda by talking to the apartment manager about writing off some of Brenda’s debt. Fortunately, the apartment manager was willing to write off all three months of her debt. We provided Brenda with further assistance for June rent.

Because of your generous support of the Emergency Response Fund, Brenda was thrilled and grateful for the rental assistance and advocacy. She no longer owes over $5,000 in back rent. Brenda hopes to start working again soon, stating she and her family should be okay after her employer is cleared to re-open its doors.

High Demand for ESL Classes

Now through August 18, El Centro de la Raza is providing online level 1/2 ESL classes for registered students living in Washington State. Participants learn skills related to introductions and greetings; making small talk about weather, sports, and habits; telling time; talking about money, numbers, and dates; describing activities and emotions, and asking and answering simple questions. The instructor also tailors each lesson by incorporating students’ goals into the curriculum.

Nearly 100 people have emailed us regarding their interest in attending ESL classes for Spanish speakers, including out-of-state people living in Texas and Arizona.

At this time, 14 students are enrolled in ESL classes where four Spanish-speaking volunteers assist them with practicing, translating, and explaining the material. Students are learning remotely from the greater Seattle area, Anacortes, Buckley, and Yakima. Classes are held online every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 5 PM to 7:20 PM. Enrollment is for current students and on a rolling basis. To learn more information or to register, please contact Camila via email at facilities@elcentrodelaraza.org or by phone at 206-329-9442.

Feeding Youth Participants Knowledge and Meals during Summer

From now through August 6, El Centro de la Raza is providing lunch meals and snacks to our After School program participants, made possible by the City of Seattle. We will follow sanitation and social distancing practices while serving food to the currently enrolled participants.

Our After School program operates three classes daily scheduled on a rotating basis that focus on academics and cultural enrichment during the summer. On Mondays and Wednesdays, we have reading and writing; and, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, math and science. Every day, youth participate in the cultural enrichment component.

All After School participants are assigned to a cohort either UW Huskies or WSU Cougars. Participants earn points individually, which are then calculated and applied to the respective team’s totals. Each week, the winning team takes home the virtual spirit staff. By incorporating school spirit into our After School curriculum, we hope to instill confidence in our youth participants that attending college or post-secondary school is attainable.

Abdul*, a rising 6th grader, “I love everything about summer program! It’s my favorite part of the day, especially since we can sleep in. I am part of the Cougars team and getting points is my favorite activity!”

Ana*, a rising 7th grader, said, “My favorite activity has been drawing our own Mayan calendars. I have always seen them but never knew that they have meaning. I hung the one I drew on my Mom’s fridge, and I got to show her what each thing means.”

Roberto*, a rising 8th grader said, “I look forward to the start and end of each day in the program. That’s when we do circle activities, and those make the program so fun. I was mad my Mom signed me up, but I’m having a lot of fun here.”

*Individual’s name was changed to protect their identity.

The Invisible Americans: Census Outreach to Hard-To-Count Communities

Every ten years, the Census puts in extra effort to reach “hard to count” (HTC) communities. These populations face various barriers when it comes to filling out the Census. The population groups that are historically undercounted include BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), renters, college students, people with low English proficiency, immigrants, mixed-status households, and low-income households. These communities are identified as HTC because they are:

  • Hard to locate

Families or individuals who are transitory due to experiencing homelessness or housing instability are typically short-term renters, live in isolated rural locations, or are physically challenging to find fall under this category. Indigenous peoples of the United States are the most undercounted population in the Census. One in three live in hard to count rural Census tracts, representing 80% of all tribal lands. To combat the undercount, the Census Bureau has focused on starting the count in Alaska earlier than usual and are working with tribal leaders to form Complete Count Committees.

  • Hard to contact

Census workers may have trouble counting vulnerable populations, even after they are located. The reason for the difficulty in contacting HTC community members could be that they are highly mobile or their residence has physical access barriers, such as gated communities. To count populations experiencing homelessness, the Census Bureau sets aside specific days when enumerators specifically focus on visiting soup kitchens, mobile food vans, shelters, and tent encampments.

  • Hard to persuade

Once accessed, populations may be reluctant to participate. Marginalized communities that intersect with HTC communities have experienced systemic violence that leads to a distrust of government Census efforts, which could lead to nonresponse to the Census. In the 2010 Census, the African-American population was undercounted by more than 800,000 people. Mixed-status immigrant households may also be hesitant to fill out the Census due to fear of deportation. However, the Census Bureau does not share any personally identifiable information with any other agency, including law enforcement. Personal data collected by the Census is protected from disclosure and kept confidential under the law. The Census Bureau also works with trusted community-based organizations to promote the Census and reach these communities.

  • Hard to interview for Census

Once engaged, counting populations can be hindered by the lack of a shared language, low literacy, or lack of access to technology to respond to the questionnaire. To make this Census the most accessible one to date, people can respond by phone, online in 12 languages, or by mail. Also, enumerators can coordinate among themselves to visit households whose language they can speak. Getting an accurate count is a vital step towards the civic empowerment of low income and marginalized communities. Federal agencies rely on Census data to monitor discrimination and implement civil rights laws, such as voting rights and equal employment opportunity. For example, the Federal Voting Rights Act determines where city, county, and state-level political districts need to be drawn to empower historically disenfranchised communities. Communities only receive the protections under the Federal Voting Rights Act if they reach a certain population size threshold identified in the federal law.

We use Census data to determine if communities reach those thresholds. If immigrant communities or other populations are undercounted, they will have less access to the Federal Voting Rights Act and the political districts working to increase their empowerment. For these reasons, it is critical that communities that have been historically disenfranchised in the political process work towards a complete Census count.

¿Quiénes son los estadounidenses invisibles?

Cada diez años, el Censo hace un esfuerzo adicional para tratar de enumerar a las comunidades difíciles para contar o “hard to count” (HTC). Estas poblaciones enfrentan varias barreras a la hora de completar el censo. Los grupos de población que históricamente no se cuentan son las comunidades negras, indígenas y personas de color, inquilinos, estudiantes universitarios, personas con bajo nivel de inglés, inmigrantes, hogares de estatus mixto y hogares de bajos ingresos. Estas comunidades se identifican como HTC porque son:

  • Difícil de localizar

Las familias o personas que son transitorias debido a la falta de vivienda, la inestabilidad de la vivienda, son inquilinos a corto plazo, viven en lugares rurales aislados o tienen dificultades físicas para encontrarlos en esta categoría. Las comunidades indígenas de los Estados Unidos son la población menos contada en el Censo. Uno de cada tres vive en zonas censales rurales difíciles de contar, lo que representa el 80% de todas las tierras tribales. Para combatir el conteo insuficiente, la Oficina del Censo se ha centrado en comenzar el conteo en Alaska antes de lo habitual y trabajar con los líderes tribales para formar Comités de conteo completes.

  • Difícil para contactar

Los trabajadores del censo pueden tener problemas para contar las poblaciones vulnerables después de haber sido ubicadas. La razón de la dificultad para contactar a los miembros de la comunidad de HTC podría ser que son altamente móviles o que su residencia tiene barreras de acceso físico, como las comunidades cerradas. Para contar las poblaciones que viven en la calle, la Oficina del Censo reserva días específicos en los que los enumeradores se centran específicamente en visitar comedores populares, camionetas móviles, refugios y campamentos de tiendas de campaña.

  • Difícil para persuadir

Una vez accedidas, las poblaciones pueden ser reacias a participar. Las comunidades marginadas que se cruzan con las comunidades HTC han experimentado violencia sistémica que conduce a una desconfianza de los esfuerzos del Censo o del gobierno, lo que podría conducir a la falta de respuesta al Censo. En el censo de 2010, no se contabilizaron más de 800,000 personas afroamericanas. Los hogares de inmigrantes de estatus mixto también pueden dudar en completar el censo debido al temor a la deportación. Sin embargo, la Oficina del Censo no comparte ninguna información de identificación personal con ninguna otra agencia, incluidas las fuerzas del orden. Los datos personales recopilados por el Censo están protegidos contra la divulgación y se mantienen confidenciales según la ley. La Oficina del Censo también trabaja con organizaciones comunitarias confiables para promover el Censo y llegar a estas comunidades.

  • Difícil de entrevistar o censar.

 Una vez comprometidos, el conteo de poblaciones puede verse obstaculizado por la falta de un idioma compartido, baja alfabetización o falta de acceso a la tecnología para responder al cuestionario. Para que este censo sea el más accesible hasta la fecha, las personas pueden responder por teléfono, en línea en 12 idiomas o por correo. Además, los enumeradores pueden coordinar entre ellos para visitar hogares cuyo idioma pueden hablar. Obtener un conteo exacto es un paso vital hacia el empoderamiento cívico de las comunidades marginadas y de bajos ingresos que se encuentran bajo el paraguas de las comunidades HTC. Las agencias federales confían en los datos del Censo para monitorear la discriminación e implementar leyes de derechos civiles, como los derechos de voto y la igualdad de oportunidades de empleo. Por ejemplo, la Ley Federal de Derechos de Votación determina dónde los distritos políticos de la ciudad, el condado y los distritos políticos a nivel estatal, deben ser diseñados para empoderar a las comunidades históricamente privadas de sus derechos. Las comunidades solo reciben las protecciones de la Ley Federal de Derechos de Votación si alcanzan ciertos umbrales de población o tamaño que se identifican en la ley federal.

Utilizamos los datos del censo para determinar si las comunidades alcanzan esos umbrales. Eso significa un conteo insuficiente del censo que excluye a las comunidades de inmigrantes u otras poblaciones, tienen menos acceso a la Ley Federal de Derechos de Votación y a los distritos políticos que trabajan para su empoderamiento político. Por estas razones, es vital que las comunidades que han sido históricamente privadas de sus derechos en el proceso político trabajen hacia un conteo completo del Censo.

Jessica and Javier’s Stories

In May, our Benefits Enrollment Navigators provided $14,000 in rental assistance and $2,000 in grocery gift cards. We also shared community resources to assist families with rent and utilities. Many participants were not eligible to receive unemployment benefits, so our Navigators contacted them weekly to help them fill out their claims. We helped participants claim benefits totaling between $30,000 and $40,000. This work was made possible by our generous funders. Click to read about Jessica and Javier’s stories.

Many participants struggled to receive their unemployment benefits, two of whom are Jessica and Javier (names are withheld). Some barriers they experienced included not meeting the hour requirement to qualify for benefits, having to provide proof of their identities, or missing responses on their applications.

Our Navigators assisted both Jessica and Javier in their preferred languages. We explained their unique situation and walked them through their separate applications. Within two weeks, their applications were processed successfully. One received about $4,000 and the other individual received $5,000 in back pay of unemployment benefits. They were both very appreciative of the help and support that was provided. They were relieved and had peace of mind that they had enough to pay their rent and bills.

Census Operational Adjustments

To keep our communities safe, organizations and businesses everywhere are making operational changes by either canceling events or switching to virtual platforms. In order to protect the safety of the public and Census Bureau employees, please note the following changes:

  • The new dates for following up with households that have not responded to the Census are from August 11 – October 31. During the nonresponse follow-ups, Census takers will interview households in-person that have not responded to the Census yet. For many reasons, some people are hesitant to have strangers knocking at their doors, including wanting to continue social distancing due to COVID-19 or the connotations of federal officials knocking at their doors, mainly experienced by immigrant families. If you do not wish an enumerator to visit your home in person, it is especially important to fill out the Census ahead of time before August.
  • Counting people experiencing homelessness outdoors is from September 22 – September 24. For individuals who are experiencing homelessness, September 22, 23, and 24 are key dates. It is vital that we get an accurate account of people living under bridges, parks, in all-night businesses, emergency shelters, cars, or tent cities. The Census data helps allocate billions of dollars in federal funding for services such as shelters, soup kitchens, and programs that assist with housing and transitioning from homelessness.

We must let our loved ones who have not filled out the Census yet know about these critical changes. The next ten years of our communities’ resources depend on having an accurate count this year. It is essential that everyone is counted, regardless of race, citizenship status, or housing situation. If you have any questions about filling out the Census or who should be counted in your household, call Dulce Gutierrez Vasquez at 206-957-4605 for assistance.

Ajustes Operativos del Censo

Para mantener nuestras comunidades seguras, las organizaciones y las empresas de todo el mundo están haciendo cambios operativos como cancelando eventos o cambiando a plataformas virtuales. Para proteger la seguridad del público y de los empleados de la Oficina del Censo, tenga en cuenta los siguientes cambios:

  • Las nuevas fechas para el seguimiento de los hogares que no han respondido al Censo son del 11 de agosto al 31 de octubre. Durante los seguimientos sin respuesta, los encuestadores del Censo entrevistarán, en persona, a los hogares que aún no han respondido al Censo. Por muchas razones, algunas personas se pondrían nerviosos que estos extraños lleguen a tocar a sus puertas, incluido el deseo de continuar el distanciamiento social debido a COVID-19 o las connotaciones de oficiales federales que tocan a sus puertas, principalmente experimentados por familias inmigrantes. Si no desea que un enumerador visite su hogar en persona, es especialmente importante completar el censo antes de agosto.
  • El conteo de personas sin hogar o sin acceso a refugios es del 22 al 24 de septiembre. Para las personas que están sin hogar, el 22, 23 y 24 de septiembre son fechas clave. Es vital que obtengamos una cuenta precisa de las personas que viven debajo de puentes, parques, en negocios nocturnos, refugios de emergencia, automóviles o ciudades de carpas. Los datos del censo ayudan a asignar miles de millones de dólares en fondos federales para servicios como refugios, comedores o despensas comunitarias y programas que ayudan con la vivienda y la transición de la falta de vivienda.

Debemos informar a nuestros seres queridos que aún no han completado el Censo sobre estos cambios críticos. Los próximos diez años de recursos de nuestras comunidades dependen de tener un conteo exacto este año. Es esencial contar a todos, independientemente de la raza, el estado de ciudadanía o la situación de la vivienda. Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre cómo completar el censo o quién debe contarse en su hogar, llame a Dulce Gutiérrez Vásquez al 206-957-4605 para obtener ayuda.

Help your Community Recover from COVID-19

In the span of a few months, COVID-19 has devastated our communities. We have seen record-breaking numbers of people applying for unemployment. Every day new stories are circulating about how individuals and families are struggling to pay bills, rent, or even groceries to feed their children. Our society, particularly communities of color, will be feeling the effects of COVID-19 for years to come.

One of the most effective actions you can take right now is to invest in the future of your community: completing the Census. Filling out the questionnaire is quick and easy; it takes fewer than 10 minutes. By completing the Census now, you are helping to ensure your community has access to resources, such as:

  • Invaluable assistance programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and WIC.
  • Adequately-funded schools where there are enough teachers hired to give each student the attention they need.
  • Adequately-funded research centers that conduct life-saving studies. 
  • Expansion of public transit services to communities that need a reliable mode of transportation to commute to work, school, grocery stores, libraries, and more.
  • Community-based organizations, like El Centro de la Raza, can continue to provide culture-specific services and other resources to the most vulnerable of our community.

Like COVID-19, the effects of the 2020 Census will reverberate throughout every community for the next decade, which means accuracy is critical. By filling out 9 short questions, you are investing in the future of your community. Please fill it out today by either visiting https://my2020census.gov/ or calling 1-844-330-2020 (English) or 1-844-468-2020 (Spanish). Assistance in 12 other languages is available.

¡Ayuda a tu comunidad a recuperarse del COVID-19!

En el lapso de unos pocos meses, COVID-19 ha devastado nuestras comunidades. Hemos visto un número sin precedentes de personas que solicitan desempleo. Todos los días circulan nuevas historias sobre cómo las personas y las familias luchan para pagar facturas, renta, o comida para alimentar a sus hijos. Nuestra sociedad, particularmente las comunidades de color, sentirán los efectos de COVID-19 en los años venideros.

Una de las acciones más efectivas que pueden tomar en este momento es invertir en el futuro de su comunidad: completar el Censo. Completar el cuestionario es rápido y fácil; Toma menos de 10 minutos. Al completar el Censo ahora, está ayudando a garantizar que su comunidad tenga acceso a recursos, tales como:

  • Programas de asistencia invaluables como Medicaid, SNAP y WIC.
  • Escuelas, como el Centro de Desarrollo Infantil José Martí, donde hay suficientes maestros contratados para brindar a cada estudiante la atención que necesitan.
  • Los centros de investigación reciben fondos adecuados para hacer estudios que salvan vidas.
  • Expansión de los servicios de transporte público a las comunidades que necesitan un medio de transporte confiable para ir al trabajo, la escuela, los supermercados, las bibliotecas y más.
  • Las organizaciones comunitarias, como El Centro de la Raza, pueden continuar brindando servicios específicos de la cultura y otros recursos a los más vulnerables de nuestra comunidad.

Al igual que COVID-19, los efectos del Censo 2020 reverberarán en todas las comunidades durante la próxima década, lo que significa que la precisión es crítica. Al completar 12 preguntas cortas, está invirtiendo en el futuro de su comunidad. Llénelo hoy visitando https://my2020census.gov/ o llamando al 1-844-330-2020 (inglés) o al 1-844-468-2020 (español). Asistencia en otros 12 idiomas está disponible.

Say Their Names

John T. Williams 8/30/2010
Eric Blaine Evans 10/23/2011
Mike Kwan-Yu Chen 09/10/2012
Henry Frankie Lee, Sr. 09/23/2012
James David Anderson 01/27/2013
Jack Sun Keewatinawin 02/26/2013
Joel Douglas Reuter 07/05/2013
Martin Anwar Duckworth 08/12/2013
Leonid G. Kalyuzhnyy 11/29/2013
Andrew Joseph Law 01/20/2014
Cody Willis Spafford 04/03/2014
Oscar Eduardo Perez-Giron 06/30/2014
Austin James Derby 07/01/2014
Larry Andrew Flynn 07/20/2014
Stephen Porter Johnston 08/30/2014
Sam Toshiro Smith 07/17/2015
Shun Ma 12/03/2015
Raymond Azevedo 12/06/2015
Che Andre Taylor 02/21/2016
Michael L. Taylor 10/11/2016
Damarius Butts 04/20/2017
Charleena Lyles 06/18/2017
Kyle Gray 12/11/2017
Jason Seavers 02/19/2018
Iosia Faletogo 12/31/2018
Danny Rodriguez 02/07/2019
Ryan Smith 05/08/2019
Elliott Yearby 12/16/2019 (died in a crash after police pursuit)
Shaun Fuhr on 4/29/2020
Unnamed 05/19/2020

These names are of local victims who have died at the hands of the Seattle Police Department (SPD). These individuals did not make national headlines. Not only must we remember them, but also realize this list is indicative that the City of Seattle faces challenges similar to that of other cities where Black Americans’ lives are ended too soon because of racist violence and brutality. Say their names.

Since 2012, SPD has been under a federal agreement, also known as the federal Consent Decree, due to officers’ use of force and discriminatory policing particularly in communities of color. Under this settlement, SPD agreed to terms that addressed specific issues around police discipline, accountability, force, and community oversight. The City fell out of compliance with the Consent Decree last year because of the lack of police accountability. The court found that “the old accountability system [was] inadequate for purposes of compliance with the Consent Decree.” The City, the Department of Justice, the Monitor, and the CPC were ordered to collaborate and create a plan by July 15, 2019 to “resolve the City’s non-compliance with the Consent Decree.” On August 15, with no collaboration with the Community Police Commission (CPC), the City asked the court to approve its methodology for assessing the current accountability regime. The court warned that the City should not use its forthcoming assessment to “justify its current accountability system.”

On May 7, the City of Seattle and the Department of Justice filed a request with the court to terminate its commitments under the Consent Decree. To this day, the City has yet to formulate a methodology for coming back into compliance with the issue of accountability, as ordered in 2019. Then, the heinous, tragic murder of George Floyd happened and widespread protests ensued across the country, including in Seattle. SPD arrived in riot gear, used tear gas on demonstrators, pepper-sprayed a little girl, and threw blast balls into peaceful crowds.

SPD’s recent militant responses to peaceful protestors and the unprecedented number of public complaints received by the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) that now exceed 15,000 make it clear that the City of Seattle is constitutionally and morally obligated to achieve full compliance on the issue of accountability. Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes announced on June 3 that he would withdraw the City from the pending motion to terminate the sustainment areas under the Federal Consent Decree before the court. This announcement was a victory for our community, yet our City still has an immense amount of work to do. Change is overdue, and the community needs your help to overhaul the policing system.

As protests about systemic injustice and violence against Black Americans continue, we as a community must hold SPD accountable for complying with its court-ordered police reforms. To that end, the Seattle Community Police Commission (CPC) shared its recommendations for the next steps with the Mayor and City Council. The CPC has also submitted its legal response to the motion.

El Centro de la Raza supports the CPC’s recommendations as outlined on June 8, 2020 in a letter from the Co-chairs addressed to the offices of the Mayor and Councilmembers and Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best. The CPC recommends:

  • Immediate notification of SPD’s policy changes. The CPC can do their job more effectively if commissioners were aware of all policy changes and related memoranda issued by the City, including SPD.
  • Immediate work to address weaknesses in the police accountability system. The City’s three accountability bodies should convene to develop work plans that are comprehensive, coordinated, and compliant with the Consent Decree, starting with the development of a methodology to achieve compliance with the Consent Decree on the issue of accountability. The CPC expects the City to allocate adequate resources to oversight agencies and to ensure, at minimum, all the reforms in the 2017 Accountability Law are incorporated in the bargaining agendas with both Seattle Police Officers Guild and Seattle Police Management Association, including a mutually approved technical advisor to be at the table during bargaining. Only then can the CPC do its job.
  • Empowerment to the CPC to fulfill its mission. The CPC welcomes a meaningful, sustained partnership with City partners to collaborate on projects from start to completion regarding roles, responsibilities, expectations, and execution.
  • The City to address the role of an independent police monitor, as the federal court had ordered. The City has recently informed the Monitor that its contract is ending soon. However, the City has not yet conferred with the CPC about the Monitor’s ongoing role.
  • Support of King County’s inquest reforms. The City should not only withdraw its writ challenging the inquest process, but it should immediately work with the CPC to support the reforms.

We ask you to join us in supporting the CPC’s recommendations detailed in their letter to make meaningful, sustainable change in our policing system that has failed the general public. Yesterday we closed in solidarity with Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County (BLMSKC) in support of the Statewide Silent March and General Strike. We were silent yesterday and today we resume efforts using our collective voices. Please contact elected officials by phone and email to express your support using the following script:

Dear Mayor Durkan and Seattle City Councilmembers,

I call on you to respond to the CPC’s recommendations sent on June 8 in public support of their recommendations for the next steps in healing the mistrust toward local law enforcement and setting a precedent to protect Black and Brown lives. My demand is simple: ensure a thorough, transparent, and community-centered process for strengthening our relationship with the City by investing in social service providers trained to handle crises and issues relating to education, healthcare including mental health services, employment, and affordable housing. Thank you.

Sincerely,

[Insert your full name here]
[Insert your district number after verifying it
here]