Coronavirus Help: Miami-Dade Handing Out Unemployment Applications At 26 Libraries
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - More than two dozen libraries across Miami-Dade are handing out and collecting unemployment applications to those who have been left jobless by the coronavirus pandemic.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez held a press conference on Wednesday morning to make the announcement.
"We are doing everything in our power to help workers. We are printing hundreds of thousands of these claim forms. Our library staff will be handing out these forms along with envelopes and they can return these forms to the libraries, as well," Mayor Gimenez said.
Watch Mayor Gimenez's statement here:
At the Palm Springs North branch, the parking lot was closed and people were instructed to wait in their cars to enforce social distancing.
Officials hoped not to see a repeat of what happened outside of one Hialeah library on Tuesday.
It was near bedlam at the John F. Kennedy Library. A crowd in uncomfortably close quarters shoved its way forward to a tent where the applications were being handed out.
"I am so scared, I am scared for my life, just for an application," said one woman waiting in line.
The applications are available online, but not everyone has internet access.
Jessica Tellez said she tried several times to print the application from the state's website but each time it crashed.
"Everybody is so bunched up, everybody is having no social distancing, everybody is so close together to get this application and I don't know how it is operating. Everything is very confusing, I've been here for three hours already," she said.
Hialeah police said they kept asking people to keep social distance, but there was only so much they could do.
"They don't want to voluntarily comply, we begged them and begged them but we don't want to turn this into a riot or shoving match. We cannot forcibly make them comply," said Hialeah councilman Carl Zogby.
Speaking at the Palm Springs library branch, Gimenez said what happened in Hialeah can't happen again.
"We will be …if this got crowded, we will have social distancing and we will enforce social distancing. It is not something we take lightly, " he said.
Wednesday morning, the pre-dawn line at the John F. Kennedy Library stretched for blocks as police instructed those waiting to stay in their cars.
"I came at five this morning. I woke up really early," said Yaser Perez who has been out of a job for days.
When asked if he was hopeful that he'd get an application, he replies, "yes, yeah, yeah."
Mariano Perez, who has been unemployed since the COVID-19 pandemic, said it's been difficult.
"O-M-G this is probably the worst situation I have ever felt in my life. Never ever think this would have happened," he said. "I hope everything will be okay because this world definitely changed a lot."
In an effort to help those who have found themselves without jobs, Gimenez announced a number of initiatives towards the Safer Act.
"To talk to CEOs from the banks so that we can also kind of jump start the Safer Act. And the paycheck protection plan. We want our banks to also lend as much money as they can to our small businesses so they can get the money into their workers' hands," he said.
Miami-Dade is making unemployment applications available at 26 libraries.
The locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The applications will be in English, Spanish and Creole. Return envelopes will also be provided.
Residents can take the application home to fill out and then return it in the sealed envelope by dropping it off in the library location's book drop or at any CareerSource South Florida location. Applications will be picked up from the book drops every day and delivered to CareerSource South Florida where staff will send them securely overnight to the Department of Economic Opportunity in Tallahassee for processing.
Those planning to pick up an application are urged to practice social distancing and abide by markings on the ground spaced six feet apart.
The following are the 26 library locations where residents can pick up an application:
- Allapattah Branch at 1799 NW 35 Street.
- Arcola Lakes Branch at 8240 NW 7 Avenue.
- California Club Branch at 700 Ives Dairy Road.
- Coconut Grove Branch at 2875 McFarlane Road.
- Concord Branch at 3882 SW 112 Avenue.
- Coral Reef Branch at 9211 SW 152 Street.
- Country Walk Branch at 15433 SW 137 Avenue.
- Edison Center Branch at 531 NW 62 Street.
- Fairlawn Branch at 6376 SW 8 Street.
- Golden Glades Branch at 100 NE 166 Street.
- Hialeah Gardens Branch at 11300 NW 87 Court.
- Hispanic Branch Library at 1398 SW 1 Street.
- Homestead Branch at 700 N. Homestead Boulevard.
- International Mall Branch at 10315 NW 12 Street.
- Kendale Lakes Branch at 15205 SW 88 Street.
- Miami Beach Regional Library at 227 22nd Street.
- Miami Lakes Branch at 6699 Windmill Gate Road.
- Naranja Branch at 14850 SW 280 Street.
- North Dade Regional Library at 2455 NW 183 Street.
- North Shore Branch at 7501 Collins Avenue.
- Northeast Dade - Aventura Branch at 2930 Aventura Boulevard.
- Palm Springs North Branch at 17601 NW 78 Avenue.
- South Miami Branch at 6000 Sunset Drive.
- West Dade Regional Library at 9445 Coral Way.
- West Flagler Branch at 5050 West Flagler Street.
- West Kendall Regional Library at 10201 Hammocks Boulevard.
Residents can call (305) 375-2665 to find their nearest library location providing the printed applications.
Here are the links if you want to print an application at home:
Printable Unemployment Application in English
Printable Unemployment Application in Spanish
Printable Unemployment Application in Creole
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