Town hall to highlight resources for minorities

An interpreter is helping Somali families get the resources they need

Coronavirus a lot of communities are facing the coronavirus pandemic in a different way?

With different challnges.

Today... the diversity council in rochester held a townhall specifically to help the somali community get some answers on things like distance learning?

Applying for unemployment?

And accessing county resource kimt news 3's isabella basco joins us live to explain how the conversation went during the townhall.

Isabella?

Live as you can see?

Downtown rochester is quiet because most businesses are still closed.

That means many people have lost their jobs and financial cushion?

So how does someone apply for unemployment benefits?

That's just one of the questions an interpreter asked officials during today's town hall.

A representative from the minnesota department of employement and economic development says they've hired about a hundred people to help out since they know it's difficult for people to access their phone lines.

Even with extra help?

It takes about a week to process all the applications.

Xxx "our suggestion is to try to call early in the morning, otherwise we thank you for understanding we have a lot of people.

We get about 7000 calls every day, which is about 13 calls every minute."

Deed does have a language line.

If you call in and need a somali interpretation.

..

They will get a translator on the line.

Live in rochester?

Isabella basco?

Kimt news 3./// thanks isabella.

The deed website does have translations and instructions for how to apply in somali?

But the application itself is in english.

/// when minnesota's