Free Goods and Services
Olympia is a relatively easy town to be poor in. Here's a list of stuff/services you can get for free or discounted in Olympia.
- Olympia Library is located downtown at the corner of Franklin Ave and 8th Avenue. Library card is free and involves filling out a pamphlet and talking to someone at the front counter. The card lets you borrow at any Timberland Regional Library location. On top of that, they have free wireless internet and PC's you can sign up to use.
- You're eligible for food stamps if you're a legal resident of Washington State and you make under a certain amount depending on how many people live in your house. Go here for a calculator from DSHS.
You can apply online here. This involves a somewhat lengthy online application and an interview in person or on the phone with a DSHS employee. The nearest DSHS Office is in Tumwater at 6860 Capitol Blvd. The 12 and 13 bus routes go straight to it.
- When you volunteer at the Olympia Film Society (downtown on 5th Avenue between Franklin and Washington Avenue) you get a free pass to go see a movie for each shift you work. Most of the volunteer shifts require, really, only about 45 minutes of your time. To sign up, you can just walk into the lobby of the theater and put your name on the volunteer board or email Allison Riffer the volunteer coordinator there. Most volunteer shifts involve selling concessions, tearing tickets, or selling tickets (Olympia Film Society is run, primarily, by volunteers).
"The Olympia Film Society (OFS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, was founded in 1980. We present film screenings and other events seven days a week inside the Capitol Theater, a grand old 750-seat venue built in 1924. Our mission is to enliven and enrich our community by presenting and fostering the development of independent and underrepresented film, music and allied arts." (from their website).
Not-so-free Goods and Services
- Olympia Food Co-Op offers a 10% discount and free membership for people with low income. You can also volunteer there for a four hours a week and get a card that gives you $25 off for every $100 spent.
- TCTV Public Access Television lets you check out audio/video recording equipment if you pay the $35 per-year membership fee ($70 if you're not a resident of Thurston County) and take the appopriate training.
