HARRISBURG, Oct. 16 – State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, brought home $1,138,851 in PA Housing Finance Agency funds from the new Housing Options Program to update the Lancaster Housing Authority Farnum Street East’s HVAC systems. The building at 33 East Farnum Street in Lancaster has 169 units, an office space, and a community room on the first floor. This development provides housing for the elderly and individuals living with disabilities. The funding will be used to update the aging HVAC systems to modern energy efficient heat pumps. “Our community has a critical need to add new affordable housing, and to protect our existing housing stock. As we brace for a cold winter, we cannot rest until all our neighbors have a safe, warm, accessible place to lay their heads,” Smith-Wade-El said. “This $1.1 million grant to improve the HVAC systems for an affordable housing development will dramatically improve the living conditions for our elderly and individuals living with disabilities. We often say, ‘housing is a human right.’ I’m grateful to the Lancaster City Housing Authority and PFHA for helping us put our money where our mouth is.” Smith-Wade-El said these PHFA funds are classified as Housing Options Program grants and can be utilized to repair existing housing units or to construct new housing units. Additionally, they are intended to fund housing that has not Read more
By making this small change to the Combustible and Flammable Liquids Act, fuel dispensers can now be placed farther from convenience stores, and therefore, farther from pedestrians. It’s an economic and safety win for businesses and consumers. Read more
Smith-Wade-El began his morning in Steelton to join state Rep. Dave Madsen, D-Dauphin, and other House Democratic members from central Pennsylvania to advocate for legislation that would improve the plight of tenants in Pennsylvania today. Read more
The Central PA Delegation supports stronger ordinances for enforcement of ATV/Dirt Bike off-road vehicle use on city streets. Read more
We are experiencing an alarming shortage of teachers in our communities, and we know for certain that this can be fixed, that there is an effective way to get us out of this educational crisis. I introduced a bill that would bring more teachers to the classrooms, this would address PA’s teacher shortage AND get more teachers of color on the job! I had the pleasure to talk about this bill on detail on Visions, hosted by Alyana Gomez on ABC 6. Read more
Rep. Carol Hill-Evans said the punitive responses to school misbehavior are not imposed equitably with incidents involving black girls and students with Individualized Education Plans are far more likely to involve law enforcement notification. Read more
The Community Diaper and Incontinence Products Act would establish a grant program that would improve and expand access to clean diapers for infants, children and incontinent adults through outreach programs, volunteer training and help with fundraising. Read more
Collection boxes outside of the offices of Representatives Davis, Hill-Evans, Pashinski, and Mullins. Local collections are encouraged to donate to your neighborhood resource center or one of the state diaper banks. Read more
Sunday, October 29, 11AM-3PM Jewish Federation of Reading, 1100 Berkshire Blvd, Ste. 125, Wyomissing, PA 19610 Health Testing Bring the whole family for FREE health and wellness info. COVID vaccine/booster Flu shots Health screenings Some health services may require an insurance card. Please bring yours. Read more
PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency: COVID Mitigation for Counties Who May Apply : This funding is available to 66 Pennsylvania counties. Each county’s Criminal Justice Advisory Board will be responsible for coordinating the application for their county and local confinement facilities, as funding is limited to that purpose. Use : Per the requirements of the CDC’s award, this grant has 15 allowable activities which are designed to detect, diagnose, trace, and monitor SARS–CoV–2 and COVID–19 infections, and mitigate the spread of COVID–19 in confinement facilities. These activities include hiring personnel related to testing/mitigation efforts, purchasing laboratory equipment used for COVID-19 testing, purchasing supplies, test kits, and other tools related to rapid identification of COVID-19, contracting with testing agencies, purchasing software and technology to track COVID-19, and other related activities. Funds : A total of $9,624,626 is available to 66 counties. Application Deadline : September 19, 2023 More information : PCCD Website Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency: 2024-25 Medical Marijuana Act Enforcement Who May Apply : Eligibility for these funds is open to municipalities and regional police departments proposing to implement projects and programs that address the Read more
Join me and the Attorney General’s office to gain information on protecting yourself from online threats and scams. This seminar will inform constituents about learning the best practices for securing their digital presence, using strong passwords, identifying phishing attempts, and safeguarding sensitive data as well as provide you with information on your legal obligations and rights regarding data protection. Constituents will also have an opportunity to network with cybersecurity experts and law enforcement agencies which can be valuable for constituents to establish contacts for seeking assistance in case of cyber incidents. Read more
Restaurant owner and former Reading City Council president Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz last year became the only Latina in the Legislature and the first Democrat elected to represent Berks County’s District 129. Read more
"We understand that we need equitable education. We need affordable housing, available housing. We need opportunities for our communities to be homeowners," said state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz (D-129). Read more
Nearly all of the school districts I represent in Centre County are underfunded, creating serious challenges for students, teachers and administrators, and we are not alone. In fact, more than 80% of all school districts in Pennsylvania are underfunded, according to an analysis published by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Read more
Gira universitaria Fight for Our Freedoms Tuve el honor de unirme a la audiencia en una conversación moderada con la vicepresidenta Kamala Harris y Annie González. Harris visitó el Reading Area Community College para celebrar el Día Nacional de Registro de Votantes, como parte de su National Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour. El objetivo de la gira universitaria es alentar a los votantes jóvenes a participar en las elecciones y participar cívicamente. Harris y González discutieron temas como el derecho al aborto, el derecho al voto y la violencia armada, entre muchos otros temas. Esta fue la tercera parada de Harris en su gira de un mes. ¡Felicitaciones a los estudiantes de la clase de ESL de Centro Hispano! Recientemente presenté certificados a estudiantes de último año que se gradúan de la clase de ESL (inglés como segundo idioma) del Centro Hispano. Estoy comprometido a reforzar el valor de la educación y el multiculturalismo. Esta graduación significa no solo un progreso en el dominio del idioma, sino también un compromiso con el crecimiento personal y el compromiso con la comunidad. ¡Felicitaciones a los estudiantes de último año que se Read more
A handful of House Democrats chose this shop to once again call for a minimum wage hike. For Patty Kim (D-Dauphin and Cumberland), the issue’s been a slow drip as she’s been pushing it for each of her 11 years. Read more
They also addressed the House Democratic Caucus’ additional legislative proposals to strengthen workers’ rights and protections for all Pennsylvanians, including measures to protect workers from union-busting and to extend OSHA protections to public sector workers. Read more
Unless your circumstances have changed, you do *not* need to re-apply – your caseworker will use your previous information to process this year’s application. Read more
“We’re going to see two types of benefits by growing this digital literacy program. On an individual basis, it will teach crucial skills to people who need employment but have been disconnected from other educational opportunities due to circumstances such as homelessness, growing up in foster care, and disability,” Hill-Evans said. Read more
LANCASTER, Aug. 18 – State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, announced that $53,136 in state funding has been awarded to two Lancaster elementary schools to provide fruits and vegetables to students under the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. They are: Burrowes Elementary School $21,384 Carter & MacRae Elementary School $31,752 Through the program, the schools will receive reimbursement for the cost of making free fresh fruits and vegetables available to students during the school day. These fresh fruits and vegetables must be provided separately from the lunch or breakfast meal in one or more areas of the school during the school day. “This funding will help our schools provide healthy snack alternatives to our students during the day, helping to make healthy eating a habit,” Smith-Wade-El said. “This funding will help give our community’s school children the tools to make healthy choices for themselves. Students will learn that not only are fruits and vegetables the smart choice, but also the tastiest.” The goal of FFVP is to introduce children to fresh fruits and vegetables, to include new and different varieties, and to increase overall acceptance and consumption of fresh, unprocessed produce. Additionally, the program promotes nutrition education, resulting in healthier school environments for learners. To be eligible, schools must participate Read more
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