Dec. 12 Email: My Holiday Open House is next week!

Rep. Jennifer M. O'Mara December 13, 2025

PA Representative Jennifer O'Mara's banner image

Dear Neighbor,

I hope you can join me for my Holiday Open House from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 18 at my Media office. My staff and I will be on hand to listen to your thoughts on legislative issues and provide information about state programs and services. We’ll have light refreshments, and we’ll be happy to extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones this holiday season.

Additionally, we have many people to thank in our community for the generosity and support my office received during our recent food, toy, and diaper drives. We received an overwhelming number of donations that will help local families in need. It warms my heart, and I sincerely thank everyone who contributed in their own way.

May your holidays be filled with peace, happiness, and cherished moments.

Deadline approaching for property tax or rent rebates

Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program helps older friends and neighbors stay in their homes while affording life’s necessities, but the annual deadline for applications is approaching. The filing deadline is December 31. The program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians who are 65 or older, widows and widowers 50 or older, and people with disabilities 18 or older. Rebates range from $380 to $1,000.

Learn more about the program here. My staff are available to assist with applications, so don’t hesitate to contact my district office.

A very merry Springfield

Last weekend, Katherine and I attended Springfield’s Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting. I was thrilled to once again sponsor this festive event and loved seeing the community come out to celebrate the holiday season!

Touring Local 19’s training center

Earlier this week, I joined my colleagues for a PA House Democratic Policy Committee tour of the Sheetmetal Workers Union Local 19 training center in Philadelphia. We heard about how this center supports their apprenticeship program and what we as a legislature can do to better support and invest in workers.

Applications open for home heating help

Applications for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) opened recently, a month later than usual due to the federal government shutdown. Through the program, households can apply for a cash grant to help pay their heating bills—ranging from $200 to $1,000, depending on household size, income, and fuel type.

For more information, click here. You can also contact my office if you need help applying for LIHEAP or need help with any utility-related issues.

The holiday season continues!

There are still plenty of holiday events happening in our community! Grinch visits State Street between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 13. On Sunday, Chabad of Media is hosting their annual Chanukah Village between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Check in at 2 W. Front Street to get a map to explore local participating small businesses that will have crafts and activities.

Next weekend, Santa strolls State Street on Friday, December 19, and on Saturday, December 20, enjoy the State Street Cocoa Crawl! Plus, the Festival of Lights continues at Rose Tree Park through January 3 every night!

Santa’s visit to Morton-Rutledge Fire Company

Thank you to Morton-Rutledge Fire Company for having Santa visit last weekend! Special thanks to our photographer who took some of the best photos to help us remember William’s first visit to Santa.

Festival of Lights at Rose Tree Park

Katherine and I had a wonderful time at the opening night for Festival of Lights last week at Rose Tree Park. This beautiful display will be lit up nightly until January 3, so make sure to stop by before then!

Are you waiting on a license or registration renewal card?

I recently learned that residents across the state are not receiving their PennDOT camera cards for renewing their driver’s licenses or their vehicle registration renewal cards before they lapse due to the negligence of a third-party vendor that was responsible for pre-sorting state agency mail to residents.

While the vendor has since been fired, the impact is still being felt. My office has been working with PennDOT about this issue, and I am told that any PennDOT mail which was not shipped because of the vendor's error was mailed this week and that any affected residents should receive this mail within 7-10 business days.

If your vehicle registration or driver’s license was due to expire this fall and you have not received renewal notifications for these important documents, feel free to contact my office for help.

DMVA: Make holiday donations to programs for veterans

The recent federal government shutdown was particularly hard on veterans who rely on programs such as SNAP. In Pennsylvania, there’s a way to donate during the holidays to support programs for the state’s nearly 700,000 veterans, service members and their families.

The state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs manages several programs for tax-deductible donations. Donations can be made by individuals, corporations and companies. When an online donation is made, donors may also choose to enter honoree information and a plaque in their honor will be displayed on the Virtual Donor Wall. To make a donation online or by mail, or to learn more about each one, go to www.donate.dmva.pa.gov.