Dear friend,

While this week brought its challenges – including severe weather and a tornado – it also brought a renewed sense of community. Because, as former Governor Markell would say, we are a state of neighbors, and we will always rally behind one another. I'm grateful to Governor Carney, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, and our communities for their quick recovery actions. I'm praying for all who were impacted by the storm.

Continue reading for updates on what I did this week in our state.

Supporting Delaware

I'm always glad to meet with leaders who are on the ground every day working to improve our state and its residents. This week, I met with Delaware Labor Secretary, Karryl Hubbard where we discussed ways we can strengthen our workforce and support employers. I also met with John Wellons, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Delaware, and Secretary Josette Manning, head of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families, to discuss how we can continue to address the needs of Delaware's children, particularly their mental health needs.

Iftar Dinner

I was excited to join the Islamic Society of Delaware for the Annual Interfaith Iftar Dinner on Wednesday night. It is always an honor to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan with members of Delaware's Muslim community and Senator Chris Coons.

Restore the Corridor

On Thursday, I joined Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Secretary Nicole Majeski, Governor Carney, Senator Carper, Senator Coons, Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, Delaware AFL-CIO President Jim Maravelias who represented organized labor, DelDOT staff, contractors, and community members to celebrate the completion of the I-95 Restore the Corridor project.

This project repaired a 5-mile stretch of I-95 through the City of Wilmington that tens of thousands of Delawareans utilize every day to get to work, to take their kids to school, or travel for a family vacation. With these improvements, the service life of this portion of I-95 will be extended for another 30 years. I’m proud that DelDOT worked quickly to complete this project on budget and four months ahead of schedule with a focus on repairing our transportation infrastructure, improving our quality of life, and building community partnerships along the way.

Federal Funding for Goodwill of Delaware's Plugging into the Grid Project

One of the most important parts of my job is being able to secure federal funding for important community projects in Delaware. That's why I was glad to join Senators Carper and Coons to announce over $1.1 million in federal funding for Goodwill of Delaware's statewide workforce development programs. With these funds, Goodwill will be able to modernize their Job Resource Centers and strengthen their critical digital skills training services so that Delawareans can have the skills for the jobs of today and the jobs of tomorrow.

These services are invaluable to Delawareans like Evette Lewis (pictured below), a veteran who was unable to work for more than 25 years due to a service-related disability. She participated in Goodwill's Digital Career Accelerator program and is now working part-time as an intake specialist for the Service Employment Program.

World Health Day

Friday was World Health Day and to celebrate I visited the first American Red Cross Donation Center in Delaware to give blood! Donating blood is critical in the treatment of many diseases including sickle cell disease. As a member of the House Health Subcommittee in Congress, I've heard about the impact its had on Delawareans. Currently, an estimated 700-750 people are living with sickle cell in our state. I'm encouraging all eligible Delawareans to stop by the new Blood Donation Center on Concord Pike to give blood and save lives. For more information on how to donate blood, click here.

REMINDER: TAX FILING DEADLINE IS TUESDAY, APRIL 18

The tax filing deadline is upon us! As a reminder, this year’s tax filing deadline falls on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, for most people. To speed up the process, the IRS recommends you file online and opt for direct deposit.

Last month, my office held another tax filing information session with the IRS and the Delaware Taxpayer Advocate Service to answer Delawareans' questions about filing their 2022 taxes. To watch that session, please click below.