Dear friend,

It’s been a great week in the First State. I hope you and your loved ones are well. See below for this week’s updates!

This Week in Delaware

Assisting Delawareans at our Constituent Resource Fair!

Thank you to everyone who came out to Wilmington University’s New Castle Campus on Thursday to attend our office’s first Constituent Resource Fair! Over 260 Delawareans were able to receive assistance from over 40 federal, state, and local organizations. I was glad to hear from so many of those who came that the fair was helpful and informative. And I was equally as glad to hear that the agencies and organizations in attendance found it useful to connect and network with each other.  

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Senator Tom Carper, and members of atTAcK addiction.

If you were unable to make it to the fair, no problem! My office is here to serve you. If you’re experiencing an issue with a federal agency such as Social Security, Veterans benefits, and the IRS, you can always contact my office.

Supporting our Seniors with Habitat for Humanity

This week, I joined Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, New Castle County Habitat for Humanity, and Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity to announce a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Older Adults Home Modification Program (OAHMP). Delaware’s Habitat for Humanity chapters are launching a statewide program to help low-income seniors age in place on their own terms so they can live safely, independently, and with dignity. This grant will fund necessary home modifications for Delaware senior homeowners that will improve their quality of life and prioritize their health. You can read more about the announcement here. 

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester gives remarks at the Habitat for Humanity grant announcement. Behind her are Kevin Gilmore (left), Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, and Portia Miller (right), a Home Repair client.

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Senator Tom Carper, Senator Chris Coons, HUD Delaware Field Office Director Maria Bynum, and leadership and staff from the Delaware chapters of Habitat for Humanity.

New Model Program to Help End Homelessness in Delaware

I also was glad to be in Georgetown for the ribbon cutting of the Springboard Collaborative’s Pallet Village, a project that Senator Carper, Senator Coons, and I were proud to secure $2.4 million in funding for from the American Rescue Plan Act. The 40 low-cost cabins that make up the village provide dignified shelter in low-income areas hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. We know that housing creates a foundation for almost everything – from education and employment to health and safety. This innovative model includes wraparound services to ensure that individuals can move into permanent housing. That’s why it was important for me to include legislation in my JOBS Agenda that aims to create more affordable and available housing.

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester gives remarks at the Springboard Collaborative Pallet Village in Georgetown. Behind here are State Senator Brian Pettyjohn (left) and Georgetown Mayor Bill West (right).

Working to Expand Health Care Services in Sussex County

I stopped by The Rosa Health Center while in Georgetown to talk with them about their Community Project Funding application. This is one of the projects my office submitted for funding through the appropriations process for FY24.

The Rosa Health Center would use this potential federal funding for capital improvements to its existing building which would double its size and expand from two exam rooms to eight. This could help the center increase its service population from 1900 patients to 4000 patients. I’ll continue to advocate for this project so that it can expand its vital health services to more Delawareans, especially the uninsured, ultimately creating healthier, safer, and stronger communities in Georgetown and throughout Sussex County.

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Dr. Rama Peri, MD. Ph.D., The Rosa Health Center’s medical director and family physician.

Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and staff and board members of The Rosa Health Center.

LESS THAN 1 WEEK LEFT TO SUBMIT PACT ACT CLAIMS FOR BACKDATED BENEFITS

There is less than one week left to file a PACT Act claim for backdated benefits! While there’s no deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits, if you file your PACT Act claim—or quickly submit your intent to file—by August 9, 2023, you may be eligible to receive benefits backdated to August 10, 2022.

The PACT Act, which I proudly voted to pass last Congress, is perhaps the largest health care and benefits expansion in VA history. It’s estimated that more than 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances would become eligible for health care benefits, helping us deliver on our sacred obligation to support our veterans.

For more information or to file a claim, go to VA.gov/PACT.

At our Constituent Resource Fair this week, I had the chance to present Mr. Ronald Baldwin with a Military Service Medal he qualified for. Ronald served in the U.S. Army Reserves and contacted our office about securing a copy of this medal. My casework team worked with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and very quickly secured the medal for Ronald. He was so appreciative of our efforts, and I am so glad my team was able to help him commemorate his decades of service to our nation in this profoundly important way. I’m proud to highlight Ronald for our Constituent Corner for this week.

Yours in service,

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester

Member of Congress

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