Upcoming
Events
Small
Business Resource Fair!
The Union Project, Tuesday, August 15,
2023, 10 AM - 12 PM
We are hosting our second
Small Business Fair next week on Tuesday, August 15 at
The Union Project from 10 am – 12 pm! This event is for both
new and established small business owners who want more information on
opportunities to grow and succeed. Information on everything from
marketing to financing will be provided by our region’s best
small business resource organizations.
For more
information, including an updated list of vendors, or to register,
please visit SenatorLindseyWilliams.com/SmallBusinessFair2023.
If you would like to be a vendor at this year’s event, please
email [email protected].
Summer
Celebration in East Deer
East Deer Memorial Field, Saturday,
August 19, 2023, 12 PM - 8 PM
East
Deer Township’s Summer Celebration is next Saturday, August
19! You’ll be treated to live music, activities for the kids,
auctions, food, and games. We’ll be there to celebrate the
community and encourage you to come by our tent with your questions
for Senator Williams or her staff.
Nature Walk with Senator
Williams
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve,
Wednesday, September 6, 2023, 9 AM - 10 AM
Join Senator Williams next month for a morning ‘Birds and More
Nature Walk’ with the
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania at their
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve. The short walk is free and you can
share issues that matter to you as we learn about the flora and fauna
on the Reserve.
Register for this event at
Audubon Society of Western PA (aswp.org) or call us at
412-364-0469 (Ross) or 724-224-2131 (Harrison). We hope to see you
there!
Good News
A Visit to
Fisher House
Last Wednesday I had a chance to
tour the Pittsburgh Fisher House in Oakland to learn more about the
work they do providing free, home-like lodging in a stress-free
setting to guests of Veterans and active-duty military patients
receiving treatment in VA medical centers.
Friends of the
Pittsburgh Fisher House is planning to build a 16-suite Fisher House
on the VA H. John Heinz III Campus in O'Hara Township beginning in
2024. You can read more about those plans at VA
receives grant for construction of Fisher House at VA's Heinz campus
in O'Hara Township | TribLIVE.com.
Energy-Efficiency Programs in Our
Region
I joined Congresswoman
Summer Lee,
Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Erika Strassburger, ACTION-Housing,
and local climate and housing activists for a press conference last
week to talk about how federal funding is helping the region’s
low-to-moderate-income homeowners improve the energy efficiency of
their homes and lower their utility bills. These federal investments
are paired with state investments to support initiatives like clean
energy rebates, support for updating appliance energy efficiency
standards like my Senate
Bill 755, and the Whole-Home
Repairs program.
You can watch the full press
conference on Facebook.
Bayer Tours
in O’Hara and Indianola
Last Thursday I
was able to visit Bayer
facilities in my district in O’Hara and Indianola. If
you’ve had an MRI or CT scan, more than likely a component of
that imaging was created here. Thanks to Bayer for hosting me and
answering all of my questions.
PFT
Luncheon
I had a great lunch and discussion
last Friday with the Pittsburgh
Federation of Teachers (PFT). We had a chance to hear about the
exciting new opportunities for students for the upcoming school year
and talk to teachers about what supports they and their students need
from us in Harrisburg.
Etna
Community Day
We had a great time at Borough
of Etna's Community Day on Saturday and look forward to more
community celebrations this month!
Legislation
Universal School Breakfast is Here to
Stay!
With Governor Josh Shapiro signing HB
611, this year’s General Appropriations bill, into law,
Universal School Breakfasts are here to stay!
Students will be
heading back to school in the next few weeks and knowing that they
will be able to start every day ready to learn with a healthy
breakfast is a huge relief for families and schools. School meals are
just as essential to learning as textbooks and pencils– students
can’t learn when they’re hungry.
We’re
celebrating this huge win with our legislative partners Senator Judy
Schwank and Representative Emily Kinkead, as well as the numerous
advocates who joined the fight to ensure a healthy start to the school
day for our students:
We’re looking forward to the next steps of codifying this
cornerstone of food security for students, expanding the program to
ensure that every student has access to two healthy meals, and
eliminating school meal debt. If you’d like to join this fight,
you can add your name here.
Breakfast
program impacts student health, participation in school, leaders say |
TribLIVE.com
Sen.
Lindsey Williams, Sen. Judy Schwank Celebrate Extension of Universal
School Breakfast Program for 2023-24 School Year
(senatorlindseywilliams.com)
Property
Tax/Rent Rebate Program Expanded!
Last week
Governor Josh Shapiro signed HB
1100, expanding the Property
Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) Program to nearly 175,000 more Pennsylvania
seniors and increasing rebates for many of the 400,000 Pennsylvanians
who already qualify. In Allegheny County alone, there will be an
additional 16,500 people who will qualify under the new law!
This is the first time the PTRR program has been expanded in 17
years. The new law:
- Increases the income cap
from $35,000 to $45,000 for homeowners;
-
Increases the income cap from $15,000 to $45,000 for
renters;
- Automatically increases the income cap to
grow with inflation, beginning in claim year
2024;
- Increases the maximum rebate from $650 to
$1,000.
These changes go into effect for 2023
Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) applications which will be available
starting January 2024.
There is still time to complete
a 2022 Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) application, which has a
deadline of December 31, 2023. If you need help or have questions call
our offices at 412-364-0469 (Ross) or 724-224-2131 (Harrison) or email
us at [email protected].
Senator
Lindsey Williams Celebrates Expansion of Property Tax Relief for
Seniors
Urban
Agriculture Infrastructure Grants Open!
Since
2019, urban agriculture in Pennsylvania has grown and expanded thanks
to funding from the Urban
Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program. This reimbursement grant
program has funded 113 projects, including one in the Borough of Etna
in 2021. The grants are an important tool to expand fresh food access
to neighborhoods, many of which are food deserts and only served by a
single convenience store.
For the 2023-2024 cycle,
thanks to a partnership with GIANT
Company, $700,000 in grants are available to grow opportunities
across the Commonwealth! Eligible projects must include improvements
to urban agricultural infrastructure. They may also include
improvements to programs that promote sharing of resources between
urban agricultural entities that build a neighborhood’s access
to fresh, local food.
Applicants can be individuals,
businesses, community or agricultural organizations located in urban
communities. Grants are either individual “micro
grants” for one-time or single entity applicants or
“collaboration grants” for partnership or regional
projects.
The application deadline for the Urban
Agriculture Infrastructure Grants Program is 5:00 PM on September 1,
2023. Grant applications must be submitted online through the
PA
Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Single
Application. To start an application, click here.
Full grant guidelines are in the July
15 edition of the PA Bulletin and at agriculture.pa.gov.
Virtual
Retirement Planning Program
Monday August 21, 2023, 1 PM - 2
PM
The PA
Banking and Securities Department is hosting "STaRT” (Start
Today and Retire Tomorrow), a virtual program to help you reach your
retirement goals. Mark your calendars for Monday, August 21 from
1pm-2pm.
For additional information contact Mary
LaRochelle at [email protected]
or 717-509-5613.
Young
Ambassadors Program
Applications are now open
for Keep
Pennsylvania Beautiful and Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation (PennDOT)'s Young
Ambassadors Program! This eight month program is open to students
grades 10 - 12 and builds young peoples’ leadership and
community stewardship skills. Students select a project that fits the
program goal to keep Pennsylvania clean and beautiful and learn what
it takes to see the project through to successful completion.
Application period closes September 14, 2023.
Learn more and apply at Young
Ambassadors of Pennsylvania - Keep PA Beautiful.
PennDOT Open House and Hiring
Event
PennDOT, 51 Fox Chapel Road,
O’Hara Twp, Thursday, August 17, 2023, 12 PM - 6
PM
Mark your calendars for August 17 at noon
if you're interested in exploring a career at PennDOT!
There may be on-the-spot interviews, so make sure you bring a valid ID
and an up-to-date resume. You can look at the job openings available
online at www.employment.pa.gov.
East
Liberty No-Cost Farmers Market
Highmark Wholecare Connection Center,
6033 Broad Street, Friday and Saturday, August 11 & 12, 2023, 10
AM - 2 PM
The next Highmark
Wholecare Farmer’s Market is this Friday and Saturday! These
no-cost farmers market events are held throughout the summer and fall
in order to address food insecurity and offer healthcare assistance in
the East Liberty neighborhood. Stop by to pick up some free fresh
produce. If you need help with your insurance plan or have questions
about your care, you can meet with a Highmark Medicaid Member Service
and Care Management team member.
Larimer
Tree Care Event
Liberty Green Park, 100 Larimer Ave,
Pittsburgh, Tuesday, August 15, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM.
Pittsburgh
Parks Conservancy, Negley
Run Watershed Task Force, and Tree
Pittsburgh are hosting a Tree Care event in Liberty Green Park
next Tuesday! Help care for the young trees in the park and enjoy a
free dinner provided by the sponsors.
You can register for the
event here.
Shaler
Township Community Yard Sale
Kiwanis Park, Saturday, September 9,
2023, 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Mark your calendars
for Shaler
Township’s Community Yard Sale in September! Register
by September 6th to reserve a table or just come by to shop!
As always,
please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have by phone
at 412-364-0469
(Ross Office), 724-224-2131
(Harrison Office) or by email at [email protected].
My staff will return your call/email within 24 hours
(Monday-Friday).
Senator Lindsey Williams
