Dear friend,

We just wrapped up our last week of August work period! It was a month full of events, meetings, and my favorite thing, getting to hear from so many of you across our state. I am excited and energized to return to Washington next week to continue my work on behalf of the people of Delaware in our nation’s Capitol.

Keep reading for updates on what I did this week in the First State and a few important updates from my team and me.

This Week in Delaware

Making Our Communities Safer

I hosted a roundtable conversation with gun violence prevention and mental health advocates as well as local officials about how funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is at work in Delaware to improve community safety, invest in mental health care, and increase school safety. We came together at Sean’s House in Newark, a dedicated space on the UD campus that offers free mental health services and support with the goal of reducing the rate of youth suicide. 

For us to fully address gun violence, we need to look at it through a comprehensive lens, and that means understanding the broader types of gun violence impacting our communities and the solutions to breaking the cycle. While Delaware has been a true leader in implementing gun safety laws, Congress has more work to do to ensure that people are safe in their homes, at concerts, in grocery stores, at their places of worship, workplaces, in schools – and everywhere in between. I will continue to fight in Congress to make our communities safer to live and work in. To read more about our conversation, click here.  

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 - the national suicide and crisis lifeline – to be connected to trained crisis counselors.

Investing in Mental and Behavioral Health Care Statewide

I joined Senator Carper and Senator Coons to announce over $750,000 in federal funding for Brandywine Counseling and Community Services (BCCS) for its Continuous Community-Care Mobile Treatment. The funding will bring medical care, mental health care, substance use disorder care, and more health services to people across our state, helping us reduce barriers to care for underresourced areas and address mental health and the opioid crisis head-on. You can read more about the announcement here.

Creating More Affordable Housing in Kent County

This week, I visited Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity (CDHFH) which applied for Community Project Funding through my office. As a reminder, Community Project Funding allows for nonprofit and governmental entities to apply for federal funding for community-based projects. CDHFH is requesting federal funding to purchase land across Kent County to create more affordable housing and increase the size of their current ReStore in Dover, the revenue from which helps support their mission. Creating more affordable and available housing is a cornerstone of my Jobs Agenda that I introduced earlier this year, and I am proud to be a partner in finding ways to make that happen across the First State. 

Supporting Delaware Families with the Food Bank of Delaware

I was so glad to be back at the Food Bank of Delaware’s Newark facility to talk with CEO Cathy Kanefsky and her team. The Food Bank of Delaware provides more than just food assistance and employment opportunities – it provides hope for so many individuals and families across our state. We talked about how the 2023 Farm Bill is an opportunity to better support Delaware’s families and farmers.

Connecting with Delaware’s Seniors

I toured Asher Rubin B’nai B’rith House this week, a Section 8 affordable housing complex in Claymont, and met with several residents to answer their questions about affordable housing, health care, and Social Security. We also talked about how the Inflation Reduction Act’s historic provisions – including capping insulin at $35/per month for Medicare beneficiaries, offering free vaccines such as the shingles vaccine, and finally giving Medicare the power to negotiate the prices for high-cost drugs – are supporting Delaware’s seniors. 

Implementation Webinar with the Department of Commerce

This week, my team held another Implementation Webinar to highlight funding from the CHIPS and Science Act available through the Department of Commerce. You can watch the recording of this webinar below. For more information on the webinar, you can visit my website here. 

This week’s Constituent Corner is Traci Murphy, the Executive Director of the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence, who was instrumental in pulling together our roundtable at Sean’s House. Traci has been a tireless advocate for implementing gun violence prevention measures in Delaware and across the country. She is an inspiration to not just me but to all who strive to make our communities safer and free of gun violence. Thank you, Traci, for your dedication to Delaware’s kids, families, and communities. 

Before I let you go, this Monday, we will pause to remember one of the most difficult and solemn days for our nation – the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. As we mark this anniversary, we remember the thousands of Americans who lost their lives, the heroic actions of our first responders, and all whose lives were forever changed in a matter of minutes that day. Let us reflect on what we’ve endured, and let us turn that pain into purpose to remind us all that we are stronger together.

As always, If you ever need assistance with federal agencies, please contact my office. My team can help with a wide range of issues including (but not limited to):

• United States Postal Service
• Social Security Administration
• Veterans Affairs benefits and services
• Passport and visa processing
• Citizenship and naturalization

Yours in service,

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester

Member of Congress

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