Upcoming
Events
Book Your In-Person VSO Appointment
Early!
We filled all of our May
in-person Veterans Service Officer (VSO) appointments! Appointments
fill up quickly, so if you need to meet with a VSO, book your spot
early for the upcoming months!
Appointments alternate between
our Ross and Natrona Heights offices every 3rd Tuesday of the month
from 9 am - 1 pm.
Upcoming Dates:
-
Filled! Tuesday, May 21, Ross Office
-
Tuesday, June 18, Natrona Heights office
- Tuesday, July 16,
Ross Township office
Whether you have a
question or just need a fresh review of the benefits you’ve
earned, call or email our office to schedule a one-on-one appointment:
412-364-0469 (Ross) 724-224-2131 (Harrison).
Senior Social
Pittsburgh Mills Mall, 590 Pittsburgh
Mills Circle, Tarentum
Entrance 5 near the AHN Citizens
Nursing School
Thursday, May 23, Noon - 3:00 pm
Join us next Thursday, May 23 from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm at
Pittsburgh Mills Mall for an afternoon of music, dancing, sweet and
savory snacks from A.W. Beattie, and socializing!
Vintage,
Inc. will be providing Digital Navigation Services to help with your
smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
The PA Department of Banking
and Securities will be hosting their famous Fraud BINGO to keep you
informed on the latest ways to keep yourself and your money safe from
scammers.
The PA Department of Health and Military Affairs
will have a Veterans Service Officer there to answer questions about
the benefits you’ve earned through your service.
It’s going to be a great time– we can’t wait to see
you there!
Property Tax/Rent Rebate Filing
Event
Shaler North Hills Library, 1822 Mt. Royal Boulevard,
Glenshaw, PA 15116
Friday, May 24, 10:00 am –
Noon
Rep. Lindsay Powell and I are co-hosting
a Property Tax/Rent Rebate Event at the Shaler North Hills Library on
Friday May 24 from 10:00 am until noon.
For the first
time in almost 20 years, the Property Tax/Rent Rebate has been
expanded. Nearly 175,000 more Pennsylvanians now qualify for a rebate
and the maximum rebates available have nearly doubled. The new income
eligibility threshold is $45,000 for both homeowners and renters. To
calculate income, only half of Social Security income is included.
At this event, we’re able to answer questions and help you
file for your rebate online! Please bring along your:
-
Proof of identity (first time filers only)
- Documentation
showing all income received in 2023, including Social Security income,
retirement funds, or other interest bearing accounts
- A
completed PA rent certificate (for renters only—please contact
our office if you need assistance obtaining this)
- Bank
account and routing information if you would like direct deposit
For homeowners only:
- Proof of payment/receipt
for Allegheny County taxes
- Proof of payment/receipt for
local municipality taxes
- Proof of payment/receipt for school
district taxes
Good News
Improving
Student Outcomes Across PA
Last week I met
with members of the 412 Justice team, PA Schools Work, and the Pre-K
for PA Coalition to talk about different components of what it means
to fully and fairly fund our public schools. This means establishing
adequacy targets and providing appropriate education, mental health,
and other supports so that all students can meet their potential,
because all students can learn. It also means opening up a spectrum of
services like access to high-quality, affordable Pre-K across the
state so that every student has the chance to have a great start. I'm
grateful for these advocates who work tirelessly to bring the stories
and needs of our students to the legislature!
Supporting our Small Businesses and
CDFIs
Last week I joined Department of
Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Signer and my
colleagues Senator Nikil Saval and Senator Vincent Hughes to support
our Pennsylvania Community Development Financial Institutions
(CDFIs).
CDFIs like Bridgeway Capital and Neighborhood
Community Development Fund provide financing options to small
businesses and are amazing partners in navigating issues unique to
those businesses. Thank you for always caring about people, not just
business!
You can see my full press conference remarks here:
Sen
Lindsey Williams PACDFI Advocacy Day Remarks - Senator Lindsey
Williams
Legislative Update
Expanding
Universal School Meals
Last week, I joined
advocates in Harrisburg in support of expanding the Universal School
Meals program to include a healthy lunch for all students. Extending
this program is one of my top legislative priorities, and I’m
proud to be the prime sponsor of this bill
in the Senate along with my colleague Senator Judy
Schwank.
I also got to meet these wonderful
student advocates, who did an amazing job speaking about how important
school meals are to them and their classmates. I am incredibly proud
of the work they did preparing their testimony and speaking to a big
group of people! It was my honor to take them to the Senate floor and
to let them check out the Chamber after the press conference.
Making sure that every student has access to a nutritious school lunch
every day will improve test scores, reduce discipline, fight food
insecurity, and so much more. But expanding Universal School Meals can
also open up possibilities for the lunchroom as a classroom, giving
schools new opportunities for partnerships with Pennsylvania
Agriculture and local producers.
One of the most fun
things about Senate District 38 is that it includes several working
farms that produce amazing food. If we give our school cafeterias the
chance, they can start to put an emphasis on sourcing food locally,
which supports those local small businesses and farms. This is not
only a great opportunity for PA Agriculture, but also for students to
try foods they might otherwise never have the chance to try.
At the same time, we can teach students how to have healthy, positive
relationships with food and more about the science that goes into
producing it. Imagine a future where an elementary school student can
learn about the plant life cycle in science and then visit a local
farm to see how food moves from a seed to their plate.
The
possibilities of how we can make the lunchroom into a classroom and
partner with these local small businesses are almost endless. Our
local farmers are incredibly creative and resourceful—in fact
the only other group of people I know who are as creative and
resourceful are our teachers.
These partnerships are a great
match and by expanding the Universal School Meals program to include
lunch, our students can take advantage of the nutritional and
educational benefits that we can unlock for them.
You can see
the full event here: School
Meals for All Rally 5.8.2024 - Senator Lindsey Williams.
May and June PHEAA Virtual
Webinars
Gain confidence as you embark on the journey
of funding your higher education! The
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is hosting
several upcoming webinars to help you sort out loan information and
make decisions that are right for you and your family.
-
Deep Dive into Credit Related to Education Funding
Tuesday, May
21, 6:30 PM
- Life Cycle of a Private Education
Loan
Thursday, May 23, Noon
- Deep Dive into
Covering the Gap
Thursday, June 13, 6:30 PM & Tuesday, June
25, Noon
- Borrow for Education — Which loan
is right for me?
Tuesday, June 11, Noon & Thursday, June 27,
6:30 PM
Sign up and learn more at: Financial
Aid Webinars (pheaa.org).
And reminder that PHEAA has
extended the FAFSA deadline for PA State Grant Applications to
Saturday, June 1st.
Don't delay, file today!
https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
DOH
Tickborne Diseases Dashboard and Information Page
Available!
The Pennsylvania Department of
Health (DOH) launched a new Tick
Diseases web page with everything you need to know about ticks and
how to protect yourself from them including an online Tickborne
Diseases Dashboard, just in time for National Lyme Disease Awareness
Month.
The dashboard provides Pennsylvania residents and
health care providers with information about tickborne disease
occurrences by county so users can see where ticks are prevalent and
take precautions before enjoying outdoor activities. After last
year’s mild winter, Pennsylvania is expected to have a tough
tick season. So before you plan your next outing, check the dashboard
and follow the tips listed on the graphic above!
Lyme disease
is the most commonly reported tickborne disease, but ticks can carry
several other diseases, such as Alpha-gal Syndrome. In 2022,
Pennsylvania ranked ninth in the United States for the number of Lyme
disease cases reported by population. Although tickborne diseases can
occur any time of the year, cases increase from April through August.
In 2022, 8,413 Lyme disease cases were reported in Pennsylvania,
representing an incidence of 64.9 cases/100,000 persons.
For the Tickborne Diseases Dashboard, information on tickborne
diseases like Lyme and Alpha-gal Syndrome, complete details on how to
protect yourself and your furry friends from ticks, and much more go
to the Pennsylvania
Department of Health’s (DOH) Tick Diseases
page.
Don’t let a tick make
you sick!
Homeownership
News
June
PHFA Webinar Series: The Path to
Homeownership
For National Homeownership
Month, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) is hosting a
series of FREE live educational webinars for prospective homebuyers in
June. Sessions cover everything from initial interest in homeownership
through what to expect at closing, and are offered at both noon and
6pm on the scheduled dates listed above. Mark your calendars!
For more information go to: Homebuyer
Counseling and Education | PHFA Housing Counseling
Register at: 2024
National Homeownership Month - Homebuyer Workshop Registration Survey
(surveymonkey.com).
Catapult Homeowner Clinic at
Bloomfield Garfield Corporation
113 Pacific Ave, Pittsburgh, Tuesday,
May 21, 2024, at 6 pm
Looking for help with
home repair or clearing the title to your home? Attend Catapult of
Greater Pittsburgh’s upcoming clinic on these topics hosted at
the Bloomfield Garfield Corporation’s next State of the
Neighborhood meeting.
Homeownership Workshop at Larimer
Consensus Group Tonight!
200 Larimer Ave, Pittsburgh, Thursday,
May 16, 2024, from 6 pm - 8 pm
The Larimer
Consensus Group (LCG) is hosting a Homeownership Workshop this
evening! Whether you're interested in becoming a homeowner or if you
own your home and have equity questions, this is a great opportunity
to learn!
LCG asks folks to RSVP by phone or email:
412-441-1476 ext.102, [email protected].
Allegheny County Parks
News
Senate District 38 includes four of the
nine beautiful Allegheny County Parks: Deer Lakes, Harrison Hills,
North Park, and Hartwood Acres. The following are a few opportunities
coming up in the parks.
Lifeguards
Needed
Know someone who needs a
“cool” summer job? Allegheny County is hiring lifeguards
for the pool at North Park and wave pools at Boyce, Settlers Cabin and
South Park. Applicants must be 15, complete the necessary lifeguard
employment forms, pass the aquatics test, possess current lifeguard
certification (offered by the County), and work the entire swimming
season, including flexible hours, weekends and holidays. Lifeguards
for the 2024 season will earn between $16.00-$18.00/hr.
For
more information and to apply go to Lifeguards
- Allegheny County, PA.
Traveling
Glass Recycling Returns to County Parks
Has
your municipality stopped curbside glass recycling? Don’t
despair, the Allegheny County Department of Sustainability and the
Pennsylvania Resources Council are partnering again this year to offer
week-long Traveling Glass Recycling Bins at Allegheny County Parks.
Mark your calendars for the upcoming stops at Senate District 38 parks
listed below:
- June 8-13 @ DEER LAKES PARK, Veteran
Shelter Parking Lot, 1090 Baileys Run Rd, Tarentum, PA 15084
-
July 13-18 @ HARTWOOD ACRES PARK, Amphitheater Overflow Lot, 4100
Middle Rd, Allison Park, PA 15101
- October 5-10 @ NORTH PARK,
Swimming Pool Parking Lot, S Ridge Dr, Allison Park, PA 15101
Participants can drop off glass bottles, jars and jugs of
all colors from 7 a.m. to sunset. No color sorting is required.
Containers should be empty and rinsed, with lids and labels still on.
Bags and boxes used to deliver glass must be discarded off-site.
For more information go to Traveling
Glass Recycling - Allegheny County, PA.
Enter a
South Ridge Trail Challenge Event and Help Allegheny County
Parks
Grab your hiking boots or running shoes!
GCXC
Racing Pittsburgh has chosen Allegheny
County Parks Foundation as the beneficiary for two of their races
this summer.
Share What
You Love About the Parks!
Allegheny County
Parks Foundation is asking visitors to share their favorite park
story, memory, picture, or what they love most about our beautiful
parks. You could be featured in their newsletter or on social
media!
Share your park favorites at: Get
Involved - Allegheny County Parks Foundation
(acparksfoundation.org).
Upcoming
Park Event Information
Allegheny County Parks
are an invaluable asset to our region’s quality of life and we
want to encourage everyone to get out and enjoy what those tax dollars
make possible! Don’t miss the FREE concerts, movies, hikes and
more coming this summer. For the complete list of park events,
activities, rentals, and job opportunities go to Parks
and Events - Allegheny County, PA.
Touch-a-Truck in Harrison
Township
Highlands High School (in front),
Saturday, May 18, 2024, 12 - 3
pm
Come one, come all
to Harrison Township’s Touch-a-Truck event this Saturday! There
will be 30 different vehicles to explore, food, activities, and fun
for the whole family!
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
