Upcoming
Events
Upcoming July Community Office Hours
at the Kingsley Association
Friday, July 12, 10:00 AM - 3:00
PM
Due to the July 4th holiday, we moved our
regular first Friday community office hours at the Kingsley
Association to Friday, July 12 from 10:00 am - 3:00
pm. Stop by to meet with a Constituent Relations Specialist
and access all the services that our District Office provides:
- Property Tax Rent Rebates
- Senior Photo Connect
Cards
- PennDOT Forms
- Connection to Resources
- Unclaimed Property Searches
- Voter Registration
- And much more!
* Please note that we will
not have notary services available this month. Please
call the office at 412-364-0469 if you need notary services and we
will make other arrangements for you!
July Community
Days!
Summer is in full swing, and we are
excited about attending Community Days in Hampton, Springdale and
Larimer in July! We’re looking forward to enjoying some
fireworks, bands, car shows, yummy food, kid’s activities,
health clinics and more with everyone. Come by our table to talk with
Senator Williams or to pick up some resources from her staff.
Book Your
July In-Person VSO Appointment!
Our July
in-person Veterans Service Officer (VSO) appointments are filling up
quickly! Call us today to reserve a 30-minute in-person meeting with a
VSO this month or for any month in the future. Appointments alternate
between our Ross and Harrison offices monthly and are held every 3rd
Tuesday from 9 am - 1 pm.
Upcoming Dates:
-
Tuesday, July 16, Ross Township Office
- Tuesday, August 20,
Harrison Office
- Tuesday, September 17, 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),
[email protected].
Good News
Changing
Lives One Head at a Time with Heirs Barber and Social
Shop
In June, I had the chance to meet with
Curtis Miller and tour his Professional Barber and Social Shop serving
the Homewood, Larimer, and East Liberty neighborhoods.
Mr.
Miller prides his shop on excellent service and top-quality haircuts,
but he also stresses community building. The shop's motto is "Changing
lives one head at a time" and they offer so much more than a haircut.
They combine social work, mental health, barbering, and
entrepreneurship for the entire community. Mr. Miller and his barbers
are an amazing community asset.
Check out their services and
their mission at https://www.heirsllc.com/.
Pennsylvania National Guard
Promotions
Congratulations to the Pennsylvania
National Guard officers whose promotions were all unanimously reported
out of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee and
the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee!
Senator
Williams Supports School Counseling Services Act
I joined the Pennsylvania School Counselors Association to rally
in support of SB33,
the School Counseling Services Act, because our students need more
caring adults in their school buildings giving students the supports
they need and deserve. This legislation, which I’m the prime
sponsor of, will require that school counselors spend at least 80% of
their working time engaged in direct and indirect services to students
on days that students are in school. These services could involve
academic advising, career planning, social and emotional skill
building, intervening with students at risk of dropping out, orienting
new and transferring students, and contributing to decision-making
teams and programs that directly impact students and families.
Shout out to our AMAZING school counselors, especially our very own
Mrs. D-M from Burchfield Primary School in Shaler Area School District
who joined us in Harrisburg. We are incredibly grateful for your work
and we look forward to supporting you!
July
Community Days
We had a blast celebrating
Hampton and Springdale Community Days last week! Thanks to Congressman
Chris Deluzio, Rep. Arvind Venkat, and Rep. Mandy Steele for sharing
space with us.
Legislative Update
Senate
Passes Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform
Legislation!
I was happy to join my colleagues
in voting for HB
1993, which passed the Senate this week. This Pharmacy
Benefit Manager (PBM) reform legislation will save Pennsylvanians
money on their prescription medications, support our local pharmacies,
and protect a vital link in our health care chain.
I have been
fortunate to partner with local pharmacies throughout my time in the
Pennsylvania Senate. These incredibly knowledgeable individuals have
participated in my office’s Senior Fairs, Community Baby
Showers, and other events to ensure that residents have access to
vaccines and other important health information.
One of the
pharmacists I’ve worked with closely throughout my time in the
Senate, Kaitlyn Sullivan, the owner of
Russelton-Palmer Pharmacy in West Deer, said “PBM
reform continues to be needed to ensure that patients will always have
access to local brick and mortar & include all the unique services
we provide as community pharmacies. Today was a small step in the
right direction, but local pharmacies are still in danger of going
away. We thank the lawmakers that have worked hard with us and we hope
to continue to work towards better solutions.”
In April,
the
Senate Democratic Policy Committee heard from independent
pharmacies about how unfavorable reimbursement rates and monopolies by
the larger pharmacies have driven up costs and closed small
pharmacies. Since the beginning of this year,
more than 140 pharmacies have closed in Pennsylvania because PBM
reimbursements no longer cover what it costs pharmacies to purchase
medications, let alone what it costs to dispense prescriptions to
customers.
I am proud to help protect our local pharmacies and
our health care by supporting PBM reform and I thank my House
colleague Rep. Jessica Benham (D-36) for sponsoring it. I ask the
House to move quickly in concurring with these changes so that this
legislation can move to the Governor’s desk and start to benefit
Pennsylvanians as soon as possible.”
Learn more here: https://senatorlindseywilliams.com/senator-lindsey-m-williams-applauds-senate-passage-of-pharmacy-reform-legislation/
Summer-EBT in PA is
Open!
This year, Pennsylvania opted into the
new nationwide Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, called
Summer EBT or SUN Bucks. This summer grocery benefit for children will
be automatically issued to most eligible children, but some families
will need to apply (see Just
Harvest’s graphic above or go to JustHarvest.org/SUNBucks for
assistance).
The SUN Bucks benefit is for school aged children
who are income eligible for the National School Lunch Program (see
chart below). Families are provided with $40 per month, per eligible
child to cover the three summer months – June, July, and
August. Pennsylvania will issue its Summer EBT/SUN Bucks
benefit as a single $120 issuance by October 2024. SUN
Bucks benefits will be loaded on a family’s existing EBT card or
a new EBT card will be issued to newly eligible families.
| Household Size |
Monthly Gross Income Limit
for SUN Bucks
July 1, 2023- June 30,
2024
(same as Free/Reduced-Price School Meals) |
| 1 |
$2,248 |
| 2 | $3,041 |
| 3 | $3,833 |
| 4 |
$4,625 |
| 5 | $5,418 |
|
Each additional family member |
+$8,732 |
The following
children are eligible and will automatically receive
SUN Bucks:
- Any child ages 6-18 who received
SNAP, TANF, or Medical Assistance with qualifying income during the
2023-24 school year or during the summer of 2024, including home
schooled and cyber school students.
- Any child who attends a
school that participates in the National School Lunch
Program and either:
- applies for
and is approved for Free and Reduced Price School Meals during the
school year;
- receives SNAP, TANF, or Medical Assistance with
qualifying income at any time during the school year or summer;
OR
- is directly certified for free school meals as a foster
child, migrant, or someone experiencing homelessness.
To ensure you receive the SUN Bucks benefit, be sure your
child’s school has your current mailing address. If you receive
SNAP, TANF or Medical Assistance with a qualifying income, make sure
that the Department of Human Services has your current address.
You can use the PA Department of Human Services Eligibility
Navigator to see if your child qualifies for SUN Bucks.
If you don’t automatically qualify for SUN Bucks, you can
apply several ways:
- Complete a school meals application
at your child’s school.
- Just
Harvest enrolls families in the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP). Contact Just Harvest online here or
call 412-431-8960.
- Apply online
through COMPASS or at one of ?DHS’
County Assistance Offices for:
- National School
Lunch Program
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Medical Assistance
- Paper SUN Bucks
applications are available for download here.
For more information see SUN
Bucks - Just Harvest or Summer
EBT | Department of Human Services | Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania.
Summer Meals For Kids Site
Finder
Looking for a free summer meals program
near you this summer? Type in your zip code on the USDA
SUN Meals for Kids Site Finder to find USDA approved sites
that serve meals and snacks to kids 18 and younger at no cost. Meals
are served on site or to go. The site finder shows directions, hours
of operation and contact information for every site in the United
States!
Updated
Unemployment Guide for School Bus Drivers
The
Department of Labor & Industry has created a new web
page with information for school bus drivers and other seasonal
workers about how to apply for Unemployment Compensation (UC)
benefits during the summer break. The page includes information about
how to reopen a claim, how to avoid unnecessary eligibility issues,
and what to expect in terms of payment timing for eligible
claimants.
If you need assistance with your unemployment
claim, please contact my office at 412-364-0469 (Ross), 724-224-2131
(Harrison) or at [email protected].
Free Bin
Giveaway this Saturday!
The Pennsylvania
Resources Council Traveling Glass Bin will be at Allegheny
County Parks Hartwood Acres this coming week!
When: July 13-18
Where: Hartwood
Acres Ampitheater Overflow Lot, 4100 Middle Road, Allison Park, PA
15101
Drop off all colors of glass bottles, jugs and jars for
six days!
Learn about glass recycling: https://prc.org/glass.
TechOWL
Can Help
Do you or someone you know have a
disability and need assistive technology? TechOWL can help!
Under the Assistive Technology Act, all states are required to have a
program to help people with disabilities and others explore, find, and
get the tools and technology they need. TechOWL is
Pennsylvania’s Assistive Technology Act program. People with
disabilities of all ages can use TechOWL to find the devices and
technologies that allow them to be independent.
Services
provided by TechOWL include:
To access
services people with disabilities can communicate with TechOWL
remotely or in-person at one of their nine Pennsylvania "Assistive
Technology Resource Centers." In Allegheny County, the resource
center is located in Swissvale at:
Community
Living and Support Services
1400 South Braddock Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
Voice: (412) 683-7100 ext. 2179
Contact: Rebekah Nesbitt
E-mail: [email protected]
Larimer
Gala and Larimer Alive!
Celebrate Larimer!
The LCG Fundraising Gala and Larimer Alive are July 19 and 20. Come
celebrate neighbors, family, and friends with food, raffles, music,
and more! For information on both events, please contact Tuarone
Thomas-Washington at 412-441-1476 x102.
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
