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Upcoming Events Get the Support You’ve Earned: VFW Service Officer Appointments Available Whether you have questions about your benefits or just want a fresh review, take advantage of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Veterans Service Officer (VSO) appointments available at my Ross and Harrison Township district offices. We have VSO appointments available in both offices every month! Ross Township Office 1st Monday of each month from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Upcoming Dates:
Harrison Township
Office Last Wednesday of each month from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Upcoming Dates:
Contact us at 412-364-0469 (Ross), 724-224-2131 (Harrison), or email us at [email protected] to book your one-on-one session - appointments fill up quickly, so don’t delay! Springdale
Trunk or Treat and Costume Parade Join Senator Williams at Springdale Borough’s Trunk or Treat on October 25th! Decorate your car and pass out candy or just bring the kids to trick or treat and parade. Parade starts at 1pm, trunk set-up starts at 1:30, and Trunk or Treating begins at 2pm. Scan the QR code above for more information and to register!
Save
the Date for Our Senior Resource Fair! Mark your calendars! Rep. Emily Kinkead’s and my Senior Resource Fair is Thursday, October 30th from 10 am - 12 pm at the Ross Community Center. Meet us, our staff and over 30 vendors with resources and information! Good News Visit to Harvest Valley Farms with PA Agriculture Secretary Redding Last week I joined Secretary Russell Redding, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, and members of the Allegheny County House Delegation at Harvest Valley Farms in Bakerstown to hear directly from our local farmers about how innovation and technology are helping them tackle difficult issues. These small, local farms are the backbone of food security in the region. I'm always eager to learn more about how we can support their needs and ensure that all Pennsylvanians have healthy, nutritious food every day. Family Resource Fair in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar Neighborhood - Big Success! We had an absolute blast at our 6th annual Family Resource Fair at Paulson Recreation Center! Thank you to our hard-working interns Alex and Ella, all of our vendors who shared resources with the Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood, to Beanie Paints LLC Pittsburgh Face Painter for the amazing face painting, and to the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters for bringing their truck to let kids experience spraying a fire hose and doing a coat distribution! New Facility Proposed for MFPAA and a Community Healthcare Center in Pine Township! Last Thursday I joined fellow legislators to learn more about the partnership between McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority and AHN Wexford to train and recruit more EMTs, provide a better space for our first responders, and increase the already stellar care that both MFPAA and AHN Wexford provide local residents! EMS departments across the state are in urgent need of upgrades, and I’m proud to support this opportunity to give MFPAA the modern space and resources they need to continue saving lives in our community. Senator Williams and Senator Costa Named PA Library Association Elected Officials of the Year I was incredibly honored to be named Elected Official of the Year by the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) with my colleague Senator Jay Costa. The public libraries in Allegheny County are incredible neighborhood spaces where everyone is welcome, and our librarians work every day to bring the magic of the library to more people. Getting to support their community-building work is truly one of the best parts of being a State Senator for me. I am deeply grateful for the partnerships I have built with our libraries and the Allegheny County Library Association, and to be recognized by people whose work I respect so much. I look forward to continuing to work with the ACLA and all of our libraries to get more books into the hands of our kids because books—and libraries—change lives for the better. Read more here: https://senatorlindseywilliams.com/senator-costa-and-senator-williams-named-pennsylvania-library-association-2025-elected-officials-of-the-year/
Legislative Update Our Work on Transit Continues Last week, the Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) Board voted to reverse proposed service cuts and maintain current fare levels. But this is a temporary fix. It is not a long-term, sustainable solution to our region’s—or Pennsylvania’s—public transit problems. I first want to thank everyone who took the time to share your personal story about why public transit matters. Whether you spent valuable time waiting to testify at a PRT hearing, attended a rally, or contacted your legislator, your voice made a difference in this fight. This vote was only possible because of your advocacy. Since I joined the PRT Board earlier this year, we have been in crisis mode as we have worked to stop PRT from entering a death spiral. Following today’s vote, I am looking forward to working strategically to build better public transit for all, and for advocating for what my constituents say they need. That includes restoring services to parts of my Senate District back to 2019 levels. Too much of my district has been cut off from transit due to service cuts in previous years. It also includes improving the user experience for all PRT passengers—creating safe, accessible bus shelters and stops that meet the needs of all riders. I am also focused on increasing public participation in PRT Board Meetings and our processes. This is the time for us to regroup and build the case that transit matters for all Pennsylvanians. Our work is not done, but I look forward to amplifying your voices here in Allegheny County and in Harrisburg. Finally, I look forward to strengthening the relationships between PRT and our region’s large employers and their employees. Public transit is an incredible economic driver, getting people to work every day. Our employers are a critical ally in the fight to restore services, and I look forward to engaging with them to bring Transit for All Pennsylvanians! If you were unable to attend last month’s meeting, you can watch a replay of it on PRT’s YouTube page. The next Board meetings will be:
Meetings are held in the Neal H. Holmes Board Room of the Heinz 57 Building, 345 Sixth Avenue, 5th floor. These meetings are open to the public, but participants must register to speak by filling out the Board Meeting Registration form. An online participation option is available for those wishing to speak; however, meetings are not live streamed for the public. You can read more about Friday’s vote and the state of public transit in PA here: Public transit service cuts reversed in Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.com PRT board passes 'Band-Aid' budget to avoid transit rate hikes, drastic service cuts | TribLIVE.com
News You Can Use Take Action to Keep Your SNAP Benefits! The Republican Federal Budget Bill that was signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025 includes a new 20 hour per week work, volunteer, or training requirement for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The new requirements began on September 1, 2025 and will expand to more people on November 1, 2025 so SNAP recipients must act quickly! The changes to SNAP are deliberately designed to discourage people from participating in the program. Unfortunately, they are being implemented when the demand for food resources is at an all time high– and the need is only increasing. The United Way of Southwestern PA has already seen a 16% increase in calls to PA-211 relating to food assistance and a 27% increase in calls related to SNAP this year. We will be covering what people need to do to keep their benefits, but to get an overview of all SNAP changes go to Pennsylvania’s new website at: dhs.pa.gov/work. Do I Need to Take Action? Starting September 1, 2025, adults 18-54 years old must provide documentation that they work, volunteer, or participate in an education or training program for 20 hours per week to receive SNAP benefits unless: (1) they receive SSI or SSDI or (2) have a child under 18 in the household who receives SNAP benefits. Starting November 1, 2025, this will expand to include adults aged 18-64 years who are exempt only if they receive SSI or SSDI, or have a child under 14 that receives SNAP. If documentation is not submitted, people can only receive 3 months of SNAP benefits over a 3-year period – meaning, benefits will run out in December 2025. Use the table below to help you decide if you need to take action to keep your SNAP benefits:
What are My Next Steps? If you are in the “Need to Take action” group, you must:
For a complete breakdown of these steps from Allegheny County, including links and forms, we recommend going to the Connect Allegheny website. Need Help? Call:
Our office is also here to help. Call us at 412-364-0469 (Ross) or 724-224-2131 (Harrison) for assistance! If you need immediate food assistance, call the United Way of Southwestern PA by dialing 2-1-1. Virtual
Webinar with Secretary Arkoosh to Discuss All Things
SNAP If you still have questions about changes to SNAP, you aren’t alone. Tune in to PASenate.com/SNAP to watch a live webinar discussion with Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Val Arkoosh on Wednesday, October 8th at 6pm to get answers to questions like these:
Go to PASenate.com/SNAP to watch live next Wednesday! Allegheny Go - 50% off PRT Fares! Did you know if you receive SNAP, you qualify for 50% off of Pittsburgh Regional Transit fares? To learn more and apply for the Allegheny Go program, click here! Alert! PA Tax Refund Scam Texts The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is warning Pennsylvanians about a new phishing scam that involves fraudulent text messages that impersonate Pennsylvania Department of Revenue officials. These texts try to trick you into sharing sensitive personal and financial information.They often include links to fake websites and request banking details in order to process a refund. The Department of Revenue advises all Pennsylvania taxpayers to verify the status of their refund only through official channels. Taxpayers can check the status of their refunds online by visiting the department’s official online tax hub or by calling 1-888-PATAXES. Taxpayers will be prompted to provide their Social Security number and requested refund amount to obtain the current status. The Department recommends the following to stay safe:
If you aren’t sure if the text you received is legitimate, you can contact the PA Department of Revenue to confirm by visiting Verify Potentially Fraudulent Dept of Revenue Contact. You can also learn more about identifying phishing texts and scams by visiting the Pennsylvania Attorney General's website at: Identity Theft Phishing, Pharming and Vishing – PA Office of Attorney General. Free
Dental, Vision, & Hearing Clinic Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh is offering their annual FREE two-day dental, vision, and hearing clinic at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, November 2nd.
If you have any questions regarding the event or would like to volunteer, visit: https://mompgh.org/. PA CareerLink Alle-Kiski Events Looking for a new job opportunity or career track? Check out one of the upcoming events hosted by PA CareerLink Alle-Kiski!
View Re:Build's available jobs at pacareerlink.pa.gov.
To learn more, contact the PA CareerLink Alle-Kiski office at 724-334-8600 (TTY: 724-334-8713). Sharpsburg
VFW Post 709 Halloween Costume Party! Come to the Sharpsburg VFW Post 709’s Halloween Costume Party Fundraiser to get your groove on with Dancing Queen and enter their contest for best costume. Doors open at 6:00 PM! To buy tickets, call 412-781-7771!
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). |
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