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The High Holy Days, Days of Awe
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Our office hopes that all those who celebrated enjoyed a joyous Rosh Hashanah earlier this week. We pray your reflections on the past year will lead to the fulfillment of your dearest hopes in the coming year.
We hope that you, your family and your community experience hope and renewal in this sacred time.
We wish our Jewish neighbors a blessed and meaningful Yom Kippur this Wednesday and an easy fast.
G’mar chatima tova.
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Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
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Happy Hispanic Heritage Month to you and yours! The USA has so much to be proud of due in large part to Latinos who have helped build this democracy and have contributed to the sciences, education, mathematics, technology, cuisine, music, business, athletics, politics, military, technology, linguistics, public safety, all forms of art, and just life, in general.
As a lawmaker in Harrisburg, my colleagues and I are fighting to make sure that your voice is heard and represented. It is more important now than ever before that you are recognized as a force to be reckoned with given the constant threats and racism from the federal government. We are fighting back to protect all our communities through policy and advocacy.
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Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting Reynolds Middle School to discuss the legislative role and process with students. Their curiosity, willingness to ask questions, and interest in learning was wonderful to see - thank you for a great visit, Reynolds!
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Celebrating the Ware Center
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Congratulations to Millersville University and the Ware Center for the Arts on the Ware's 15th anniversary! The Ware Center presents a rich variety of live performances featuring regional, national, and international artists across a wide range of artistic disciplines, as well as hosting numerous family, youth, and community events - all in service of the center’s goal to weave as many Lancastrians as possible into the cultural fabric of our community.
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Fighting for Our Healthcare Workers
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I was honored to receive the Zuber Memorial Patient Safety Award from SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania for my leadership in organizing with healthcare workers & passing legislation that protects the safety, dignity and well-being of health care workers, and advancing patient safety.
It’s my honor to fight in Harrisburg and in Lancaster for folks who are fighting for us in delivery rooms, in hospice hallways and in and out of homes and heart surgery.
The success of our healthcare system is thanks to the tireless, self-sacrificing work of our nurses, advanced practitioners, CNS, homecare workers, and midwives! Thank you all!
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We’re Fighting for Food Dignity in Lancaster
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Last week Rep. Rivera and I hosted state Sen. Art Haywood, D-Montgomery, Co-Chair of the state Senate Health and Human Services Committee, in Lancaster to speak about the impact of SNAP changes and cuts in Pennsylvania.
Representatives from over 20 organizations were in attendance.
SNAP has for decades enabled low-income Pennsylvanians to put food on their families’ tables and supported our communities’ social health and economic stability.
At a time when food insecurity is growing in Lancaster County, the federal budget cuts and changes to SNAP will have an impact on our communities like that of an asteroid hitting earth. There’ll be a ground zero and then ripples outward from the impact. None of us will be unaffected.
Right now in Lancaster County, the food insecurity rate is 11.4% or 63,560 with 55% of this population eligible for SNAP benefits.
The federal cuts will result in 1,080 residents in our district losing their SNAP benefits, leaving them not knowing where their next meal is coming from.
Next, grocers, food retailers and farmers in PA that were supported by $366 million in federally funded food assistance benefits in 2024 will be left scrambling. Some employees will lose their jobs, some places will close. The food accessibility pipeline they are part of, and we all depend on, will be disrupted.
Finally, everyone in our communities is going to be affected, from our schools caring for hungry kids to our hospitals treating nutritionally deprived patients, to our churches and food pantries feeding exponentially more hungry people, to our small businesses struggling with a loss of revenue due to decreased consumerism.
SNAP helped stabilize our communities and support our economic growth. With more people in our communities living on the edge due to these cuts and changes to SNAP, life will become unstable for us all. No one will be untouched by this devastation—except for the billionaires made even richer by this budget.
Video: Smith-Wade-El: Protecting Families from SNAP Cuts
To learn about these changes, how they will affect SNAP recipients, and how to report that you are meeting the work requirements, visit www.dhs.pa.gov/work.
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Food Insecurity Report Cancelled
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I want to alert you to a recent Wall Street Journal article that reported on the Trump Administration’s cancelation of an annual report on food insecurity beginning in 2025.
The Trump Administration has cancelled the food insecurity survey because they don’t want to know how many people are struggling to feed themselves and their families. They especially don’t want to know while food insecurity is increasing due to rising inflation and poor labor market conditions.
As your state representative, I am devastated by this decision as this report gave legislators and policy makers the data needed to determine whether a food program was working or not. The Trump administration is trying to duck responsibility for the millions of Americans who are going to suffer from food insecurity from cutting SNAP.
The report came out of battles in the 1980s in reaction to President Reagan’s remarks denying that there was a hunger problem in the United States.
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Beginning October 2, all County Assistance Offices (CAO), the DHS Customer Service Centers (CSC), and the DHS Helpline will open to the public and begin operations at 11 a.m. on Thursdays. This change does not affect posted hours at CAOs, CSC call centers or DHS Helpline hours on other days of the week.
The public will not be able to enter offices and calls will not be accepted before 11 a.m. on Thursdays due to staff training. Thursday morning delayed openings will continue for the foreseeable future.
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Speed Start: Launch Your Business Tonight: On Thursday, October 2, 2025, the Lancaster Public Library will transform into a startup hub where participants can access workforce development, financial tools, and accounting know-how—all at no cost and with Spanish language support.
Three powerhouse partners—TEC Centro/SACA, Truist Bank, and YAS Your Accounting Solution—will bring essential expertise to help entrepreneurs go from idea to action in a single night.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, October 2, 2025
Time: Doors open 5:15 PM | Program 5:40 PM
Location: Lancaster Public Library, 151 N. Queen St., Lancaster, PA
Cost: Free | Resources in English & Spanish
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Mark Your Calendars!
My Senior Health Fair
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Get ready for my Senior Health Fair! It’s one of my favorite events of the year because I get to meet some truly awesome constituents and share with them helpful information on how to live healthy lives.
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Registration for Toys for Tots is NOW OPEN!
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National Civics Bee Applications Available!
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The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce is proud to once again serve as a regional host for the National Civics Bee®, an initiative that encourages middle school students to explore the importance of civic engagement and strengthen their understanding of how our government works. This competition offers a unique opportunity for students to become more active, informed members of their communities, and potentially earn recognition and cash prizes (including $100,000 in a 529 education savings account!) along the way.
The National Civics Bee® is open to all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students across Pennsylvania. To enter, students must submit a short essay responding to a civics-related prompt. The application portal is now open, and the deadline to submit is February 3, 2026. Participation is free.
Finalists from the Lancaster regional competition will advance to the 2026 Pennsylvania State Finals, with a chance to compete nationally in Washington, D.C.
Students ready to participate can submit their application here!
Interested in volunteering as an essay judge, supporting a student project, or giving as a corporate sponsor? Contact Kat DeSantis at kdesantis@lancasterchamber.com!
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State grant program funding available
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The latest grant opportunities from the state have been released! My office is happy to connect you with government funding opportunities like these, so please reach out if you have any questions or need a letter of support.
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Community Resources
Coats for Kids
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The Salvation Army will be hosting their Coats for Kids in partnership with WGAL. Please visit their Facebook page or scan the QR code in the flyer for registration and more information.
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Pennsylvania State Capitol
103-A East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 772-0752
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District Office
150 East King St., Suite B
Lancaster, PA 17602
(717) 283-4218
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