LIHEAP Delayed until Dec. 3, SNAP & WIC ending in November

Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El October 31, 2025 | 3:09 PM

Dear Neighbor,

This week was busy with important events in the Capitol and the district. These events share a common goal: making life better for people in our communities and throughout Pennsylvania.

In this week’s e-newsletter:

Office Hours This Week
GOP-led federal government shutdown delays home heating help, ends food benefits in November and will force health insurance premiums to rise
Governor Shapiro Takes Action to Support Pennsylvanians on SNAP, Increase Capacity Among Pennsylvania’s Charitable Food System
Tell the State Senate to Act Now on the Budget
Upcoming Events: Healing Beyond Boundaries (11/3), PTRR Office Hours (11/6), Free Car Seat Check (11/8), The Sum of Us (11/10), Celebrating Our Black Veterans (11/11), Blue Christmas (12/4)
In the Capitol: Legislative Update, Office of New Pennsylvanians, Youth Homlessness
Apply Now: Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program
State Grant Program Funding Available
Community Resources
Student Opportunities

Office Hours Next Week

Please be aware that due to community events and partner meetings, our hours will be adjusted on the following days next week:

Monday 11/3 - regular hours
Tuesday 11/4 - closed for Election Day, make sure you vote!
Wednesday 11/5 - open 10:30 am – 12 pm and 1-4 pm
Thursday 11/6 - open 9 am - 12 pm only. Catch us at the Lancaster Public Library from 2-3 pm for our PTRR clinic with Rep. Rivera's office!
Friday 11/7 - open 9 am - 12 pm only

GOP-led federal government shutdown delays home heating help, ends food benefits in November and will force health insurance premiums to rise

I hate to be the bearer of bad news - but it's important you know what the GOP-run federal government has been up to and how it affects your household.

SNAP benefits will not be paid beginning early November. You will need make sure your case remains up to date for the new federal work reporting requirements that start November (and those already in effect).For more information, go here: https://dhs.pa.gov/work.

WIC benefits will not be paid after Nov. 9.

The opening of LIHEAP season has been postponed until Dec. 3. If you need help heating your home this winter, here’s a list of utility companies’ assistance programs:

https://www.puc.pa.gov/about-the-puc/consumer-education/utility-assistance-programs/.

Pennie enrollees should expect an average increase of 21.5% to their premiums. During Open Enrollment for Pennie (Nov. 1 to Dec. 15), you can find a plan that best fits your budget. Visit pennie.com or call 1-844-844-8040 for assistance.

For immediate needs during the shutdown, use PA Navigate pa-navigate.org/ or call 211 or visit www.pa211.org.

Please contact my office for support with SNAP forms, finding local food resources, and more by calling 717- 283-4218 or emailing RepSmithWadeEl@pahouse.net.

Governor Shapiro Takes Action to Support Pennsylvanians on SNAP, Increase Capacity Among Pennsylvania’s Charitable Food System

Gov. Josh Shapiro has announced immediate state action to support Pennsylvania families facing hunger due to the federal government shutdown, which halted November SNAP benefits for nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians. The governor is releasing $5 million in state funds to Feeding Pennsylvania for distribution through its statewide network of food banks and signed a disaster emergency declaration to expedite relief.

Since 2015, Pennsylvania’s PASS program has connected local farms to food banks, delivering fresh food to families in need. Under Gov. Shapiro, $11 million has already strengthened the charitable food network. Additionally, a private sector “SNAP Emergency Relief Fund” has raised over $1 million to meet surging demand.

Residents can support local food banks by donating or volunteering at the Pennsylvania state chapter of Feeding America.

Tell Your Senator to Act Now on the Budget

Tell your Senator it’s long past time to get back to work and pass a budget that helps you.

The Pennsylvania budget is months overdue, and hardworking families are paying the price. Your kids’ schools can’t afford books. Your county is cutting essential services that people rely on every day.

The PA House passed a responsible budget that addresses these problems without raising taxes. But Senate Republican leaders refuse to act—instead, they’re pointing fingers and deflecting blame for their own failures.

Tell your Senator enough is enough. It’s time to stand up for you and pass a budget that puts Pennsylvanians first.

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus | Take Action

Lancaster Rec Trick or Treat

Join Lancaster Rec on Friday, October 31, for the ultimate Trick-or-Treat family experience! Lancaster Rec is collaborating with the Lancaster Southwest Community (SoWe) to bring this exciting event to life and make it a truly memorable evening for everyone.

Healing Beyond Boundaries: Understanding What Our Communities Truly Need

Join me for Healing Beyond Boundaries: Understanding What Our Communities Truly Need on Monday, November 3, at 6:30 PM, hosted at The Ware Center, 42 N. Prince Street in Downtown Lancaster. This event will foster an honest dialogue about recovery, unity, and the real needs of our communities.

This free, all-ages event brings together leaders from recovery services, law enforcement, and government for an open conversation about how our communities can heal, connect, and move forward together.

Property Tax/ Rent Rebate Office Hours at Lancaster Public Library November 6

The December 31 deadline to apply for the 2025 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program is approaching quickly. My office, in partnership with Rep. Rivera’s office, will be co-hosting office hours to assist individuals with completing their applications on Thursday, November 6, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the Lancaster Public Library, 151 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA 17603.

If you are unsure of what documents may be needed or have questions about the PTRR application, please feel free to contact our office at: repsmithwadeel@pahouse.net or (717) 283-4218.

FREE Car Seat Check

I will co-host, along with Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health and Safe Kids Lancaster, a free Car Seat Check and Touch-a-Truck event featuring Lancaster Fire Department firefighters from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 8, at Lancaster Township Fire, 1275 Millersville Pike, Lancaster.

Call the office of Smith-Wade-El at 717-283-4218 or email RepSmithWadeEl@pahouse.net to RSVP to the event.

Celebrating Our Black Veterans

As a proud Black Lancastrian, I am honored to lead a Veterans Day event recognizing our city’s often-overlooked Black veterans—men and women who fought to protect American freedom and uphold our nation’s ideals around the world, even while facing discrimination both in service and at home. This event will offer an opportunity to give our Black veterans the honor and recognition they deserve as true heroes of our great republic.

Call the office of Smith-Wade-El at 717-283-4218 or email RepSmithWadeEl@pahouse.net to RSVP to the event

Don’t Miss This: YMCA Lancaster Book Club Talks The Sum of Us

Beginning November 2025 through March 2026, the Center for Racial and Gender Equity at YWCA Lancaster’s Dorothy Height Social Justice Club is going to be reading and discussing an amazing book The Sum of US: What Racism Costs Everyone and How we Can Prosper Together (Heather McGhee).

So, mark down every 2^nd Monday evening of the month starting Monday, Nov. 10 as your day to come out to the YMCA Lancaster and discuss this New York Times bestseller and award-winning book that explores racial inequality, and the negative consequences racism has on not just people of color, but on all Americans.

The goal is for members to learn together by connecting personal experiences to the book and discussing the impact. Here is the registration link: The Sum of Us - Community Book Club — YWCA Lancaster. Please reach out if you have any questions to Isabel Castillo at icastillo@ywcalancaster.org.

Beyond Hallmark: A Blue Christmas

LiFT United Church of Christ will hold a Blue Christmas program on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 7 pm at 540 West Walnut St., Lancaster, PA 17603. This gathering will provide a safe, creative space for people to process grief, resist hopelessness, and rediscover hope through music, storytelling, and performance.

The program reinterprets the Christmas narrative, not as a commercial or purely religious celebration, but as a story of resistance, justice, and solidarity amid empire and forced displacement. Alongside reimagined Christmas themes, the evening will include secular songs and personal stories that lift up our community in hard times.

This is an opportunity for local artists, poets, and musicians, etc. to share their work with Lancaster residents in a spirit of collective reflection and healing.

In the District

Last week, our team joined YWCA Lancaster to celebrate their 2025 Women of Achievement. For their dedication and services to the community, our office congratulates and thanks all of the honorees: Keisha Finnie, Sarah Lesser, Deborah Wilson Gadsden, and our very own Cheryl Holland-Jones!

(Photo credit: Bri Nguyen)

In the Capitol

Carrying Forward PA’s Legacy of Welcome:

Office of New Pennsylvanians

For hundreds of years, our Commonwealth has been a welcoming place. A place for dreams and new journeys to begin. It’s our job in Harrisburg to make sure we live by these values, which is why I’m calling for the establishment of the Office of New Pennsylvanians. This office would allow us to streamline state services and make it easier for people to become contributing members of our communities.

The bill has been referred out of committee and is now on its way to the House floor for a vote.

Resolution raising awareness of youth homelessness referred out of committee

My House Resolution raising awareness of youth homelessness in Pennsylvania was referred out of the House Children & Youth Committee and heads to the House floor for a vote.

The population of homeless youth has exploded in the past 10 years from just over 19,000 students in Pennsylvania schools to exceed 50,000 today. Much of this increase is due to limited resources available to youth, including lack of access to support services, difficulty obtaining identification and family instability.

As many shelters will not accept a child under 18 years of age without the presence of a parent or guardian, there is an urgent need for additional resources to help homeless students attend school and succeed.

We’ve introduced this resolution to raise awareness of the growing number of homeless youth in PA and the lack of resources that are targeted toward their needs. The federal budget cuts to critical programs serving homeless youth and their families, and the ongoing federal budget impasse that is stifling funding for essential programs like SNAP, have put our most vulnerable population in an even more dangerous position.

We are encouraging schools, communities and individuals across our great commonwealth to plan for and support assistance programs for youth experiencing homelessness as they work to complete their education.

Learn more:

Resolution raising awareness of youth homelessness referred out of committee

Legislative Update

While we wait for the Republican-controlled Senate to get serious about state budget negotiations, my colleagues and I in the PA House have continued to do our job of advancing legislation to improve the lives of Pennsylvanians.

Here are just a few of the bills the House passed this week:

H.B. 1063 protects consumers by preventing scalpers from using “grinch bot” software to purchase items over the internet in bulk for the purpose of resale and not personal use.

H.B. 1512 provides consumers with the ability to repair their own electronics or have them repaired by independent repair technicians.
H.B. 1828 protects vaccine access by requiring that private insurers cover vaccines recommended by the PA Department of Health, which can draw upon the expertise of several professional medical societies for recommendations.
H.B. 443 allows hospital patients to take their unfinished medication home with them.
H.B. 1123 promotes early detection of colorectal cancer by lowering the age screenings are covered and updating the kinds of tests covered.
HB 1882 ensures reverse mortgage contracts are readable for older consumers by requiring larger print on the contract and disclosures.
HB 1862 makes it easier to get licenses for ignition interlock devices, which reduce recidivism among DUI offenders.

Change Smoke and CO Alarm Batteries This Weekend

With Daylight Saving Time ending this weekend, the Office of the State Fire Commissioner reminds Pennsylvanians to change the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at the beginning and end of Daylight Saving Time. Working alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by up to half.

Need a smoke alarm? You can request a free smoke alarm from the American Red Cross here.

Safety Tips:

Test alarms monthly and replace units every 10 years.
Make a home escape plan with two ways out of each room and a safe meeting place outside.
Assist children, older adults, or anyone who may need extra time to evacuate.
Call 9-1-1 once everyone is safely outside.

Apply Now: Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program. This program supports projects that enhance urban agriculture infrastructure, increase access to fresh, local foods, and strengthen communities across the Commonwealth.

Eligible projects may include equipment purchases, site improvements, and innovative production practices that help urban farms and gardens thrive.

Deadline: Friday, October 31, 2025, at 5 p.m.

Learn more: https://www.pa.gov/services/pda/apply-for-the-urban-agriculture-infrastructure-grant

State Grant Program Funding Available

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.

Community Resources

Coats for Kids

The Salvation Army, in partnership with WGAL, will be hosting its "Coats for Kids" program. For registration and more information, please visit their Facebook page or scan the QR code on the flyer.

Christmas Assistance

The Salvation Army will begin accepting in-person and online applications for their Christmas Assistance program starting in November. For any questions about the program, please contact the Salvation Army directly at (717) 397-7565.

Registration for Toys for Tots is NOW OPEN!

Families who need a little extra help this holiday season can sign up today to receive toys for their children. Register early to secure your spot!

Please make sure you read the updated information about applying before you register.

Click here to register: https://lancaster-pa.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/local-toy-request-single-form.aspx or contact our office to sign up.

Help us spread the word by sharing this information so that every child has the chance to experience the joy of Christmas morning.

Student Opportunities

America250PA Semiquincentennial Scholarship Program

To commemorate America’s 250th anniversary and honor Pennsylvania’s strong commitment to education, America250PA will award $250,000 in scholarships to deserving Pennsylvania students attending in-state colleges next school year.

Any Pennsylvania high school senior planning to attend a college or university in Pennsylvania for the 2026–27 academic year is eligible to apply. Twenty-five scholarships of $10,000 each will be awarded.

Applications are due January 31, 2026. More details, including matching opportunities from partner institutions, can be found here.

National Civics Bee Applications Available!

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 deepen their understanding of how our government works. This competition provides 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.

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.