Winter Warm-Up Success, How To Lower Energy Bill Event Tomorrow, Happy Holidays!

December 20, 2023


 
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Dear Neighbor, 

Amid the hustle and bustle, as I write to you this week, I am feeling gratitude for all of you, especially for the businesses who supported the Winter Warm Up and all of the people who took time out of their lives to donate a sleeping bag or a blanket or hats and gloves to our neighbors in need. Because of you, more of the 1,000+ people living outdoors right now have a chance to survive the cold, even as our shelters are at more than 100% capacity and as I continue to advocate for funding to both prevent people from becoming unhoused and to get the unhoused sheltered this winter.
 
If you didn’t have the chance to drop off and you’d still like to donate in any amount, see the section below for a link on how to help.

Tomorrow, I hope you’ll join me at Avon’s Senior Center with the team from Eversource as we discuss lowering your utility bills. While the rates have come down significantly compared to last year, we know that many people are experiencing significant challenges paying their utility bills and having to make choices between food and heat or medicine and heat.
 
Most of all I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and for our friends celebrating Kwanzaa, I hope the holiday is both joyous and full of wisdom.
 
I hope your holidays are warm and bright,

Eleni
 
Winter Warm-Up Success! 
Today, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all of you who answered the call for the Winter Warm-Up! (And please read to the end if you’d still like to give.)

Yesterday, three cars-full, drove to Hands on Hartford to donate 73 sleeping bags, countless hats and gloves, hand and foot warmers, and over 20 blankets.

And, we aren’t done. Because we received some gently used coats, I’ll be getting those cleaned and fluffed up. We have even more hand and foot warmers to give and those will soon be donated as well. And, we have more sleeping bags getting shipped to us that will soon be put to good use.
When I said together, we can tackle this issue, our businesses stepped up. Thanks, again, to Imagine Float’s owner Michele Beaule for matching every item she received and for helping with delivery. Thanks to Little Oak Cafe, Beanz & Co. Café, Liquid Nirvana, and The Blue House Bagel Co. & Cafe for opening their doors and encouraging their customers to give.

Special thanks to Andrew Massaro who heard about the need and did a drive at his school that will benefit Gifts of Love. If you didn’t have the opportunity to drop off and you’d like to help people get into stable housing, please consider donating to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness "be homeful for the holidays" campaign. For every $25 donation, the CT Realtors Foundation will donate a Paddington bear, book, or backpack to a child in a shelter. You can donate HERE. 
 
Reminder: How to Lower Your Energy Bill Event Tomorrow
If you can, please join me and Joanne Whistnant from Eversource tomorrow at the Avon Senior Center at 12:45 p.m. to learn how you can lower your bill this winter.
 
Winter Solstice Thursday
Thursday will mark the first day of winter but it is also the day of the Winter Solstice which includes the shortest day of the year for the northern hemisphere (there will only be a little over seven hours of daylight).

At night, (10:27 p.m.) the Earth's axis will be tilted farthest away from the sun. To learn more, please click on the image below.
 
New: Connecticut Automatic Admission Program
The state is offering a new resource allowing some high school seniors to apply for certain local colleges and universities for free through the Connecticut Automatic Admission Program. Graduating Connecticut high schoolers, who meet eligibility guidelines, will be automatically admitted to several participating colleges and universities. All they have to do is fill out one application form!
Graduating seniors in the top 30% of their class, as identified by their high school counselors, are eligible. The deadline to apply for high school seniors who are graduating this spring is January 4, 2024. The goal of the program is to simplify the application process and make it easier for families to seek higher education.

The colleges and universities currently participating include: (change the order depending on geography for each rep)
  • Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven
  • University of New Haven in New Haven
  • University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport
  • Central Connecticut State University in New Britain
  • Western Connecticut State University in Danbury
  • Mitchell College in New London
  • University of St. Joseph in West Hartford
  • Goodwin University in East Hartford
  • Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic

To learn more about the program including how to apply, please click HERE.
 
New Laws Taking Effect January 1, 2024
New laws are set to take laws on January 1 that were passed during the 2023 legislative session addressing key issue areas including early voting, health, mental health, and online privacy and data protection.

There will also be an increase in the minimum wage effective January 1 from $15.00 to $15.69 made possible through

legislation passed in 2019, which implemented five incremental increases in the minimum wage followed by future adjustments that are tied to the percentage change in the federal employment cost index.
 
Although extensive, I wanted to share some of the highlights of what's coming as well as a link to the complete list. Please feel free to share and reach out to my office if you would like more details on any of the new laws.

EARLY VOTING (PA 23-5)

Establishes a framework for early, in-person voting requiring a 14-day early voting period for general elections, a seven-day period for most primaries, and a four-day early voting period for special elections and presidential preference primaries.

HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE (PA 23-174)

Includes the creation of a Hospice Hospital at Home pilot program to provide in-home hospice care to patients through in-person visits and telehealth.

PROTECTING MATERNAL HEALTH (PA 23-147)

Establishes a new license category for freestanding birth centers, an Infant Mortality Relief Program to review medical records and other data on infant deaths, and a midwifery working group to study and make recommendations on advancing choices for community birth care.

ONLINE PRIVACY, DATA AND SAFETY PROTECTIONS (PA 23-56)

Makes various changes to laws on data privacy and related issues, including provisions on consumer health data, minors’ social media accounts and online services, online dating operators, and a task force on internet crimes against children.

RESOURCES FOR PERSONS WITH AN INTELLECTUAL
OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY (PA 23-137)

Among many supportive measures, creates a plan to establish a Transitional Life Skills College program to support certain people with IDD who are transitioning out of high school or to independent living.
 

WORKERS' COMPENSATION FOR POST-TRAUMATIC
STRESS INJURIES (PA 23-35)

Expands eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits for post-traumatic stress injuries to all employees covered by the workers’ compensation law.
 
List of New Laws Effective January 1, 2024
 
Christmastime at the White House 
I had an incredibly special day this week, enjoying the Christmas decorations at The White House with our favorite staffer (my daughter Callista), my parents, and my yiayia! This picture doesn’t do it justice. It was incredibly magical and such a beautiful blend of modern and traditional. Captured magic, wonder, and joy!

I want to call special attention to the tree with the gold stars. That tree is for our Gold Star families. For those of you who don't know, a Gold Star Family is the immediate family of a service member who died while serving in a time of conflict. While I wish we didn't have to have this tree, I'm so glad that the Bidens are always calling attention to our active servicemembers, our veterans, and our fallen servicemembers.
 
 
Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,

Eleni Kavros DeGraw
State Representative
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