I hope this email finds you well. Below, you'll find updates on district resources and news. Please feel free to reach out to my office if you have any questions or concerns.
The topics covered in this e-newsletter are as follows:
State Update
Community Resources
This Week In Connecticut History
Manchester Community Events and Information
East Hartford Community Events and Information
In honor of Veterans Day, I want to take a moment to extend my deepest gratitude to all who have served in the United States military. Your unwavering courage, steadfast dedication, and selfless sacrifices have protected our freedoms and strengthened the foundation of our nation.
I am profoundly thankful for your service, your commitment to duty, and the enduring legacy of liberty you uphold. Today and always, we honor your contributions to the security and values of our country.
This morning, I stood with the House Chair of Planning and Development Rep. Kavros DeGraw, Governor Lamont, Lieutenant Governor Bysiewicz, bipartisan municipal leaders, CCM, and COST to announce that we have put our pens down on the housing bill. We now have a bill that supports building more housing in Connecticut and helps keep families and individuals here.
Connecticut has some of the highest housing costs in the region, and too many people are being priced out of the communities where they work, grew up, or hope to retire. We need homes that young people can afford when they start out, homes that working families can stay in, and homes that allow older residents to remain in the towns they love. This bill moves us toward that goal and strengthens the foundation of our communities.
I also want to acknowledge Senate Majority Leader Sen. Duff for his continued partnership in this, as we have both remained fierce advocates for housing growth across Connecticut.
Good news - CT’s SNAP recipients will have their November allocations by next week. To check the balance amounts on EBT cards, visit MyDSS.ct.gov or call 1-888-328-2666.
Volunteer Opportunity!
The event will be on Thursday, December 4th from 4:00-7:00pm. The link to register is here. There is a capacity for about 150 volunteers and there are links on the registration page for people just to donate money or goods as well. Please feel free to share this!
Safely Dispose of Used Medications
Last week, Governor Ned Lamont and The Governor’s Prevention Partnership announced the launch of a new initiative to distribute 50,000 drug-deactivation pouches across Connecticut. The effort aims to help families safely dispose of unused medications at home, reducing the risk of drug misuse and protecting the environment.
The state is mailing 50,000 Deterra drug-deactivation pouches to residents in about 40 communities. The pouches, particularly targeted at households with children, provide a simple and environmentally friendly way to prevent prescription drug misuse.
The Deterra pouches deactivate prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as liquids, patches, and creams. To use them, individuals place the unwanted substances in the pouch, add warm water, seal it, and dispose of it safely in the household trash.
The initiative, which will distribute approximately another 50,000 pouches each year through 2029, is part of a $2 million prevention program funded by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services through the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee.
Click here for more information on the Governor's Prevention Partnership and click here to request a Deterra pouch.
Energy Assistance
The Generation Power CT (GPCT) Emergency Energy Assistance Program provides a one-time grant of up to $500 to help eligible Connecticut households with electric, gas, or fuel expenses. Increasing energy costs are a challenge for many in the state, but through this program, GPCT has helped to provide families across Connecticut with secure access to heat, power, and water. All GPCT energy programs are available to income-eligible households making up to 75% SMI gross household income. Each income-eligible household that receives a GPCT Energy Assistance Award will receive up to $500 toward a future fuel delivery or toward a past-due utility bill. For the best chance of approval, and to make full use of this once-per-12-months grant, GPCT strongly encourages households to apply for assistance when you are most in need. GPCT has three upcoming Energy Assistance Application Cycles:
November 2-10
January 2-10
March 2-10
To learn more about eligibility requirements and application materials, go to:https://gpct.org/gethelp/
Dental Care for Greater Hartford Veterans
Connecticut Oral Health Initiative has received a $25,000 grant to provide free dental services for veterans in need. They are partnering with UConn Health Center and Tunxis Dental Hygiene School, who will be delivering the care. The program is open to veterans living in the Greater Hartford area, but they are flexible about the region as long as participants are willing to travel to Farmington. If you can, please help spread the word to any veterans who could benefit. Follow link for a flyer with a QR code and the registration link:www.ctoralhealth.org/salute.
Mobile Mammography Program
Mental Health
Domestic Violence
This Week In Connecticut History
Throughout the eastern United States, claims that “George Washington slept here” at some local home or landmark are so exceedingly plentiful — and not infrequently fabricated to boost business — that the term has almost become a tourism cliché. Connecticut, however, can point to many locations where George Washington did pass by or spend the night that are backed up by historical documentation — sometimes, even in the personal papers of Washington himself. This was the case on November 7, 1789.
Gilbert Stuart’s famous portrait of George Washington, painted during his second presidential term in 1795.
Washington was in his first year as the first President of the United States, and on a grand tour of the newly established Republic that would take him from Maine to Georgia. Acutely aware that he was setting a precedent with every official action, the new President avoided staying in the homes of private citizens or local officials to prevent seeming to show political favor to any person or party. Unfortunately for Washington — a member of the Virginia landed gentry — this often meant staying in places that didn’t quite live up to his expectations of decent hospitality. Such was certainly the case when Washington traveled through the “Quiet Corner” of northeastern Connecticut.
His brief sojourn in and to the rural town of Ashford was not destined to be one of the favorite parts of his trip. According to Washington’s diary, on this day in 1789, he ate an apparently mediocre breakfast in Thompson, Connecticut at a tavern owned by a Mr. Jacobs, which the president described as “not a good house.” He then spent most of the day riding 33 miles on “intolerable roads” southwest to Ashford, where he lodged overnight. The next day, he wrote that on account of the Connecticut custom that discourages travel on the Sabbath, he “stayed at Perkins’ tavern (which, by the bye, is not a good one) all day,” and, upon attending church services at a nearby meetinghouse, was subjected to “very lame discourses from a Mr. [Enoch] Pond,” the local minister. Proof positive that the famously candid Washington did indeed sleep in Ashford — or at least he stayed in Ashford — on this day in Connecticut history.
The Connecticut Department of Social Services has received notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services that if the federal government shutdown continues into November, residents will not receive their November SNAP benefits.
As of today (10/27/2025), the Town of Manchester has not been made aware of a resolution, so we would like to advise Manchester residents of the following helpful resources and information: For information about local food and other resources please visit Senior, Adult and Family Services food resources page here If you need to check your EBT balance call 1-888-328-2666 or use MyDSS.ct.gov. For more information about SNAP and the shutdown please visitCT DSS's page For more comprehensive assistance and resources, please contact 2-1-1
Manchester Youth Commission: Mini Grant Application
The Manchester Youth Commission is requesting proposals for Mini Grants of up to $1000 per application to Manchester community groups which are either led by, or intended to benefit, youth in Manchester. Qualifying candidates must plan to facilitate a project or program which fulfills one of three categories: Out of School Time/After School Initiatives, Service-Learning Initiatives, and Arts and Culture Initiatives. Grant money may not be used for religious instruction or materials, capital expenses, or donations to other organizations.
Applications for the Manchester Youth Commission Mini Grant Program are available online and must be completed and received by the Manchester Youth Services Bureau by no later than 11:59PM on December 5th, 2025. A letter of support or recommendation is also required. Grant recipients whose proposals have been selected for funding will be notified by the end of January. Decisions will be based on recommendations of the Manchester Youth Commission Philanthropy Committee and the availability of funds. Applying does not guarantee selection. Getting funded one year does not guarantee funding another year.
For additional information, please contact Samantha Bell at the Manchester Youth Service Bureau at (959) 221-0780, or e-mail sbell@manchesterct.gov.
Road Race Registration Open
Runners Will Make Strides to Fight Food Insecurity
Registration for the 89th Manchester Road Race opened on September 1st, and race organizers said that the thousands of runners who are expected to compete in it will all be making strides to alleviate hunger in Connecticut.
Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee, announced that food insecurity will be the primary charitable focus of this year’s road race, which will be held at 10 a.m. in Manchester on Thanksgiving Day (November 27, 2025).
According to Carta, the race committee voted to suspend in 2025 its practice of annually awarding grants from the event’s net proceeds to a number of diverse charities and nonprofits. Instead, those funds will be earmarked this year for two organizations that provide food to those in need, Connecticut Foodshare and Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities.
Connecticut Foodshare is a food bank serving the people of Connecticut, and is a member of Feeding America’s nationwide network. It distributes healthy food through a network of more than 650 food pantries, community kitchens and meal programs and operates mobile food distribution centers across the state.
MACC Charities operates a “Community Kitchen’ serving lunches during the week and an emergency food pantry that distributes groceries.
“There is a pressing need at Connecticut’s food banks right now, and we’re hoping that our road race can make a substantial contribution to address it,” Carta said.
Carta also indicated that the committee has designated MACC Charities as the beneficiary of the road race’s annual Honors Club Program. Each year, the race sets aside bibs for up to 120 runners who each pay $100, instead of the traditional entry fee. All of those funds are donated to a single designated charity, which this year will be MACC Charities.
Registration for the 4.737-mile Thanksgiving Day Run is available on-line at www.manchesterroadrace.com.
This year’s entry fee will remain $32 for runners who sign up on-line at www.manchesterroadrace.comprior to 11:59 pm EST on Sept 30. The entry fee subsequently increases to $37 on October 1st and to $42 on November 22.
Registration for the race will close completely on November 25, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST. No entries will be accepted on the day of the race.
Runners will once again have the option to either pick up their bibs in person, or have them delivered. The race committee has scheduled a number of times and dates prior to the race when bibs can be picked up in person at no additional cost. Details about the schedule and locations of the in-person pickup dates, and the fee that will be charged for delivery, will be available at www.manchesterroadrace.com when registration opens on September 1st.
Race officials are reminding runners that there will not be bib pickup on the morning of the race.
“We’ve been working on plans for this year’s race since last winter, and we believe it is going to be another world-class event,” Carta said. “We anticipate another exciting race with a large field, and we are urging everyone to register as soon as they possibly can.
Carta also said that race officials are once again offering a Virtual Manchester Road Race option for those who can’t attend the event in person. Participants can download a GPS-enabled app to their smartphones and have their times recorded as they run the MRR course distance at any location in the world.
On-line registration for the virtual run also begins on Sept. 1st and closes on Nov.25th. The registration fee is $30 and more information is available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.
Approximately 400 volunteers from the Manchester Road Race Committee organize the annual Thanksgiving Day Run, with support from the Town of Manchester. More details are available on the road race website.
Navigating the Government Shutdown: SNAP & Food Resources
And How You Can Help We understand that many East Hartford families will be impacted by the Federal Government shutdown and the disruption to SNAP benefits. We hope that the information below is helpful for those looking for supplemental assistance as well as anyone able to help during this time of need. What We Know:
If you have a balance from previous months, you will still be able to use it after November 1st. Carryover benefits already on EBT cards remain accessible.
No new benefits will be added to cards until the shutdown ends. This means that starting November 1, households will not receive their regular monthly SNAP allocation.
Connecticut Department of Social Services is still accepting and processing SNAP applications. If someone is approved for benefits for October, those benefits will appear on their card when the federal government reopens.
$3 million in emergency funding will help Connecticut Foodshare expand its capacity to meet urgent needs.
DSS is working closely with Connecticut Foodshare and partners across the state to ensure no one falls through the cracks.
DSS will continue to monitor the situation and coordinate our response with food security partners statewide.
How to Check SNAP Balances:
Call 1-888-328-2666
Use MyDSS online
Access the DSS SNAP work rules pre-screener. Starting December 1, 2025, all towns in Connecticut will now follow special SNAP work rules for adults. Please use this SNAP Work Rules Pre-screener to understand if these new rules apply to you.
Friendship Soup Kitchen Hot "Grab & Go" (New Covenant United Methodist Church located at 6 Church Street, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3:30pm to 5:30pm)
The Town of East Hartford will begin the annual curbside leaf collection program on Monday, November 3, 2025.Leaves will be vacuumed Monday through Saturday starting November 3rd continuously through December 13th, 2025.
The program consists of the vacuuming of leaves placed in piles on a tree belt. Leaves will be vacuumed along each street, weather permitting. The leaf collection program will commence on roads in the northwest corner of town in the area of Pitkin Street and then proceed north and east through the Burnham and Goodwin Street areas. Collection will proceed in a clockwise direction around town.
There will be no leaf collection on two (2) Town-observed holidays—Veterans Day, November 11, 2025 and Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2025.
The map will show completed areas as well as the areas where leaf collection is anticipated the following week. Residents should note that the map is tentative and dependent on the weather and the speed of collection and should not be considered a set collection schedule. Progress of the collection is weather-dependent and will be affected by rain or snow. Snowfall before mid-December may cause a suspension or cancellation of leaf collection. The map will be updated with address-specific collection information, such as whether collection has been completed or is anticipated by close of business on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Residents, please look for leaf program lawn signs! Leaf collection lawn signs will be posted in neighborhoods to notify residents that curbside leaf pickup is coming, and to encourage raking to the tree belt and paper leaf bag collection.
Please do not block storm drains and catch basins with leaves to prevent flooding issues.
The Map will show your property- click on it to pull up the anticipated collection week.
To find out if leaf piles collection has already been completed in your area, please click on the road centerline, which will indicate if the street has been completed. Once leaf vacuuming in your neighborhood has been completed, if you still have additional leaf piles, we encourage to bag your leaves. We will make every attempt to come back around, weather permitting. In order to best accommodate for weather disruptions, bagged leaves will increase likelihood of pickup.
Residents also have two (2) additional options for leaf disposal: OPTION 1: Curbside Brown Bag Collection for six (6) weeks
Town crews will pick up leaves placed in biodegradable brown paper bags beginning November 3, 2025 through December 13, 2025 on your regular waste collection day, weather permitting.
Please place your bagged leaves at the curb two (2) days before your regular trash and recycling pickup day.
Leaves must be placed in biodegradable brown paper bags only. No grass clippings, branches or other waste items can be placed in the paper bags nor will the Town collect leaves in plastic bags. We will aim for leaf bags to be collected within two weeks of you placing them on the curb. If you bring them back inside, you may be at risk of missing the collection.
*NEW* for 2025: Once your leaves are bagged and ready, you can submit a ticket through My East Hartford app or website. We will aim for leaf bags to be collected within the week, after the request is received.
OPTION 2: Resident Transport to the Transfer Station for FREE Disposal
Residents may bring their leaves to the Transfer Station on Ecology Drive:
Regularly scheduled transfer station hours:
Monday, Tuesday and Friday 7:15 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. (closed for lunch between 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
First and third Saturday of the month from 8:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Additionally, the transfer station will be open for LEAF DROP-OFF ONLY on the following Saturdays: November 8, 22, 29, and December 13
Leaves in plastic bags will not be accepted. For any additional information, please call Public Works Administration (860) 291-7374.
My office is always open if you or your family are in need of assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email atJason.Rojas@cga.ct.govor by phone at 860-240-8541.
