Jennifer Leeper

I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. May your day be filled with warmth and moments of gratitude, surrounded by friends and loved ones - and good food.

While the $500 million emergency fund plans to cover the lack of funding for the national Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), there are other state resources available now.

The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program and Eversource offer resources for those in need to help to cover the cost of their home energy bills this winter. Visit ct.gov/dss or the Eversource website for more information.

This week the State House and Senate met for a special session to pass a number of critical bills, including a bill that sets money aside to keep vital federal programs afloat.

In honor of Veterans Day next Tuesday, I want to say thank you to those who have served in the United States military. Your courage, dedication, and sacrifices are the backbone to our freedom.

We enjoy the freedoms and safety that define our country because of your service. I’m deeply grateful for everything you’ve done, and continue to do, to protect and uphold those values.

I’m grateful to have worked with my colleague State Rep. Jaime Foster to stand up a three way public-private-philanthropic partnership to raise money for grocery store gift cards for our 360,000 Connecticut residents and over 1,500 Fairfield residents who are facing hunger without their SNAP food assistance.

Our many grocery store partners have volunteered to contribute the cost of the cards and a 10% match to what is donated. United Way of Central and Northeastern CT has volunteered to stand up a landing page to accept donations and our schools will help distribute them to families with school aged children. If you are able, please make a donation at this link.

As the federal government shutdown continues, many Connecticut residents are facing uncertainty. United Way of Connecticut’s 211 has published a new resource to help. Click here to take a look at the resource that outlines the current status of federal programs and provides direct links to state and community resources for those affected.

211 is not directly impacted by the federal government shutdown and continues to operate 24/7/365. It’s never been more important to connect residents with trained contact specialists who provide personalized, confidential assistance for basic needs. In many cases, a single call results in multiple new referrals and supports, drawn from their up-to-date database of more than 40,000 community resources.

While we are still basking in the joy of our Siting Council victory, I want to share a few other updates from this week. I joined representatives from Comcast to announce a $15,000 grant to the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club of Fairfield and Bridgeport to advance digital literacy and expand access to essential technology!