E-Newsletter: April 28, 2014

Statement

Dear Neighbors,

This week I took the US VegWeek 7 Day Veg Pledge, which is an effort to raise awareness about food sustainability and eating a vegetarian diet. VegWeek is a national weeklong celebration exploring the many benefits of vegetarian eating--for our health, the planet, and animals. I spent the week eating only vegetarian meals and found that it was much easier than I excpected! It was also a great way to celebrate this year's Earth Day.

Additionally, this coming Friday, May 2, is the deadline for submitting entries for the U.S. Congressional Art Competition. Since 1982, the Congressional Art Competition has provided members of Congress the opportunity to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, more than 650,000 high school students have participated in the nationwide competition. The winning entry from the Eighth Congressional District of Illinois will be displayed in the United States Capitol alongside artwork from every congressional district across the country. All high school students who reside in or attend school in the Eighth Congressional District are encouraged to participate.

Next week is the end of the submission period for the first U.S. House STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology & Math) App Competition. This competition is designed to engage student creativity and encourage their participation in STEM education fields. This is a nationwide competition that allows students from across the country to create and exhibit their software application for mobile, tablet, or computer devices on a platform of their choice. The deadline for submissions is May 31st, 2014. The winners will be announced in June. The winning student's app in each participating Congressional district will be featured on the U.S. House of Representatives' website as well as on display in a U.S. Capitol exhibit.

On Thursday, I announced that the Department of Health and Human Services awarded the Greater Elgin Family Care Center (GEFCC) a $2,203,792 Health Center Cluster Grant. The funding will allow the GEFCC to serve 3,053 additional patients and accommodate 10,486 more patient visits. The Greater Elgin Family Care Center already provides quality health care to so many of my neighbors and this grant will allow it to help even more.

Mark your calendars: on May 6, I am hosting satellite office hours at the Schaumburg District Library on the First Floor next to the reception desk from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. If you are having issues with a Federal agency, I urge you to come meet with my caseworkers who can assist you.

I hope you are having a great week.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Duckworth

Source