|
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Happy Labor Day. Or, as my children have mentioned at least a dozen times today, happy day before school begins! Please pay extra attention tomorrow to make sure that all our children get to and from school safely.
I want to share with you some upcoming events as well as some great new tools that Virginia has developed regarding employment opportunities and transportation.
Run for Hunger This Wednesday
This Wednesday, September 3rd, I will have the honor of joining with long-distance runner Amos Desjardins as he goes through the 37th District as part of a 500-mile run to raise awareness about those suffering from hunger in Virginia. The run is being conducted in partnership with the Federation of Virginia Food Banks. Click here for or more information.
If you are interested in joining me for the run, cheering me on, or donating dry or canned goods to the cause, I will be starting around 3:30 p.m. at the intersection of Ox Road and Paynes Church Drive and ending a little after 4:00 p.m. at Pacers in downtown City of Fairfax. I hope you will join me for a great cause.
Informal Coffee Hours
I am also pleased to continue my tradition of hosting informal office hours in the fall. These are opportunities for constituents to stop by without an appointment to ask a question or to simply find out what is going on in Richmond. All events are from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Coffee is on me!
Upcoming dates include:
With a special session scheduled to begin on September 18th to debate potential Medicaid expansion and the regular session scheduled to begin next January, there will be no lack of items to discuss.
New Employment App
One of the challenges in today's highly mobile economy is how to best match the skill sets of job seekers with potential employers. This August, Virginia launched an innovative new tool called VAWorks that allows qualified candidates to match employers through an iPhone or Android app. Using the mobile device, the user can search for jobs by occupation, location, or keyword. The app will automatically notify the user when a job opportunity becomes available. More information can be found here.
Interactive Road Project Portal
The Virginia Department of Transportation has also launched a new interactive portal called Virginia Roads that provides a one-stop information source on VDOT data and projects. An important feature of this new portal are interactive maps showing current and planned road construction projects included in the Six-Year Improvement Program as well as pavement conditions and resurfacing projects. It is also possible to track the location of snow plows during winter storm events.
House of Delegates Page Program
Finally, as the school year starts, I wanted to let you know about an extraordinary opportunity for my young constituents ages 13-14 to participate in the House of Delegates Page Program. Each year, the Speaker of the House appoints young people from across Virginia to serve in the House as pages. Pages assist members of the House of Delegates, the House Clerk's staff, and legislative staff in the daily duties required for a successful session. The program is fully supported by Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax public schools.
You can find additional information on the program and the application package here. The program is highly competitive, so getting an early start is key. I am more than happy to help!
It is an honor to represent you in the House of Delegates! Don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance.
| 
