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Dear Neighbor,
This week, I want to highlight for you two sections below that focus on safety.
The first one is highlighting Fire Prevention Week this week. Perhaps you and your family saw the event on Saturday at the Canton Shops, but if you missed it, one of the most critical things you can sit down and do with your family this week is to create an escape route for your home. This is especially critical if you have young children. Don't forget your furry friends in this plan and consider adding stickers to your front door area detailing how many pets are in the home in case you are out when a fire breaks out. Make sure if your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors have batteries that you are making sure they still work. And, don’t forget to thank the firefighters in our community for their diligence in taking care of fires big and small and always being ready to help.
The other safety issue I want to highlight is pedestrian safety. Nationwide, we are experiencing a jump in pedestrian deaths because of distracted drivers. I've seen it myself walking town roads. I've set up meetings for concerned residents between them, DOT, and town officials. On October 26, there will be a community discussion in Avon at the Senior Center at 7:15 p.m. to discuss solutions for excessive speed in our community. Please bring your ideas for what you think can help save pedestrian, cyclist, and motorists lives.
I hope you have time to enjoy the spectacular display mother nature has for us this week. When the sunlight hits the orange sugar maples the right way, they honestly seem to glow. Soak it in!
Have a great week,
Eleni
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Canton Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee Seeking Members
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The Canton Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee is seeking members who want to play a key role in Canton's future. The Advisory Committee steers the decision-making process of how Canton's Greater Together Community Funds are used. The committee will develop a grantmaking process to ensure the community funds have a lasting impact on residents. Last year, the Canton Greater Together Community Fund awarded over $25,000 to Canton-based organizations to improve pollinator pathways and access to outdoor spaces, and soccer and riding programs for children with disabilities, and more.
All Canton residents who are 14 years and older can apply. Please submit the application form before 11:59 p.m. on October 30. For more information and the application, please email CommunityFundCantonCT@gmail.com.
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Friends of the Avon Library Book Sale
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Don't miss the Friends of the Avon Library Book Sale this weekend! The 3-day book sale kicks off with a preview sale on Friday, October 14 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is a $5 admission fee. Friends members are free.
The book sale continues on Saturday, October 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with no admission fee. The sale ends on Sunday, October 16 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. There will be a $5 fee per bag of books.
The fall sale will include adult fiction and nonfiction as well as some A/V materials. For more information and upcoming events, please click here.
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UniteCT Program Gets Federal Funding Boost
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UniteCT, which provides rent and utility assistance for households financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, has been allocated an additional $11 million from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to supplement more than $400 million in federal funding previously allocated for the program that helps keep families safely housed.
UniteCT — created in early 2021 in response to the initial outbreak of the pandemic and administered by the Connecticut Department of Housing — provides qualified households up to 12 months of rental and utility payment assistance. Payments are typically made directly to landlords and utility companies on behalf of tenants.
To date, the program has distributed $322 million to more than 11,000 landlords on behalf of 50,000 households. The average rent and utility assistance per household so far is $8,366 and $1,484, respectively.
This additional $11 million will assist those currently in eviction and to prevent households from going into eviction. The Connecticut Department of Housing also intends to leverage these funds with the $1.5 million that it received in the recently adopted state budget for its new Rent Bank program.
To learn more about UniteCT, visit the Connecticut Department of Housing’s website at ct.gov/doh.
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This week is Fire Prevention Week - do you have an escape route for your home? Fire Prevention Week offers us all a reminder to consider fire safety and discuss with our family what we'll do in the event of a fire. This year's campaign seeks to educate everyone about the simple, yet important, actions they can take to stay safe from house fires.
Today's homes burn faster than ever and there may be as little as 2 minutes or less to safely escape a house fire. For more information about Fire Prevention Week and how to create your family's Home Safety Action Plan, please click here.
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SBA Awards $200,000 to Expand CT Small Business Exporting
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The U.S. Small Business Administration has awarded $200,000 to Connecticut's Department of Economic and Community Development through its State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), which supports export growth among U.S. small businesses.
STEP is designed to meet three distinctive goals:
- Increase the number of small businesses that export
- Increase the value of exports for small businesses
- Increase the number of small businesses that explore significant new trade opportunities
Expanding the base of small business exporters and making the process as easy as possible will drive business growth and job creation. Over the past decade, STEP has helped hundreds of Connecticut small businesses boost their presence in the global marketplace, driving business growth and job creation.
Connecticut small business owners can apply for a STEP grant. The grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The SBA will hold a FREE virtual information session on Monday, October 24 at 10 a.m. outlining grant uses and the application process. Click the button below to register.
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Public Service Loan Forgiveness Waiver Ends October 31
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The U.S. Department of Education has implemented temporary changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program rules that make it easier for federal student loan borrowers to receive credit for past periods of repayment that would otherwise not qualify for forgiveness. These changes end on October 31, 2022. After this date, normal PSLF rules will apply.
Millions of government and private, non-profit employees have federal student loans and may now be eligible for loan forgiveness or additional credit toward forgiveness under these time-limited PSLF changes.
Under the limited PSLF waiver, borrowers could receive credit for payments that did not qualify for PSLF or Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF). When the waiver ends on October 31, the normal program requirements for PSLF and TEPSLF will be implemented.
To learn more and to find out if you're eligible for this program, please click the button below.
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The number of pedestrians struck and killed by cars in Connecticut has more than doubled over the past 10 years. From 2010 through 2015, there were less than 50 pedestrian deaths annually, however, each year since has seen more than 50 fatalities.
Everyone, no matter their age, should be able to safely walk or bike to school, work, the grocery store, or anywhere in their community. While it is a driver's responsibility to watch out for pedestrians, there are actions walkers, runners, and cyclists can take to stay safe:
- Look left, right, and left again before crossing the street. Continue looking until safely across
- Put down phones, headphones, and other handheld devices when crossing the street
- Walk on sidewalks or paths and cross at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible
- Children under 10 years old need to cross the street with an adult
If you're planning to go trick-or-treating this Halloween, make sure you and your children carry glow sticks or flashlights, use reflective tape or stickers on costumes and bags, and wear light colors.
If you're going to be driving on Halloween, please make sure to slow down and stay alert.
For more information about staying safe on roads and sidewalks, please click here.
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Domestic Violence Awareness Month
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Statistics show that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men are affected by domestic violence every day. October is recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I'm proud to see Connecticut leaders take action to disrupt the cycle of violence.
In recent years, our state has implemented a number of reforms to provide more support and protection to domestic violence victims and survivors. Among these is a 2021 law that expanded the definition of domestic violence to include coercive control. Coercive control is a pattern or behavior that can use threatening, intimidation, or exploitation to trap individuals in abusive relationships.
This expanded definition recognizes intimate partner violence can be more than physical abuse – it can take shape as emotional, psychological, and sexual abuse. This measure will help make the process of filing for restraining orders, divorce, child custody, and other family court matters easier for victims and survivors. It would also create a new legal aid program to provide legal representation for victims and survivors of domestic violence.
To support and help victims and survivors of domestic violence visit CTSafeConnect.org or call or text (888) 774-2900. Help is available 24/7.
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Sincerely,
Eleni Kavros DeGraw
State Representative
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