State Representative Chris Rabb represents the 200th legislative district in Philadelphia County, which includes Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill. We are proud to have a great relationship with the representative who has attended numerous events at the College and who recently spoke to some of our students about state government.
Recently, Rep. Rabb shared an updated newsletter reflecting some of the actions the PA legislature is taking as well as resources on social distancing, how to vote with a mail-in ballot, advice on completing the census and much more helpful information at this time.
We thank Rep. Rabb for all of the helpful information and for continuing to be a strong voice in the local community.
Dear Neighbor,
I want to provide some updates and resources regarding COVID-19.
Please, continue to STAY HOME to SAVE LIVES
Gov. Tom Wolf announced Wednesday that all 67 counties statewide are under a stay-at-home order he has issued.
That stay-at-home order is in effect until at least April 30.
What that means is that everyone must STAY AT HOME except for certain essential activities and work to provide life-sustaining business and government services.
That doesn’t mean you must stay in your homes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It does mean that you should only leave your home when necessary.
Things you CAN DO:
Grocery shop once a week, at most, to get things you need.
Go to work, if you work at a life-sustaining business.
Go for a walk, a hike or get outside for exercise so long as you practice social distancing.
Things you SHOULD NOT do:
Do not go grocery shopping frequently or to pick up a single item. Also, do not take your entire family to the grocery store.
Do not travel unnecessarily.
Do not exercise in groups: No playing basketball or other group sports. That goes for adults and children, alike.
You can read Gov. Wolf’s order by clicking here.
The Primary Election has been moved to June 2, 2020
The Primary Election Day has been moved to June 2.
But you can take action now to get your mail-in ballot. The option is new this year, and allows anyone to mail in their ballot, no excuse necessary. Visit https://www.votespa.com/Pages/default.aspx for more information and to get your mail-in ballot.
If you go out, exercise social distancing!
If you need to leave your home, it is vital that you practice social distancing. You can click on the image below to watch a video I made to demonstrate what social distancing is and how it can be accomplished.
All schools closed until further notice
On Monday, Gov. Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Education announced that all Pennsylvania schools will remain closed until further notice in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to protect our children, educators and others would otherwise be put in harm’s way if schools were to reopen too soon.
While this decision was done in the best interests of everyone, there are some challenges associated with keeping schools closed, particularly ensuring that children have meals to eat.
But there are a variety of resources throughout Philadelphia ensuring that all people, children included, have food.
On Mondays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to noon, FREE FOOD for anyone in need will be available for pick up from multiple sites around Philadelphia, including:
Upper Room Baptist Church, 7236 Ogontz Ave. (19138)
Dare 2 Imagine Church, 6610 Anderson St. (19119)
People can pick up one box per household. Supplies will last up to five days. You don't need to present an ID or proof of income for eligibility.
For more information and other pick up locations, click here.
Do you need to file for Unemployment Compensation? Here’s a guide.
If you need to file for Unemployment Compensation and you’re unsure of how to do that, there’s a very short and useful video that can walk you through the process.
Click the image below to watch the video.
Please, take the census now. You could save lives.
If everyone, including YOU, responds to the census now, we can limit how many folks who work for the census will have to go door-to-door to follow up and ensure everyone takes the census.
Please do your part NOW, so we can ensure we get a full and accurate census count and we can keep people who work for the census safe and maintain social distancing. If you act now, you could literally save lives.
For more information on the census, visit https://www.pa.gov/census/.
In these tough times, I’m continuing to work for you
Last week, my House colleagues and I voted to pass legislation to:
Provide a $50 million emergency fund for health care facilities to get medical equipment, supplies.
Allow unemployed people to collect unemployment compensation and waive the “waiting week” and standard job-search requirements. Employers’ Unemployment Compensation taxes for employees’ benefits during the pandemic will not increase.
Ensure educators and other school employees get paid while school is out. Students won’t be penalized for missing time in the classroom.
Move the Primary Election Day to June 2.
Permit local governments to meet remotely during a disaster or emergency declaration by the governor.
Gov. Wolf signed this legislation into law on Friday.
My office is closed, but my staff is still here to help
While my office remains closed in order to limit the spread of COVID-19, my staff and I are still here to help you. We will be responding to emails and returning phone calls. You can find my contact information and a form to send me and my staff an email by clicking here.
Please take care of yourself, stay home if you can and keep checking our state department of health for regular updates.
In Service,
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