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Hello Neighbor,
If you want to stay involved and up to date on what’s happening in Lansing and the district, there are a few different options available to you. You can visit the House website to view our weekly session meetings or any committee meetings you might be interested in. You can also stay updated by visiting my website at Cherry.housedems.com, following me on Facebook (@StateRepCherry), or following me on Twitter (@JCherry4MI). I want to make sure I keep you as informed as possible.
In this issue I’ll cover:
If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please reach out. You can email me at any time at JohnCherry@house.mi.gov or call my office at (517) 373-7515.
All the best, John
Upcoming Coffee Hours
While we work to keep COVID-19 at bay, I will be holding virtual coffee hours on the second Monday of the month from 6-7 p.m. We have the following coffee hours scheduled for the rest of the year:
To register for these online events, please visit: bit.ly/3cl3rhx.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. These events will be streamed live on Facebook and will remain available there. ASL translators will be working during each event. In person coffee hours may be scheduled later in the year. For the most up-to-date information, visit the above link, give my office a call or check my Facebook page.
Statewide COVID-19 Update and Resources
State Expands COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility This week, everyone 16 and older in Michigan will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost. Meijer, Rite Aid, and the Genesee Health Department can all be contacted to schedule an appointment for a free vaccine. For those with concerns about the vaccines, contact your primary care provider. For more information on scheduling for a vaccine, click here.
Have You Received Your Stimulus Payment? If you haven’t received your stimulus check yet, you can use the IRS tool called “Get My Payment”. This website can tell you when or whether the funds have been sent and if you need to submit new information. The “Get My Payment” tool can be found here.
If you have already attempted to use the “Get My Payment” tool, please reach out. My staff can connect you with federal representatives that can help you navigate the process.
Open Enrollment for Marketplace Plans Extended to August 15 Individuals purchasing their own health insurance on healthcare.gov can enroll or switch plans freely until August 15. Monthly premium subsidies have been expanded under the American Rescue Plan, but healthcare.gov applications need to be updated in order to receive the extra help right away. To see how much a subsidized plan may cost with these updates, you can use a calculator here.
Free Professional Tax Filing (Courtesy of United Way of Genesee County) The American Rescue Plan made multiple changes to the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, both of which can increase your tax refund by a lot. The expanded Child Tax Credit will pay families $300 per month per child. The law also made a portion of unemployment benefits tax-free. If you’re confused about the changes, contact United Way of Genesee County. United Way trains volunteers in filing taxes for local residents at no cost to you. The tax filing deadline has been extended to May 17. You can also submit an amended return to take advantage of the tax-free unemployment benefit.
Good News from the District!
Period Poverty project gives 12,000 menstrual products to Flint Students A team of medical and pediatric residents and Flint Southwestern High School staff delivered more than 12,000 menstrual products to a local high school. One in five girls miss class due to lacking period supplies. The work of Period Poverty aims to address this public health issue. The project is an effort of the MSU-Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative. For more information, click here.
YMCA of Greater Flint Receives $1 million Grant from the Mott Foundation The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has awarded the YMCA of Greater Flint $1 million to help them cope with the financial losses they suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant will help them maintain their services and plan for long term sustainability. Since March of 2020, the YMCA has served over 135,000 meals and snacks to our community. More information about the Mott Grant can be found on Mott Foundation’s website.
Flint Schools to Receive $114 Million from American Rescue Plan Genesee County Schools are set to receive $144 million in federal grants to support returning to classroom learning, addressing learning losses from the past year, summer school and after-school programs. These grants will support local school’s efforts to get students back in the classroom safely for in person learning, keep schools open once students are back and address the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students.
I hope this information has been helpful to you. As always, please reach out with any questions. |
