Dear Neighbor,

Happy Financial Literacy Month! I am honored to serve as the state representative for the 53rd House District and proud to be a strong advocate in Lansing for our community. Please encourage your friends and family to stay connected and subscribe to this e-newsletter. The e-news keeps everyone up-to-date on legislation and policies coming from the Capitol, coffee hours and other virtual and in-person community events.

In service,

State Rep.

Brenda Carter

53rd House District

In this Issue:

  • Upcoming Events
  • Medicaid Redetermination Reminder
  • Financial Literacy Month
  • Flo Tour
  • Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
  • Alture CDC Grant
  • Michigan Nonprofit Relief Fund

Upcoming Events

  • Goldner Walsh Coffee Hour
  • Waterford Senior Center Coffee Hour
  • Greater Pontiac Community Coalition
    • This will be the kickoff of my Financial Literacy Tour!
    • Wednesday, May 17 from 8:30-11:30 a.m.
    • Auburn Hills Marriott – Pontiac, 3600 Centerpoint Parkway in Pontiac

Medicaid Redetermination Reminder

Don’t forget! Starting in June 2023, those who participate in Medicaid or the Healthy Michigan Plan will once again have to prove they are eligible for benefits the next time they renew coverage, even if they have qualified before. Renewals had been paused because of the COVID-19 public health emergency but will be restarting due to recent changes in federal legislation. Go to this link for additional information on this fast-approaching redetermination period.

Financial Literacy Month

I believe every Michigander has a right to understand the value of their dollar. That is why I sponsored House Resolution 61 to declare April as Financial Literacy Month in Michigan. Financial literacy teaches us how to set up a budget, how to be responsible with credit and how to invest our money. There are many resources out there to help you and those you love learn more about financial literacy. Go to your bank, credit union or other institution that will teach you the value of money.

Flo Tour

On April 23, I had a wonderful tour of Flo in Auburn Hills. Flo produces chargers for electric vehicles for personal and commercial use. I can’t wait to see all that this company does to help us electrify our future and keep Michigan a leader in the auto industry.

Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health

Regional town hall meetings are being held to provide an opportunity for communities to voice their opinions on the next iteration of the Mother Infant Health & Equity Improvement Plan, and on services, policies and systems that affect mothers, birthing people, families and babies in their communities. The valuable feedback received in these meetings helps inform and align efforts to improve health outcomes and work toward zero health disparities.

Hosts for the event are the Regional Perinatal Quality Collaboratives and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Our neck of the woods will have a town hall on May 16 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Baldwin Center in Pontiac. Please sign up at this link!

Alture CDC Grant

Alture CDC would like to provide several grants to those in need in the Pontiac area.

The grants they are going to pay out include:

  • Paying daycare costs for one full-time child for one year ($8,000).
  • $10,000 to families or people in need of food, clothing, etc. again for those in Pontiac. ($1,000 each)
  • They also have six handheld UVC lights ($657 each) that they would like to donate to daycare centers, schools, etc.

Would you be able to provide us with local churches or daycare centers that will identify those who will benefit most from these grants? They would like to video the grant recipients and put them on their website. If you know of a group that may qualify, please email my office!

Michigan Nonprofit Relief Fund 

Michigan’s small nonprofits can now formally apply for a piece of the $35 million nonprofit relief fund. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has partnered with the Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) to assist in administering this grant program on behalf of the state, consistent with federal and state requirements.

To be eligible for this funding, organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits or projects fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) and able to demonstrate necessary expenditures and/or losses due to the COVID-19 public health emergency incurred after March 3, 2021, including lost public service revenue, costs for responding to a public health emergency, providing assistance to households, payroll protection and other economic impacts negatively affecting service delivery.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to my office or use this link to receive additional information.