Happy Mother's Day, Resources For Your Family & Seeking Justice in South Georgia
Dear Friends,
Before I launch into discussing resources that are available to you and your family during the pandemic, I want to wish all our mothers a Happy Mother's Day this Sunday. Mothers are the glue and bonds that hold our families together, and this is particularly true today.
On that note, I hope you and your families are staying safe and healthy. To say we are living in unprecedented times is an understatement. None of us have lived through a global pandemic like the COVID-19 crisis we face today.
And while the pandemic has devastated lives and communities across the country and the world, I also have great hope for the future. It's one of the reasons that my staff and I are still working around the clock to ensure that constituents like you have the resources you need to help weather this storm.
There's nothing more important to us than helping families, workers and small businesses get through this difficult time. On that note, I have a one-stop website that provides constituents with information and resources on everything from unemployment insurance to the Paycheck Protection Program, individual checks to food resources. We also have mental health resources, help for veterans, students, seniors, the disabled and more.
Since the pandemic began, I have held five telephone town halls and webinars and participated in nearly 12 others hosted by other organizations to ensure our families and small businesses have the resources they need. If you missed any of those, they are on the COVID-19 resources page of my website as well. You can also call our office if you need help with a federal agency at 770-987-2291.
As we move forward, another round of relief funding must provide strong support for our essential workers – so many of whom are African Americans and minorities – so that they can get paid properly and get protective equipment. We also must increase SNAP funding and pension support and add more unemployment insurance and direct payments for those who are struggling. Also, an aid package for state and local governments must be included in the next spending package.
All the inequities and disparities that existed before COVID-19 are now magnified by this pandemic. To read my comments about the impacts of COVID-19 in the African-American community and what my colleagues and I are doing about it, click HERE.
Lastly, there is a disturbing story coming out of southwest Georgia about another unarmed Black man being shot and killed for simply jogging through a neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon. … in February! Most of us are just hearing about it now because a video just surfaced of the murder and the law enforcement officials in Glynn County where this occurred appear to be protecting the shooters – one of whom is a former law enforcement official himself. The NAACP is holding a meeting at the Glynn Co. Courthouse tomorrow morning at 10 AM.
As always, I appreciate your time and feedback. Please remember you can reach me and get good information on my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages by clicking the icons at the top of this e-letter. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent you in Congress. Please continue following CDC guidelines during this difficult time.