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January 17th, 2025
Dear Neighbor,
3rd Annual House of Ruth Clothing Drive!
Another year, another chance to make a difference! It's time for our 3rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service House of Ruth Donation Drive!!
As drive Chair of the drive and President of the Women Legislators of Maryland, I am so excited to rally behind the House of Ruth Maryland, as they lead the fight to end violence against women and their children. Over the years, House of Ruth has helped thousands of Maryland women and children in need, becoming recognized as one of the nation’s most comprehensive domestic violence centers.
If you are able, I invite you to donate new supplies like bedding, kitchen supplies, and toiletries from January 20th to 27th. Sanitary pads, women’s professional clothes, self care items, maternity clothes, and children’s items are our most needed donations.
Designated bins for donations are located at the following offices:
House Office Building, Room 161 (Del. Dana Jones’s Office)
Miller Senate Building, Room 144 (Women’s Caucus Office)
If you prefer to make a monetary donation, you can do so online at House of Ruth’s website. Last year's drive was a HUGE success, we need your help to do even better this year. Together, we can touch the lives of more individuals and make a bigger impact within our community.
Let the 447th Legislative Session Begin!
Last week the 447th legislative session began! I am hard at work with an expansive legislative portfolio on pressing issues ranging from Breast Cancer, addressing the Child Care Crisis, and even oysters! I look forward to keeping you all up to date on everything I am introducing for the state of Maryland - stay tuned to my newsletter and my social media channels for all the updates!
During last year’s session, I sponsored and passed 13 bills in law for the state of Maryland, including the Freedom to Read Act; one of the nation’s first laws protecting our libraries and librarians against harmful book banning attacks. I look forward to keeping this momentum and supporting my community members as we get back into the action.
This year I also will continue my leadership work as Vice chair of the Health and social services Subcommittee for the Appropriations Committee, and new opportunities to serve as President of the Legislative Women’s Caucus of Maryland!
37th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner
This past Wednesday, I was delighted to attend the 37th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner! Every year I am so blown away by all the deserving awardees and outstanding community members who are honored. A special thank you to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee and Caucus of African American Leaders for organizing this wonderful evening of recognition and celebration.
Joint Letter on Gender Affirming Care
This week, The Maryland Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus and the Women Legislators of Maryland issued a joint letter to the Maryland Protected Health Commission regarding its delay in issuing regulations implementing state laws protecting health care. The Women's Caucus stands and fights for the rights of all women across Maryland.
Resources for the Southern California Wildfires
Like all Americans, I am absolutely heartbroken and saddened to see the loss and destruction Californians are experiencing. I want to express my deepest thanks and appreciation for every hard working volunteer, every first responder risking their lives, and every person that takes time to donate and aide Southern California. In their time of need, I, like many of you, want to do everything I can to support the victims of these fires.
I wanted to share some resources and if you are able, please consider making a donation to aid individuals and communities impacted by the raging fires.
❤️ Red Cross Los Angeles Region or call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767)
❤️ The Salvation Army Southern California Division
Additionally this past week,
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell has announced the launch of the #LiftLA campaign with a goal of raising funds to assist Los Angeles Unified School District students and their families.
If you are able to donate:
❤️ Students may take donations to their schools to be collected and parents can drop off donations at schools or school system offices at any time. Checks can be made out to the Education Foundation of Anne Arundel County Public Schools with the notation #LiftLA in the memo line.
❤️ Online donations can be made at www.aacps.org/liftLA.
All donations will go to The Los Angeles Unified School District Education Foundation so that it supports the district's students and their families as needed.
It was recently announced that the Palisades Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library has been lost to the fire. Deeply loved by the community, I mourn with them. Our public libraries serve as a community hub bringing individuals together. The library will be remembered as a home away from home for many, having welcomed families, students, book-lovers, and all. The cornerstone of our communities, my heart is with library staff and Palisades.
If you would like to support the Palisades Branch Library community directly, donations are being accepted via the LAPL Palisades Branch Recovery Fund to provide immediate outreach and support services, emergency relief assistance, and free tech access.
Additionally, to stay updated on the Pacific Palisades Library during this difficult time, visit their website by clicking here or their Instagram here.
Building Stronger Schools Together!
No better way to start off session than meeting with some of my favorite people, Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County! There is a lot of important legislation impacting our teachers, students, and schools this year, and I’m so grateful to have wonderful partners like them in the work. Thank you so much for your dedication and commitment to our County, looking forward to seeing you all soon!
Attend Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Town Halls!
Make your voice heard!
County Executive Pittman is hosting a series of Budget Town Hall meetings across the county. This is your opportunity to share your priorities for the next county budget with county leaders.
Please click here to register to attend your district's town hall.
Attendees will have the opportunity to provide public testimony for two minutes about what they would like funded in the county budget. For those who cannot attend in person, all town halls will be streamed live to facebook.com/aacoexec.
If you would like to provide written comments email budget-comments@aacounty.org.
Anne Arundel County Public Library has asked and encouraged individuals to speak up at their district’s budget town hall in support of public library funding. To best serve the community our libraries urgently need more staff, and visiting a town hall and expressing your support make a difference!
Governor Ritchie Hwy Project Open House
The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) is hosting a MD 2 Project Open House on January 30, 2025 regarding proposed traffic, safety, and accessibility improvements along northbound MD 2 from US 50 to Arnold Road.
The Open House will be from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the Anne Arundel Community College Dining Hall. If you are interested in attending, you may arrive at any time during the open house hours to learn about the project details and chat with project representatives. All feedback and project-related questions are welcome!
If you have additional questions, contact the MDOT SHA District 5 Office at 410-841-1000 or feel free visit the MD 2 project website: MDOT SHA MD2 US50 to Arnold Rd AA9085170.
Minuteman Scholarship 2025-2026
📚 Scholarship opportunity alert!!
The Maryland Army National Guard is now accepting applications for the Minuteman Scholarship for the 2025-2026 school year. This opportunity offers multi-year scholarships, primarily geared toward current high school seniors.
Don’t miss this excellent chance to secure substantial educational support!
To be considered for a scholarship, email MD-OSM@army.mil before March 31, 2025.
AACPL Student Center 🍎
It's back to school in Annapolis! Anne Arundel County Public Library has some wonderful community resources available to students and educators of all ages. Check out some of the highlights below.
Use the EBSCO Discovery service to search for articles in journals, newspapers, magazines, and more.
Discover curated resources about historical events, National Geographic, and interesting social issues.
Learn a new language or practice your skills using Rosetta Stone, Mango Languages, and Brainfuse.
Explore the amazing world of mathematics and science using AACPL reference centers.
Study for your next upcoming exam using study preparation and practice tests.
For a full list of resources, click here!
You can follow me on Facebook, X, and Instagram to learn about volunteer opportunities, community resources, legislative updates and much more. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always contact my office by email at Dana.Jones@house.state.md.us or by phone at 410-841-3211.
Stay safe and healthy,
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