Welcome to Catch Up With Young Kim, my weekly e-newsletter to get you the latest on my work for you in Congress.

I hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with full hearts (and stomachs)! During this holiday season, may we all take the time to come together and appreciate life’s blessings around us.

Each year, my family writes what we are thankful for on our tablecloth at Thanksgiving dinner. As we remember those who are no longer with us, cherish making memories with each other, and welcome new additions, the cloth is a constant in our lives.

Many of our active-duty service members are spending this season away from their loved ones as they protect our freedoms. My heart is with our troops and their families during the holidays and always. This year, I enjoyed welcoming 75 Marines from Camp Pendleton to Villa Park for a Thanksgiving away from thanks to the generosity of host families. I also joined For Families of Active Military and Bridget Blehm to serve a Thanksgiving meal in Yorba Linda featuring delicious food from Stefano’s to troops at Fort Irwin and their families.

While we face new and complex challenges at home and around the world, we hold tight the values of family, freedom, and opportunity.

For someone like me to come to this country as a young girl, put myself through school, have a career, raise a family and now represent my community in Congress is proof that the American dream is alive and real.

America has always been a story of perseverance, loyalty, and faith. I am humbled that you have put your trust in me to serve you in Congress, and I am fighting every day to deliver results for our communities and preserve the American dream for future generations. 

As always, my team and I are here to serve you. If you ever need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. I also encourage you to receive real-time updates on my work for you in Congress by following me on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.

So happy to welcome 75 Marines to Villa Park from Camp Pendleton and see their smiling faces on Thanksgiving morning! Thank you to Villa Park High School Junior Samantha Frackelton and family for chairing this event with the support of Villa Park Community Services Foundation and all the host families giving our troops a home away from home today.

For Families of Active Military and Bridget Blehm hosted the 16th annual Thanksgiving in Yorba Linda for Fort Irwin soldiers and their families with delicious food from Stefano's Golden Baked Hams! I was honored to join and recognize Marilyn Runo and Connie Rogers for their tireless support for service members.

I visited the Tustin Hangar site and Command Center at City Hall to hear updates from Orange County Fire Authority Chief Wiedensohler, Tustin Mayor Lumbard, and Acting City Manager Bernard.

I'm closely monitoring the impacts of the fire and working to protect CA-40 public health and safety.

So meaningful to join in celebrating 40 years of the Korean American Coalition, which has served as a foundation for many who have gone on to serve in key positions across sectors and industries.

I've been involved with KAC since the very beginning 40 years ago and appreciate their important work.

Wishing all who celebrate a Happy National Kimchi Day!

Kimchi is a staple Korean dish and has become a culinary icon that reflects growing Korean cultural influence in the United States since the first Korean immigrants arrived more than a century ago.

I have fond memories of making and enjoying kimchi with my family across generations, and I’m proud to lead a bipartisan resolution in honor of National Kimchi Day on November 22nd, and celebrate Korean culture and foods like kimchi in America and around the world.

Applications for internships in my DC, Anaheim Hills, and Mission Viejo offices are due next Friday 12/1.

Please visit my website or reach out to my office to learn more and apply.

The Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution as tensions around the world increase the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution. 

U.S. citizens should:

• Stay alert in locations frequented by tourists.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive information and alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency overseas.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter and visit travel.state.gov.

If you are traveling abroad or are abroad please check the destination warning levels travel.state.gov, and be sure to register for the STEP program even if you are abroad. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at my website or at (714) 984-2440 if you have any questions or need assistance.

The 71/91 Interchange Project has several closures scheduled in Corona this fall. The closures are needed to allow crews to safely construct temporary 30-foot-tall support structures extending the entire width 91. More than 200 beams will be placed to support the new connector on top of a tunnel-like structure over the 91. Each beam will measure approximately 120 feet long and weigh 18 tons.

All eastbound 91 lanes will be closed at night Monday through Wednesday from Green River Rd. to Serfas Club Dr. in Corona starting on Monday, October 16 from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. The eastbound 91 Green River Rd. on-ramp will also be closed nightly starting at 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and the eastbound 91 Express Lanes in Riverside County will be closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. The eastbound 91 Monday to Wednesday weeknight closures will continue through November 21.

If you need help with a federal agency, please reach out to my office. We’re here to serve you always.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Young Kim