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Dear Friend,
Thank you for reading my newsletter! My team and I continue to work for you and our community. It was a very eventful week and I’m excited to tell you about what we accomplished. Here are some highlights:
REMEMBERING 9/11: Today marks 19 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the deadliest terrorist attack in our history, which took nearly 3,000 innocent lives. Today is a somber day for all Americans, as we remember the tragic loss of American life in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Today, we pause to honor the victims of 9/11, the first responders, their families and our brave service members who fought extremism in the War on Terror that began post-9/11. May they never be forgotten and may we always remember to be worthy of their sacrifice.
Brooklyn firefighters raising the American flag at Ground Zero
(Photo credit: Thomas E. Franklin, AP)
TRUMP EXTENDS OFFSHORE DRILLING MORATORIUM: President Trump visited Florida on Tuesday to announce an extension of the offshore drilling moratorium in both the Gulf AND the Atlantic Ocean through 2032. This is great news for Florida. I’m glad to see this moratorium extended to protect our environment and our beautiful oceans.
PPP SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT: For the past few weeks, I’ve been highlighting small businesses in our area’s positive experiences with the Paycheck Protection Program, a loan forgiveness program designed to help businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
This week’s PPP success story comes from Christmas Come True, a nonprofit that owner Nadine King started after the 2009 economic crash to help struggling families give their children a joy-filled Christmas. Not only does Christmas Come True give these families toys, clothing, gifts and hygiene products for Christmas but it also assists them year-round. Christmas Come True has already helped families hit hardest by COVID this year, giving nearly $3,000 in assistance so far.
Without this loan, King says Christmas Come True wouldn’t have been able to help families during this pandemic. I’m glad to see the PPP continue to help our community as well as the many small businesses that make our area unique.
Christmas Come True preparing for the holiday season
To share your success story, please fill out the form on my website here. Not only will I be highlighting these stories on my social media pages and in my newsletters but I also plan to visit these local businesses soon!
RAISING SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS: Suicide and mental health are issues affecting many people nationwide, especially as we spend time socially distanced and isolated. September is National Suicide Prevention Month and now more than ever, it’s important we break the stigma of mental illness, reach out and help others through this difficult time.
For more on suicide prevention and post-traumatic growth, click here to read my op-ed with Mission Roll Call on Fox News. To help start conversations and prevent suicide, here are some helpful tips to identify someone who might be struggling with suicidal thoughts:
What are some of the suicide warning signs I should look out for?
- Feeling like a burden
- Being isolated
- Increased anxiety
- Feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Increased substance use
- Looking for a way to access lethal means
- Increased anger or rage
- Extreme mood swings
- Expressing hopelessness
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Talking or posting about wanting to die
- Making plans for suicide
What can I do to help? Here are 5 steps you can take to help someone in need:
- Ask. Asking questions in a direct, unbiased manner can open the door for effective dialogue about their emotional pain and can reveal what next steps need to be taken to help
- How: Ask them, “Are you thinking about suicide?" "How do you hurt?” and “How can I help?"
- It’s important to communicate to them you’re open to speaking about suicide in a non-judgmental and supportive way
- Be there. Being there for someone with thoughts of suicide is life-saving. Increasing someone’s connectedness to others and limiting their isolation (both in the short and long-term) has proven to protect against suicide
- How: Be there for them physically, through the phone or any other way that shows your support
- Make sure you follow through with the ways in which you say you’ll be able to support the person – do not commit to anything you are not willing or able to accomplish
- Keep them safe. After you’ve determined suicide is indeed being talked about, it’s important to find out a few things to establish immediate safety
- Ask yourself:
- Have they already done anything to try to kill themselves before talking with you?
- Do they have a specific, detailed plan?
- What’s the timing for their plan?
- What sort of access to weapons do they have?
- Are they in immediate danger?
- If they are in immediate danger and are very serious about attempting suicide, then extra steps may be necessary like calling the authorities or driving them to an emergency department
- Help them connect. Helping someone with thoughts of suicide connect with ongoing supports like the FREE, confidential National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) establish a safety net for moments of crisis is critical
- If they are a veteran, there are specially trained suicide prevention coordinators available at each VA medical center across the country that can help you get the counseling and services you need
- To find a Suicide Prevention Coordinator near you, click here
- Follow up. After your initial contact with a person experiencing thoughts of suicide and after you’ve connected them with the immediate support systems they need, make sure to follow-up with them to see how they’re doing
- How: Leave a message, send a text, or give them a call to check in
- Keep in touch with them to see if there is more you are capable of helping with or if there are things you’ve said you would do and haven’t yet had the chance to get done for the person
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or needs someone to talk to, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: No matter how difficult the circumstances, our community always rises to the occasion, including helping families struggling to put food on their tables because of COVID. The Daytona Dream Center and Second Harvest Food Bank are stepping up in a huge way and have already distributed more than 500,000 pounds of food to families in our area. I’m so proud to represent a district where we look out and care for each other.
Volunteers at the Daytona Dream Center
VIRTUAL SERVICE ACADEMY DAY: Each year, I have the great honor of nominating young men and women from our district for selection to four service academies. This year, we’ve shifted our typical in-person Academy Day to a Virtual Academy Day, which has information on our service academies and the nomination process.
The Sept. 30 deadline is quickly approaching, so if you or someone you know is interested in learning more about a future in military service, click here for more information.
CONSTITUENT SUCCESS STORY: Philippe Colombey of Deltona reached out to my office for help obtaining a Social Security card for his wife, who recently arrived from Thailand to the U.S. with her permanent Green Card. In order to obtain her Social Security card, Mr. Colombey needed to arrange a meeting with the local Social Security office but due to COVID restrictions, the office was closed.
I’m happy to report our office was able to help Mr. Colombey meet with the local Social Security office and Mrs. Colombey has since been issued a Social Security card and can now seek employment here in Florida! As always, I’m so glad our office was able to help Mr. and Mrs. Colombey.
HELPING YOU NAVIGATE THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY: Are you struggling to navigate federal bureaucracy? My office can help with the VA, a passport, Social Security, the IRS or any other federal agency. Click here for more information about how we can assist you or call one of my three district offices below:
Please follow my daily work on social media by liking my Facebook page and following me on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. As always, feel free to reach out to my offices in Florida or Washington, D.C. if my team or I can ever be of service.
In Service,
Michael Waltz |