Dear Neighbor,
I hope this newsletter reaches your family safe and healthy. As the spring weather continues and the sun is shining, I encourage you to find time to get outside and enjoy the sights and smells of blossoms springing up all around us.
Included in this newsletter:
- The Detroit Radio Information Service (DRIS)
- Wayne County Needs Meals on Wheels Volunteers
- Free and Charitable Clinics in Detroit
- Deadline to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance has been Extended
- Attorney General Dana Nessel Announces New Opioid Settlement Website
- Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) Makes Policy Change to Allow for High-Quality, Affordable Childcare
- Financial Literacy Month
- Get Ready for Fishing Season
If you have any questions, want to comment on pending legislation, or resolve any issues in state government, please do not hesitate to contact my office by phone at (517) 373-8360 or by email at SenPWojno@senate.michigan.gov.
Sincerely,
Paul Wojno
State Senator
District 10
The Detroit Radio Information Service (DRIS) is a service provided by WDET- Detroit’s Public Radio station, to visually impaired individuals. This service is offered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
DRIS engages local volunteer readers and offers verbatim readings of local and national newspapers and magazines. Special interest materials include the week’s grocery and department store ads, senior citizen issues, hobbies, and literature. Rehabilitation programs focus on topics like adjustment, employment, fitness, education, and legislation. To augment its local programming, DRIS turns to national services and shows. DRIS also has a book club to further engage and support those who may be experiencing social isolation.
- DRIS is free of charge and can be streamed live at WDET.org/dris and special receivers tuned to DRIS are given free of charge to those who are legally blind.
Detroit Radio Information Service (DRIS) – WDET 101.9 FM
Wayne County Needs Meals on Wheels Volunteers
Wayne County is looking for Meals on Wheels volunteers. Meals on Wheels relies on hundreds of volunteers to package and deliver meals to eligible individuals in 34 communities of western Wayne County and Downriver. The program currently needs 200 more volunteers. For more information on being a volunteer, please call (734) 326-5202.
Free and Charitable Clinics in Detroit
The Free and Charitable Clinics of Michigan (FCOM) is a network representing all 69+ free and charitable clinics across the state of Michigan. These clinics offer free or low-cost medical services to uninsured or underserved individuals living in the state of Michigan. Many clinics also offer additional services, including dental, behavioral health, prescription management and dispensation, and insurance enrollment. Each clinic is community-based and independently operated with the support of volunteer physicians, grant funding, and donations.
There are three of these clinics in Detroit.
- Popoff Family Health Center
10809 Mack Ave. Detroit, MI 48214
313-824-1000 - Cass Clinic
3745 Cass Detroit, MI 48201
Cassclinic@gmail.com
CASS-COSTEA CLINIC – Home (cassclinic.com) - Malta Medical and Dental Clinic
8642 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48202
313-894-2240
www.maltaclinic.org
Deadline to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance has been Extended
The deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance for the August 24 to August 26, 2023 severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding has been extended until May 8, 2024.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App (https://www.ready.gov/fema-app).
Attorney General Dana Nessel Announces New Opioid Settlement Website
- Resources for people struggling with addiction and seeking help;
- Links to each of the settlement documents;
- An opioid settlement payment estimator, which outlines approximately how much the state, each county, and each participating municipality will receive year-by-year, by settlement, and in total;
- Links to the MDHHS site, which includes current state grants that service providers can apply for;
- Links to the Opioid Advisory Commission;
- Links to the Michigan Association of Counties Settlement Dashboard; and
- A highlight feature on how the money is being used across the state, including links to local dashboards, taskforces and strategic plans.
To learn more or visit the site, please click here.
Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) Makes Policy Change to Allow for High-Quality, Affordable Childcare
The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) has announced a policy change to make it easier for more families to access low- or no-cost childcare. MiLEAP removed the requirement that primary parents cooperate with the Office of Child Support to qualify for low- or no-cost childcare through the Child Development and Care Program.
- Family of 2 making less than: $39,432 annually, or $18.96/hour full-time
- Family of 3 making less than: $49,728 annually, or $23.91/hour full-time
- Family of 4 making less than: $60,000 annually, or $28.85/hour full-time
Families can apply for the Child Development and Care Program by visiting Michigan.gov/MiBridges. Eligibility specialists will ask applications questions about their child support arrangements, but these questions are not required and if parents decline to answer, it will not harm their eligibility for childcare assistance.
Families can see if they’re eligible for low- or no-cost childcare by using the calculator available at greatstarttoquality.org/calculator.
Financial Literacy Month
Talking about all things money related can be nothing short of stressful, but with the right tools in your toolbox, it doesn’t have to be. And with the Senate passing Senate Resolution 102 recognizing April as Financial Literacy Month, there is no better time for us to share some important tips on things you can do to start building a brighter financial future.
One piece of advice emphasized by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is just how important it is for Michiganders to establish a relationship with a financial institution. By having an account with a bank or credit union, you can save money by avoiding fees related to check cashing, money orders and more. Thanks to the Michigan Open Account Coalition formed in 2022, low- or no-cost accounts — with no surprise fees — are available at participating banks and credit unions.
Attorney General Dana Nessel also offers up some additional financial education best practices this month by re-issuing her Overdraft Fee Rules alert. This is a great resource to help consumers become more informed on your bank’s overdraft policy, potentially avoiding the accumulation of large fees in your accounts without understanding how they get there.
Get Ready for Fishing Season!
With spring upon us in the Great Lakes State, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reminding anglers to purchase a new license for the 2024 fishing season.
- Saturday, April 27 – Statewide trout and Lower Peninsula inland walleye and northern pike seasons open.
- Monday, May 15 – Upper Peninsula walleye and northern pike seasons open.
- Saturday, May 25 – Season opens for largemouth and smallmouth bass possession, except for Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, which open Saturday, June 15. (Note: Catch-and-immediate-release for bass is open all year on most waters. Check the 2024 Michigan Fishing Regulations for specifics).
- Saturday, June 1 – Season opens for muskellunge possession on all Great Lakes, inland waters, the St. Mary’s River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers. (Note: Catch-and-release fishing for muskellunge is open all year.)