Representative Chrissy Houlahan

Versión del boletin en español aqui.

Dear [firstname],

I take great pride in representing Berks and Chester Counties for so many reasons, but one of the most important ones is the great diversity of our pocket of southeastern Pennsylvania. This month, we've been able to celebrate that diversity in so many ways, and I want to highlight it here for you all!

Celebrating Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈

Walking on the Phoenixville Pride Walk with Phoenixville Mayor Peter Urscheler and the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County.

Earlier this month, I met with Phoenixville Mayor Peter Urscheler and the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County to discuss issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community, celebrate pride, and see Phoenixville's freshly painted Pride Walk.

My team also had the opportunity to attend Chester County's 7th annual PrideFest, which is hosted by the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County and takes place in Phoenixville each year. It is always a beautiful, well-attended celebration for our LGBTQIA+ community and allies to celebrate love and some of the diversity that makes our community so special. It's not too late to celebrate pride! Berks Pride Fest is taking place next month on Sunday, July 21, at Jim Dietrich Park in Reading from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Celebrating Juneteenth in our community

This week, we also celebrated Juneteenth, which commemorates the arrival of Union troops in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, with news of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. With President Lincoln signing the document two years prior, the 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas were the last enslaved individuals in the U.S. to gain their freedom. Although communities around the country have been celebrating this joyous day for generations, in 2021, President Biden officially designated Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

This holiday is an important addition to the days marked by our nation. It represents both the progress we’ve made for equality and equity and the work still to be done. Juneteenth was celebrated all throughout our community, and my team was able to attend many of these wonderful events. Learn more about them below.

West Chester’s Mountain Center Dance Team at the Juneteenth celebration.

West Chester hosted their celebration on Saturday, June 15, at the Charles A. Melton Arts and Education Center. It featured vendors, performances, a raising of the Juneteenth flag, and so much more! You can view photos from the celebration here.

Local musicians playing on Bridge Street in Phoenixville.

Phoenixville celebrated the holiday a day later on Sunday, June 16, with a festival downtown on Bridge Street. The festival featured local Black musicians and Black-owned business vendors. You can see photos from the Juneteenth event here.

Raising of the Juneteenth flag at Reading’s City Park.

Lastly, Reading had a celebration all weekend long from June 14 to 16, leading up to the holiday on June 19. It started with a Juneteenth flag raising in City Park on June 14 and then an announcement of Freedom at Washington Towers in Reading, as well as a community barbecue on Saturday and a closing ceremony on Sunday. Members of my team attended these events and celebrated freedom with the Reading community. You can view pictures from the weekend of events here.

I know there were many more celebrations across Berks and Chester Counties to commemorate Juneteenth than just those we were able to cover here. I hope you were able to enjoy them!

USDA Financing Opportunities

Did you know that USDA grants are available to those who aren’t farmers, too? I want to make sure that our local farmers and other eligible community members know about these opportunities. That’s why my office is hosting a workshop to help spread this information.

If you’re interested, please join my team and Pennsylvania Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Bob Morgan on Tuesday, June 25, at 3 p.m. You can RSVP here.

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Serving as our community's representative is the honor of my lifetime, and I hope to hear from you soon about any issue that concerns you.

As always, please contact my office if you need assistance.

Be well, and see you soon!

Chrissy Houlahan

U.S. Member of Congress

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