Service Academy Fair; 🛒SNAP Update

Calling all high school students in the 3rd Congressional District: Are you interested in serving our country? Are you interested in attending college at no cost? Join my office for our annual Service Academy Day this Saturday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to noon to learn more about our nation’s five service academies and my office's nomination process. This event will be held at the Community College of Philadelphia’s Winnet Student Life Building, 1700 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia, PA 19130. You can RSVP or learn more by clicking here.

If you’re unable to attend, you can also learn about the nomination process by clicking here.

The deadline to apply for a nomination from my office is Nov. 14 at 5 p.m. ET.

Share your story

If the federal government shutdown, loss of SNAP benefits, or looming health insurance premium increases are impacting you – I want to hear from you! You can click this link to share your story with my office.

SNAP update: I’ve urged the Trump administration to use available contingency funding

As I work to end the twin shutdowns of federal services and payments and of affordable health care for 24 million Americans, I also want to make sure that Philadelphians in need receive SNAP food aid. That’s why I’m joining my House Democratic colleagues in urging the Trump administration to use $5 billion in contingency funding that Congress has provided for this purpose.

I also want to share this information about SNAP from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services:

For immediate needs during the shutdown, Pennsylvanians can use PA Navigate pa-navigate.org/ to help find food and other resources. Local help is also available by calling 211 or visiting www.pa211.org. Pennsylvanians can also visit www.feedingpa.org to find local food banks and other food assistance programs. 

Despite the ongoing shutdown, SNAP recipients with unspent funds on their EBT cards will still be able to use these funds. SNAP benefits do not expire at the end of each month and are able to be spent for a calendar year. DHS strongly encourages SNAP recipients to keep their card locked with the ConnectEBT app or website to protect their benefits when the card is not in use. 

DHS will continue to process applications for SNAP and other benefits during the shutdown. Recipients should continue to report case changes, submit any semi-annual reviews or renewals they receive during this period, and update their cases for the new federal work reporting requirements that start November 1 to not risk an interruption of their benefits in the future.

You can read the full SNAP update from Pennsylvania DHS by clicking here. The city of Philadelphia also has a website with a map that can help you find free food, nutrition services, and public benefits.

Still here to help!

As the federal government shutdown continues for a 24th day, I wanted to make sure you’re aware that I’ve kept my offices open to serve you. As I’ve done during previous shutdowns, I have designated my staff as essential. 

From issues with passports, immigration, the Postal Service, IRS, and Social Security to the Department of Veterans Affairs - my offices are still here to help!

You can contact my offices at 215-276-0340 (Northwest Philadelphia) or 215-254-3400 (Point Breeze) or fill out this form that legally authorizes us to look into your case. It’s important to note that the shutdown is causing delays in federal agencies’ ability to respond to my office. 

You can find answers to several frequently asked questions about the shutdown (such as “Will I continue to receive my Social Security?” or “Does USPS still deliver mail?”) by clicking here.

How to stay updated

To keep up with the latest on the shutdown, I invite you to follow my updates on social media – I have pages on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky– as well as updates on my Facebook and Instagram Stories. If you received this newsletter as a forward, click here to start receiving it straight to your own inbox. Did you find this newsletter to be useful? Consider forwarding it to a friend!

Please note that replying to this email will not direct your message to the right place. To contact the office of Congressman Evans, please click here.