WISHING YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON

On behalf of Gayle, myself and the entire Manchin family, we wish all West Virginians and Americans a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. During this season of giving and reflection, Gayle and I are reminded of the importance of family, the source of life’s greatest joys and deepest bonds. Thanks to the resiliency and innovation of the American people, our country has led the world in the creation of multiple safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, allowing West Virginia families to safely gather together this holiday season. I encourage any West Virginian who has not received the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community by getting vaccinated.

Despite the challenges we faced this year and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have so much to be grateful for. We are blessed to have a beautiful state to call home and the knowledge that we are truly a resilient, statewide community who looks out for each other during good times and bad. My parents taught me that if you can count your blessings, you can share your blessings. Gayle and I encourage all West Virginians to join us in praying for the safety of our fellow West Virginians, frontline workers, healthcare professionals, servicemembers and Veterans, and thanking them for their service to our nation. Let us also pray for peace, safety and a greater understanding of one another that brings our nation together. As this year comes to a close, let us all reflect on our many blessings and look forward to a healthy, happy and safe New Year.

ON THE ROAD

It is my distinct honor to congratulate Ret. Major General James Hoyer as this year’s YMCA Spirit of the Valley Award recipient. This prestigious recognition is given to an individual who has worked to enrich the Kanawha Valley and our entire statewide community - who demonstrates unparalleled leadership, dedication and an avid willingness to contribute their time and resources -- simply because of their commitment to making our state an even better place to live, work and raise a family. General Hoyer embodies what the Spirit of the Valley award is all about, and is well deserving of this recognition. I am proud to join his family, colleagues, and the people of West Virginia in celebrating his service.

I was proud to recognize Tyler Baldwin and his brother Logan for their heroic efforts to save their neighbor and his dog from a fire.

It is my privilege to congratulate Jan Pest upon her retirement as Marshall County Clerk. I am sincerely grateful for her remarkable years of public service, and I am honored to wish good health and much happiness to Jan and her family in the days and years ahead. 

I truly appreciate the Ball Toyota Family of Dealerships including Ball Toyota Charleston and L&S Toyota of Beckley for their latest partnership in support of our local schools. Their generous gift will support children in need of warm clothing, shoes, and basic supplies this holiday season.

My staff recently attended WV Hive’s Annual Award Celebration and Open House. Eight small businesses and entrepreneurs were recognized for their outstanding efforts during this past year.

The WVU Veteran’s Law Clinic had extended an invitation to Senator Manchin’s Constituent Services Team to attend one of their outreach events in Charleston, WV. The goal of the WVU Law Clinic was to connect with veterans to assist with any legal questions or issues that they may have. Senator Manchin’s caseworker, Charles Walker, attended the event hosted by Jed Nolan and Jeremy Mains to speak with Veterans and offer assistance from the Senator’s Constituent Services Team. It was a successful event put on by the WVU Law School and beneficial to many Veterans who were able to connect directly with Senator Manchin’s office.

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance with a state or federal agency, please contact my office at 304-342-5855. My staff and I are always ready to help fellow West Virginians!

Click here or the image below to watch how Senator Manchin's office was able to help.

 Visit manchin.senate.gov/arp for more information.

MANCHIN ANNOUNCES $1 MILLION FROM AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN TO SUPPORT WEST VIRGINIA'S COVID-19 RECOVERY, BOOST ECONOMY
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced two awards totaling $1,000,000 from the American Rescue Plan. This funding is allocated through the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) for the West Virginia Department of Economic Development and Coalfield Development to help West Virginia recover from COVID-19, create jobs and boost the economy.

“West Virginia coal communities built our great nation. Now, they are being heavily impacted by the changing energy economy, which is why I continue to fight for dedicated funding to support our coal communities,” said Senator Manchin. “I am pleased West Virginia Department of Economic Development and Coalfield Development were chosen as finalists in Phase 1 of the EDA regional challenge and will each receive $500,000 to support the development of their projects. I look forward to seeing the positive impacts these projects will have if chosen in Phase 2, and will continue to work with EDA to bring new opportunities to West Virginia.”

The West Virginia Department of Economic Development and Coalfield Development were chosen as finalists in EDA’s regional challenge from over 500 applicants across the country and will each receive $500,000 to further develop their proposed projects. Each organization is eligible to receive up to $100 million to implement 3-8 projects to strengthen West Virginia’s economy.

"As we have said, time and time again, West Virginia is facing the opportunity of a generation," said Mitch Carmichael, Secretary of West Virginia Department of Economic Development. "We will continue to pursue all available opportunities to invest, build infrastructure, support innovation and foster entrepreneurship that enhances our economic development efforts for all of West Virginia."

“This is an opportunity to change the economic history of West Virginia. I don't think that's an over-statement. We are proud to lead a coalition of some of this state's most innovative change-makers towards the goal of building a new Appalachian economy that's more fair, more just and more sustainable than ever before. This coalition includes some of the state's leading non-profit groups, our two largest universities, and our two largest municipalities. It also includes more than 20 employers. We're all aligned around a vision for creating opportunity for all West Virginians to prosper in this rapidly changing world economy. We know not enough of our neighbors have prospered in recent years, and we're determined to change that. Senator Manchin and his team have been a tireless advocate for good jobs in our state generally and for our ACT Now project specifically. We thank him in the most sincere way possible. And we re-commit to follow his lead in improving our economy for the good of generations to come,” said Brandon Dennison, CEO of Coalfield Development.

In July, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) within the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a series of programs, collectively called “Investing in America’s Communities,” to invest the $3 billion EDA received from the American Rescue Plan, representing the largest economic development initiative in decades. This includes the $1 billion EDA Regional Challenge, which is designed to assist communities nationwide in economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and build local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks. These regions will have the opportunity to grow new regional industry clusters or scale existing industries through planning, infrastructure, innovation and entrepreneurship, workforce development, access to capital and more. Additionally, EDA also set aside an additional $300 million through the Coal Communities Commitment, including $100 million in the EDA Regional Challenge, to support coal communities recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic while helping create new jobs and opportunities. West Virginia is the largest recipient of the EDA Assistance to Coal Communities program since the program began in 2015.

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Senator Manchin's state offices are accepting internship applications for Spring 2022. Click here or the image below to learn more and to fill out the online application.