President Obama Changes Policy on Condolence Letters to Military Families, Central Indiana Job Fair and Federal Funding Helps One Indy Urban Garden Grow -- July 8, 2011
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Thank you for reading the Carson Courier! For additional information, please visit my website at https://www.carson.house.gov.
In this week's Carson Courier:
- President Obama Changes Military Policy on Condolence Letters
- Central Indiana Job Fair
- Federal Funding Helps One Indy Urban Garden Grow
President Obama Changes Military Policy on Condolence Letters
Two years ago, Indianapolis resident Gregg Keesling, whose son, Army Specialist Chancellor Keesling, committed suicide in June 2009 while on his second deployment in Iraq, reached out to me to change the longstanding policy of the President not providing condolence letters to the families of service members who commit suicide. I believe this policy, followed by Democratic and Republican administrations, implies that mental health sacrifices are less significant than physical sacrifices. After years of working with Gregg and the White House, I was pleased by President Obama's decision this week to reverse this misguided policy. By sending letters of condolence to the families of troops who commit suicide, the President will honor these soldiers and push back against the stigma that mental health issues are a sign of weakness.
To see a story about Gregg and his family's efforts, click here and here. For my statement on the President's decision, please click here.
Central Indiana Job Fair
There is no doubt that the past few years have been tough on Hoosiers and challenging for businesses. While we've seen signs of recovery with several months of economic growth, high unemployment remains a significant challenge as too many talented and capable men and women find themselves out of work.
Our priority has been to not only create new jobs, but also to help hardworking jobseekers connect with emerging career opportunities. That's why I'm hosting the Central Indiana Job Fair, in cooperation with Ivy Tech Community College. This event will take place on Friday, August 12th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at IUPUI's Campus Center in downtown Indianapolis. The job fair will provide job seekers with an opportunity to speak with a diverse group of companies from various sectors that are looking to hire new employees here in Central Indiana. I look forward to meeting with job seekers and employers on August 12th.
Federal Funding Helps One Indy Urban Garden Grow
Between White River State Park and the NCAA Headquarters lies the Wishard Slow Food Garden in downtown Indianapolis. This 6,000 square foot urban garden, launched in part with the help of federal funding, grows a wide array of nutritious vegetables to be sold to local markets, restaurants and residents. It also serves as a way to educate the public on ways to access locally grown food. Projects like this urban garden are small in scale, but can have a big impact on Hoosiers living and working in the 7th District.
Thank you for reading the Carson Courier. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts and concerns. For more information, visit my website at https://www.carson.house.gov, my Congressional Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CongressmanAndreCarson and follow me on Twitter @RepAndreCarson. I value your views and your input, which help me better represent the people of Indiana's 7th District.