Governor Jack Markell issued this statement in response to today’s tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families affected by this unbelievable act of violence,” said Governor Markell. “I echo the sentiments of President Obama – as a country, we have been through this too many times. We offer our compassion and condolences to the community of Newtown, Connecticut, as we all struggle to process what has happened today and how we move forward to a place of peace.”

In concurrence with the President’s order and as an expression of Delaware’s sympathy for the people affected by the tragedy in Connecticut, Governor Markell has ordered the American and Delaware flags at state buildings and facilities also be flown at half-staff until the end of the day on December 18.

DOVER (Dec. 11, 2012) – Gov. Jack Markell joins first lady Carla Markell in calling on Delawareans to seek out special volunteer projects to mark the Governor’s Week of Service, Jan. 11-21.

The Governor’s Week of Service expands on the weekend of service that the Markells hosted in January 2009, in lieu of the traditional inaugural ball. To commemorate the governor’s second four-year term, the Markells will take part in and promote a week of service, in addition to other inauguration events.

The week begins on Friday, Jan. 11, and will include a clean-up of the Laurel Boys and Girls Club in collaboration with the Governor’s Office, the State Office of Volunteerism, United Way of Delaware and the Salvation Army.

Other events include a statewide food drive at all Delaware State Service Centers, a weeklong Martin Luther King Jr. Day Blood Drive with the Blood Bank of Delmarva, and more.

“The best way to say thank you to the people of Delaware for the privilege of being their Governor for a second term is to give back to our communities and neighbors, and to urge others to do the same.” Gov. Markell said. “Carla and I believe strongly in the power of people to make a difference. To us, it doesn’t matter how much time or money you give. What matters is taking the step to make this a better Delaware for everyone.”

As first lady, Carla Markell has made the promotion of volunteerism one of her priorities. She urges those interested in being involved with the Governor’s Week of Service to visit the Volunteer Delaware website, https://volunteer.delaware.gov/ and to use the key words “Week of Service.” Individuals and groups can log on and choose a project from either one-time or ongoing volunteer opportunities. Organizations also can register their needs or volunteer opportunities.

“Every person can make a difference in the lives of others and in their communities,” Carla Markell said. “It is our hope that each citizen who volunteers that week will carry on volunteering not just for a week, but for a lifetime. We’re so pleased that several Delaware organizations are joining the effort to engage our citizens in volunteer service during the Governor’s Week of Service, including the State Office of Volunteerism, the Governor’s Commission for Community and Volunteer Service, the Blood Bank of Delmarva, the United Way of Delaware and others. All of these efforts contribute to the powerful momentum we are building in Delaware.”

The Governor’s Week of Service is in addition to the annual Delaware Week of Service, scheduled for April 21-27, 2013.  To register a project or to become involved with either week of service, visit https://volunteer.delaware.gov.

“When a family or individual needs food, shelter, or assistance with basic needs to sustain themselves, they visit our State Service Centers,” said Dr. Anne Farley, director of DHSS’ Division of State Service Centers. “Each year, hundreds of thousands of visits are made to our centers where we have food closets ready to help in a time of need. We rely on donations of food items to put together meals for a family for three or more days. The generosity of the public to help a fellow Delawarean is essential for us to provide the support that we do.”

Rita Landgraf, secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services, which oversees the state Office of Volunteerism, praised Delaware’s volunteers for their strong ties to the communities.

“The idea of human connectedness is a powerful one,” Landgraf said. “Your food donation can keep someone from going hungry. Donating a unit of blood can save a life. Spending an hour reading to a child or helping out at a nonprofit in your neighborhood can impact many lives. To all Delawareans who make a difference by giving back, I simply say thank you.”

For more information about the Governor’s Week of Service or Volunteer Delaware, go to https://volunteer.delaware.gov, or contact Carrie Hart, Volunteer Service Administrator, at (302) 857-5006. For media and sponsorship inquiries for either week of service, contact Kate Fox, Marketing and Media Coordinator, (302) 588-2970.

NEW CASTLE (Nov. 30, 2012) – Their stories will touch your heart. A grandmother taking in her two grandchildren after her daughter was diagnosed with colon cancer. A single mother with three children who are homeless after the mother lost her job because of health problems. A single mom who left a domestic violence situation and now lives place to place with her two children.

With even more people seeking help from the state’s Holiday Adopt-A-Family program in just the past few weeks, additional donors are needed to share their kindness – and holiday gifts — for hundreds of Delaware children and seniors living in poverty or in low-income households.

Each holiday season, donors are anonymously matched to a senior or family of one or more children through the Holiday Adopt-A-Family program. Adopt-A-Family provides the donor with the age and gender of each child in the family and a brief description of the circumstances that led to their need for assistance. The donor then provides gift cards or certificates for the head-of-household to use in buying holiday gifts. The recommended gift is $100 to $125 per child, with a gift certificate for the parent optional but thoughtful. The deadline to “adopt” a family is Dec. 10. The program is coordinated by the Human Services Council, Inc., in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Services.

“When the need is greatest, Delawareans always step forward to help,” Gov. Jack Markell said. “This is an opportunity to join with others at work, at school, at church, or at home to help those who are at risk of doing with very little this holiday season. Adopt-A-Family showcases the best of our community and the best of the holiday spirit.”

In Delaware, 363 families, including 243 in New Castle County and 120 in Kent and Sussex counties are awaiting adoption. Those families represent 679 children and 44 seniors.

The reasons why many families need the help of Adopt-A-Family are often heart-breaking. “My daughter has been diagnosed with colon cancer and cannot take care of her two children,” said one woman who is seeking help. “Even though I am almost 72 years old, I felt the need to step up and take them in. But, I need some help to give them a Christmas this year. I would like to provide them with some happy memories of this year since they may not have their mother much longer.”

For families who have benefited in the past from Holiday Adopt-A-Family, the words of thanks are just as poignant:

• “Because of your generosity, my children will have a Christmas.”
• “There are no words to express my gratitude for all of you’ve done for my grandchildren and me.”
• “Thank you so very, very much for sharing your love and kindness at this special hour of need. It has truly made Christmas for my family and me one of my smiles and happiness from ear to ear.”

“Across the state, we know the generous spirit of Delawareans,” said Rita Landgraf, secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services. “During these challenging economic times, please consider donating a gift card or gift certificate to help children, families or seniors experience a happier holiday season. For those who give, Adopt-A-Family is often a more rewarding experience than it is for the recipients.”

“The beauty of this program is that it is built on the ethic of reciprocity,” said Dr. Anne Farley, director of the Division of State Service Centers, which oversees the Adopt-A-Family program. “Adopt-A-Family pairs individuals who are facing difficult times with someone else in the community who is able to share and willing to give. The program cultivates the ethic of giving back and of sharing, which at its core is the strength of us as a people and as a community.”

In 2011, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 16 percent of Delawareans lived below the poverty line. In January 2012, more than 152,000 Delawareans qualified for food stamps and more than 210,000 people are on Medicaid. Delaware’s unemployment rate was 6.8 percent in September.

“As the economy continues to recover, we find the need is still great for our Holiday Adopt-A-Family program,” Farley said. “That’s why we rely on the generosity of individuals, businesses and organizations to volunteer or to donate by adopting a family or an elderly person.”

To “adopt” an individual or family in:

• New Castle County: Contact the New Castle County Adopt-A-Family at (302) 792-9538 or email: adoptafamilync2@delaware.gov. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
• Kent and Sussex counties: Contact the Kent and Sussex Adopt-A-Family at (302) 424-7260 or email: adopt-a-family-ks@delaware.gov. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The deadline to “adopt” a family is Dec. 10, and all gift cards and gifts must be delivered to the Adopt-A-Family Office by Dec. 17. Families who are adopted come to each location to receive their gifts.

In 2011, the Holiday Adopt-A-Family program, through the leadership of the Human Services Councils of New Castle County and Kent/Sussex counties, helped 1,974 Delawareans. Most of the beneficiaries are single-parent households, children and senior citizens. They are referred to Adopt-A-Family by a social worker or case manager through state agencies and human service nonprofit organizations.

Year-round, the Adopt-A-Family program aids families in crisis — those struggling with illness, homelessness, domestic violence, poverty or unemployment. The program, begun in 1973, is coordinated by the Division of State Service Centers in all three counties.

For more information about Adopt-A-Family, go to http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dssc/adoptfam.html

NEWARK, DE (September 12, 2012) – City of Newark officials were joined this morning by Governor Jack Markell, U.S. Senator Tom Carper, DelDOT Secretary Shailen Bhatt and DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara to mark the long awaited grand opening of the Pomeroy and Newark Rail Trail. The trail was ten years in the making and a result of the City of Newark’s partnership with several agencies including DelDOT, Delaware State Parks, University of Delaware, and DART.

 The two mile long trail, built along the former Pomeroy –Newark Rail Line, is unique in that it provides direct access to a commercial area – Main Street, the Newark Shopping Center, and the University of Delaware’s Laird Campus .The trail provides safe and convenient ways to reach businesses, parks, and transit. Providing an alternative means of transportation to the area is expected to have economic benefits as well by serving a diverse group of people including students and shoppers as well as runners, walkers, and bicyclists. Additionally, the two mile trail extends north through Newark into the White Clay Creek State Park and becomes another recreation corridor that will encourage more physical activity.

 Making Delaware a healthier, more active, more vibrant and attractive place to live and work are critical elements of Governor Jack Markell’s Trails and Pathways Initiative, of which the Pomeroy and Newark Rail Trail is part. Trails and bike routes are essential elements of the initiative. Since July 2011, 9.1 miles of new trail have opened; 7.5 miles are under construction, and 17.3 miles are in planning and design. A vital outcome of opening trails such as the Pomeroy and Newark Rail Trail will be improved connections within communities and from community to community linking workplaces, schools, parks, libraries and businesses. In addition, there are nearly 12 million people who live within one hour of Delaware’s borders, in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia. There is tremendous potential to boost trail tourism for both day visitors and overnight tourists as a result, in Newark and elsewhere.

 “This trail offers Delawareans a chance to hike and bike and enjoy the outdoors while making our state more walk-able, bike-able and livable,” said Governor Jack Markell.  “Residents and visitors are gaining access to something that connects them to businesses, schools and leisurely destinations.  The trail recreationally benefits its users and economically benefits the larger community.”   

“The Pomeroy and Newark Rail Trail has been over a decade in the making and its completion is all due to a collaboration of all levels of government,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “The Federal Highway Administration provided $4.7 million for the design and construction of this trail. That, along with funding from the State and coordination between the City of Newark and WILMAPCO, has provided another safe and healthy way for walkers, runners and bikers to enjoy this community.”

 City officials noted that discussion of the trail began as early as the 1990’s. In 2001, support began to grow with the Newark Bicycle Committee advocating the project. A feasibility study was funded by DelDOT and then a public workshop about the project was held in 2004. Funding was approved in the federal highway budget in 2005 for consecutive years through 2009 for $4.7 million for design and construction of the trail. DelDOT funded the purchase of the trail right of ways in 2006 for $2.6 million, and the value of those lands was used as the 20% required local match. Construction on the trail began in late August 2011.

 “As we continue to rollout new trails and pathways statewide, we will be working with DNREC and others to provide a bicycle trail and pathway system that can live up to the excellence our citizens expect and visitors to our state admire,” said DelDOT Secretary Shailen Bhatt.

 “It’s for this generation to connect our communities so that pedestrian and biking travel is possible and practical for the sake of good health, cleaner air, a stronger economy and quality of life,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara. “With the opening of Pomeroy and Newark Rail Trail something remarkable happens:  this section of the trail fills one of the critical gaps between existing trails and pathways that will eventually give the hiker, biker, and runner continuous and safe access to more than 75 miles of trails from the James Hall Trail into White Clay Creek State Park, and the Redd and Reservoir Parks, and the Middle Run Valley Natural Areas.”

“This is a great day for Newark,” said Newark Mayor Vance Funk. “As Mayor, I am filled with pride that Newark continues to make its mark by creating amenities that you do not find everywhere. I am happy to have the Pomeroy and Newark Rail Trail added to our already extensive trail system and the fact that we are able to make it safe and keep some of the history of the area for our children and grandchildren to enjoy are why Newark is such a great place to live.”

Video of the ribbon cutting can be viewed here: http://youtu.be/nq2zsY6Df-0