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Hello there! I know it's been awhile, so I wanted to take a moment to update you because there's a lot happening.

For staters, I wanted to discuss the first iterations of congressional map for Texas's 24th District. They aren't great.

Texas 24 in 2020, Biden +5

Texas 24 in 2022, Possibly Trump +12

Here in DFW and across Texas we're seeing Republicans shred apart communities with laser precision to expand power and silence those who disagree with them. They're about winning OVER people, but not about winning people over. The wait for mercy in the form of a new Voting Rights Act from U.S. Senate Democrats seems unending as we watch Republicans churn out the most discriminatory maps we've seen in our state's history. Frankly after all the work we've done together, it's been disappointing.

Of course, as you may have guessed, I'm no stranger to disappointment. I ran for Congress because of the difficulties facing families in my district and across DFW, and though I came up short, I've still been searching for ways to do the service I wanted to do in Congress. To that end, I've been able to contribute to a great organization in Metrocrest Services. I first came across Metrocrest when I was running for school board. I stopped in to get a better sense of what the kids in my district were experiencing, and I ended up falling in love with their mission: To help families dealing with hard times to find their footing. Whether it's providing school supplies for the kids in my school district, job coaching for folks facing unimaginable difficulties throughout the pandemic, or delivering food and medication to seniors, Metrocrest Services strives to treat their clients with dignity and respect.

I saw the tiny children sitting in the lobby, their parents waiting with their hearts and hats in hand trying to find a way forward, and I remembered what it was like for me and my mom when we were facing housing insecurity and had to sit in office after office. Sometimes we came away empty handed. Sometimes we came away with services, but not before having a provider humiliate my mom in front of her children first. It still turns my stomach to think about it. When I walked into Metrocrest, I saw and felt the investment in each volunteer, in each client, and in each employee.

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That's why it was absolutely imperative that I helped to raise money for Metrocrest Services during the freeze in February: They would be doing essential work for folks often overlooked in my school district at a time of incredibly desperate need. With your help, we were able to raise $30,000 in just a few short days and feed hundreds of families. Unfortunately, the need post-freeze hasn't attenuated, but Metrocrest is getting to work to not just serve immediate needs, but also plan for the future of our community. Now as we're reflecting on the uncertainty in our political climate (redistricting isn't finished yet!), I'm trying to find bright spots while continuing to help build stability for folks in my community. One of those bright spots is celebrating 50 years of Metrocrest Services. Last month I had the honor of planning the Community Picnic where we hosted 1,000 community members from Dallas, Addison, Irving, Coppell, Carrollton, and Farmers Branch.

This month I'm honored to be participating in the planning for the Metrocrest Golden Gala. It's the biggest event we've done in half a century, and it's going to be tons of fun. I hope you'll join us for an evening of music, dining, and bidding in a socially distanced ballroom. If you can't attend or don't feel comfortable attending, please consider giving to Metrocrest here. ([link removed])

RSVP For the Gala » ([link removed])

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Candace Valenzuela is a mother, educator, lifelong Texan, and was the first Latina and first African-American woman to serve on the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school board.

Thank you for supporting Candace!

Paid for by Candace for 24 (#)
PO Box 704027
Dallas, TX 75370

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Candace for 24 . PO Box 704027 . Dallas, TX 75370-4027 . USA