Kevin Dellicker for U.S. Congress

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of working in the kitchen at Columbia Fire Company No. 1 in Roseto. For years, volunteers have been providing Lenten dinners to the Slate Belt community to raise money for the fire company and provide great meals for their neighbors.

These are not your typical fish fries. The food is as good or better than any fine Italian restaurant, and the place runs like a well-oiled machine. Almost 40 volunteers are there every Friday during Lent to prepare the food, serve the meals, and host the guests. I got to wash dishes with my friends Mike and Bill, who were still scrubbing pans at 11 PM.

The Lenten dinners plus the “Big Time” fundraiser that Columbia Fire Company hosts each summer generates just enough money to pay the annual bills for their new fire truck. To accomplish that, I’m guessing volunteers probably spend at least 4,000 hours each year planning, organizing, and executing at these fundraising events. And it’s hard work.

So why do they do it?

Certainly, because they need a fire truck. But also because they love their neighbors.

Events like the Lenten Dinners bring people together. Roseto wouldn’t be the same without the community affairs hosted by the fire company, the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus, or Roseto Helping Hands. Just like it wouldn’t be the same in communities across Pa.’s 7^th District without all the church and civic groups helping their neighbors.

I’m often asked how I would help local communities who need money for various causes, and I’m always careful not to make promises I can’t keep. Certainly, there’s a role for the federal government in helping local organizations, especially first responders and emergency services.

But I believe in solving problems at the lowest level. First the family, then the church or civic organization, then the local and state authorities, and lastly, the federal government. This is how our Republic was designed, and this is how it works the best.

In Congress, I’ll work tirelessly to help local people solve local problems. But I’ll also fight to keep the federal government out of local affairs and out of our homes and families. Washington shouldn’t be telling us what vehicles we can drive, what appliances we can use, or what kind of milk our children can drink. And if the federal government didn’t demand so much from us in taxes, local communities could afford more things like fire trucks.

I’ll put my faith in the good people of Pa.’s 7^th District instead of the career politicians in Washington. Just look at Roseto. They’ve got it figured out

Keep America Free.