This Thursday, August 14th, Kansans who are looking for a job are invited to attend our 4th Annual 3rd District Job Fair at the Great Mall of the Great Plains in Olathe. These job fairs have been a tremendous success in the past and have allowed job seekers to make important contacts with employers. Approximately one hundred employers will be on hand to meet face-to-face with job seekers looking to fill hundreds of open positions. I encourage everyone looking for work to attend.

 

Congressman Yoder greets a veteran during the first hour of last year's 3rd District Job Fair.

 

It's heartbreaking to see that the unemployment rate for our nation's military veterans is considerably higher than the national average for civilians - even over twenty percent for veterans aged 18-24 years old. We must continue to do more for America's bravest once they return home from serving abroad. That is why the first hour of this year's 3rd District Job Fair is once again exclusively for veterans only - giving them the first opportunity to meet in person with employers looking to hire. Then, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the job fair is open to the public. There's no charge to attend - simply dress for success, and bring several copies of your resume.

 

Click here, or on the image above, to watch a news report about the success of last year's 3rd District Job Fair - approximately 1,400 job seekers attended, and several employers were hiring on the spot.

 

 

For more information, visit www.Yoder.house.gov, or please contact Susan Metsker in Congressman Yoder’s District Office at (913) 621-0832.

Once again this year, we recognized and celebrated Startup Day Across America. Last Tuesday, August 5th, I participated in a fascinating roundtable conversation with several local innovators and entrepreneurs at Kansas City Startup Village (KCSV). I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of the Start Up Act 3.0, bipartisan legislation to encourage more college students to study science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in order to be prepared for newer tech fields after graduating. We also spoke about jobs and the economy, the Email Privacy Act, education, important national and local startup issues, and more. Our community is fortunate to be home to Kansas City Startup Village, as well as the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation - a foundation focused on entrepreneurship and education.

 

Rep. Yoder speaks with several startup business leaders at Kansas City Startup Village.

 

I'm proud to be a member of the House Congressional Caucus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a bipartisan group of representatives who recognize the importance of startups and innovative small businesses in our country. Small businesses create two-thirds of all new jobs in our economy, and startups are often times launching the businesses of tomorrow today.

 

Thanks to KCSV for hosting our great discussion - it was a very informative meeting. Keep up the great work!

It was a pleasure to address the Rotary Club of Shawnee Mission Kansas in Mission last week. I gave an update on our work in Congress this summer and appreciated the questions and input from the audience about issues important to them.

 

As a Rotarian myself, I believe in the Rotary motto, "service above self," and I thank this group for their service to our community.

 

Also at the Rotary Club of Shawnee Mission meeting, I had the pleasure of visiting with Dr. John Hollyman, DDS. He’s 99 years young, a past Rotary District Governor, a World War II veteran, and the very first Mayor of Countryside.

 

It was wonderful speaking with Dr. Hollyman and I thank him for his many years of public service.

I enjoyed speaking directly with constituents last week during two telephone town hall forums. These are great opportunities for me to connect with thousands of constituents and to answer questions directly from Kansans from the comfort of their homes. I provided an update about the work Congress has done the past few months, as well as important legislation before Congress this fall. We also covered several topics important to 3rd District Kansans, including the federal budget, growing support for my bipartisan Email Privacy Act legislation, the immigration crisis, scientific and medical research, the economy, the ongoing situation in the Middle East, and more. I appreciated the dozens of thoughtful questions presented.

 

As your representative in Congress, listening to you is my most important job. If you were unable to join me on the call and would like to be included in our next Telephone Town Hall, please email us. As I continue these town hall meetings, I look forward to continuing to listen to your concerns. Details for the next town hall will be announced on my website, social media pages, and distributed through my weekly e-newsletter.

 

Thank you to everyone who joined our discussion and for the important questions. I value these telephone town hall forums greatly.

I had the opportunity to visit with Dana Wright and Scott Parks in studio at KMBZ radio last Friday. It was a good chance to catch up on current events and legislation before Congress. We spoke about the current situation in Iraq, the humanitarian immigration crisis on the southern border, veterans unemployment, and the upcoming 3rd District Job Fair.

 

It was good to visit with Dana and Scott and I appreciate the opportunity to speak with the listening audience.

Our offices in Overland Park and Washington, DC stay very busy making sure you receive the best constituent services we can provide. In order for you to stay up-to-date on the most current information about my work to represent you, please take advantage of all the available social media outlets.

 

We give real-time updates on my votes, meetings in both my Overland Park and Washington offices, as well as House floor speeches and video messages. Each site provides a unique opportunity for you to receive the most up-to-date information about my work on behalf of the 3rd District of Kansas.

 

 

Click here and "Like" my Facebook page.

 

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And click here and "Subscribe" to my Youtube channel.

I enjoyed touring the Great Plains SPCA Veterinary Care Center in Merriam last week. Great Plains SPCA cares for more than 35,000 pets each year and finds a home for more than 95 percent of them. It was an informative visit and I appreciate hearing about the work these veterinarians and animal specialists are doing in our community. For more information about volunteering or adopting a furry four-legged friend visit the Great Plains SPCA website or call (913) 831-SPCA (7722). 

 

Thank you to Heidi Wooten and Courtney Thomas for showing me around their facility.