Earlier this month, Catasauqua Area School District, along with other school districts, received communication from the U.S. Department of Agriculture notifying the state of Pennsylvania that it will be unable to fund November SNAP benefits due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. There is no clarity on when benefits will be issued.

Nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians rely on SNAP benefits, including more than 713,000 children.

More information on the government shutdown and its impact on benefits is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website.

During the shutdown, the following are some resources to be aware of.

• PA Navigate: help finding food and other resources

• pa211.org: local assistance

• feedingpa.org: find local food banks and other food assistance programs

Many electric and gas companies also offer utility assistance programs for qualifying customers. Pennsylvanians can contact their utility companies or visit the PA PUC’s utility assistance website for more information.

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A winter coat distribution, for CASD students and their families, will be held 9 a.m.-noon Nov. 15 at the district administrative office, 201 N. 14th St. New and gently used coats will be available at no cost.

If you have any questions or concerns, call or text 484-695-3872 or email C3P@cattysd.org.

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Kudos to the Catasauqua High School junior and senior students interested in communications and journalism who recently spent the morning at WFMZ. They observed the live news broadcast and learned from the reporters, producers and anchors who bring local stories to life every day. This experience reflects CASD’s continued commitment to career education by helping to provide such an inspiring, real-world career experience.

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Lehigh Career and Technical Institute’s fall open house is 6-8 p.m. Nov. 20 for prospective high school students and their families to visit LCTI, 4500 Education Park, Schnecksville. It’s the perfect time to learn about its programs, meet teachers and get a head start on the application process.

If you are interested in attending the open house, RSVP at lcti.org and receive a free T-shirt and a free entry in an Apple iPad drawing.

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CASD currently has a number of job opportunities available for the 2025-26 academic year. To view the open positions, visit the CASD website at casd.org, click on the district tab and select job opportunities from the drop-down menu.

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LCTI families are encouraged to subscribe to the school’s weekly email newsletter to stay abreast of what’s happening on the campus and across the communities that are served by the school.

To subscribe to the newsletter, visit lcti.org.