HADDAWAY PARTNERS WITH THE OFFICE DEPOT FOUNDATION,
DISTRIBUTES HUNDREDS OF BACKPACKS TO LOCAL CHILDREN IN NEED
EASTON, MARYLAND – Delegate Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio (R-37B) and The Office Depot Foundation are pleased to announce that Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester and Wicomico County Foster Children have been chosen to receive backpacks containing essential school supplies as part of the Foundation’s Ninth Annual National Backpack Program in partnership with the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL). There will be a presentation on August 12, 2009 at 10:00AM at Talbot County DSS, 301 Bay Street in Easton, where a formal presentation of the backpacks will occur.
“This is an extremely beneficial program,” said Haddaway “I am honored to have the opportunity to present these backpacks to students again this year. As we have seen the economy fluctuate over the last year, many parents have struggled to figure out how they will be able to purchase supplies for their children. As another school year begins, public-private partnerships like this are even more important. I commend the Office Depot Foundation on its efforts to make children’s lives easier when it comes to having basic school supplies, which many of us take for granted.” Delegate Haddaway-Riccio is NFWL’s Education Team Leader.
This year, Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) and the Office Depot Foundation are celebrating the donation of the 2 millionth backpack since this program began in 2001. NFWL has been partnering with the backpack program for four years and this year, the Office Depot Foundation will provide the National Foundation for Women Legislators with more than 18,000 backpacks for distribution by women elected officials in all 50 states.
The Office Depot Foundation will also donate backpacks to children in partnership with the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (CASA), the Kids In Need Foundation, City Year, Nourish America, Feed The Children and the Tony Stewart Foundation. These organizations focus on education, domestic abuse, national disaster relief and other vital issues and will assist in distributing backpacks to children across the country and internationally.
“Children in our community should never have to worry about the stigma of not having school supplies,” said Haddaway “This is a wonderful program and I look forward to working with the Office Depot Foundation in the future on behalf of the National Foundation for Women Legislators.”
The 2009 backpacks come in five different color schemes, blending orange, blue, red, purple, green and pink. Specially designed to meet the needs of students in grades K-5, the backpacks feature two front pockets and wide, padded straps for comfort and support. Each backpack includes a pencil pouch containing essential back-to-school items - a ruler, four crayons, a glue stick, a pen, a pencil, a pencil sharpener and an eraser.
About the National Foundation For Women Legislators, Inc. (NFWL)
Through annual educational and networking events, the National Foundation for Women Legislators supports women legislators from all levels of governance. As a non-profit, non-partisan organization, NFWL does not take ideological positions on public policy issues, but rather serves as a forum for women legislators to be empowered through information and experience.
About the Office Depot Foundation
The Office Depot Foundation is an independent foundation (tax exempt under IRC Sec. 501c-3 that serves as the independent charitable giving arm of Office Depot, Inc. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care®, the Foundation supports a variety of programs that help children succeed in school and in life; enable civil society (non-profit) organizations to become more efficient and effective; help people and businesses prepare for disasters, then recover and rebuild afterwards; strengthen local communities through grants, product donations and volunteerism; and encourage community development through entrepreneurship and economic innovation. For more information, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org.
# # #
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Haddaway Returns From Taiwan
(Easton, MD) - Delegate Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio has returned from a week-long visit to the Republican of China (Taiwan) that included a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. While abroad, she also met with officials and representatives from key government agencies and private industry on an economic development and government relations mission. Four other elected officials from the Maryland General Assembly were also on the trip, which was sponsored by the Taiwanese government.
It was Haddaway’s first visit to Taiwan and an experience she called “a once in a life time opportunity that was very educational and informative”. Many of her meetings were very timely, including one with Cheng-hua Lee, President and CEO of the Bureau of National Health Insurance. Taiwan has a universal health care system similar to the model being considered in the United States. Haddaway reports that while the citizens of Taiwan are generally satisfied with the system, their officials reported that cost, quality of care and innovation were issues their country is still working on. She also discussed access to care for rural citizens with them - an issue Taiwan is familiar with. Many of Taiwan’s aboriginal populations live in mountainous regions or “off-island” on one of the smaller islands nearby. Like Maryland, Taiwan has a hard time recruiting doctors and physicians to work in more remote areas.
Haddaway and the delegation also met with Mary Ann Wo, the Director of the State of Maryland Business Center under the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED). From the Taipei World Trade Center, they discussed trade between Maryland and Taiwan and opportunities for future exchanges. “We discussed everything from biotech to fruits and vegetables,” Haddaway said. “I also talked with her about the new orchid business locating in Denton, Maryland and the partnership that University of Maryland Eastern Shore has with the Jet Green Group, of Beijing, China growing orchids. She was familiar with both projects.”
When asked about her least favorite part of the trip, Haddaway was quick to answer – “the earthquake”. According to AP News sources, Taiwan experienced an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale while the Maryland delegation was there. “It was about 2:00 am, so it took me a few minutes to figure out what was going on. We were on the 17th floor of the hotel and it was my first earthquake, so I was probably more nervous than I needed to be.” The next day, the group visited the Taipei 101, which is the world’s tallest building. No major damage or injuries were reported.
On a more relaxing note, Haddaway and the Maryland delegation received an invitation to attend the opening ceremonies of the World Games in Kaohsiung. The invitation came from Chen Chu, the Mayor of Kaohsiung, who is also serving as President of the World Games Organizing Committee this year. Haddaway said she was very impressed with the Stadium, which is completely eco-friendly. “There are nearly 9,000 solar panels on the roof and all of the raw materials used to build it are 100% reusable and all made in Taiwan,” she explained. “Aesthetically, it’s a very modern, dimensional design with great attention to detail.”
Of the show, Haddaway said it was spectacular and she felt honored to be one of the 40,000 spectators. Russell Watson and Hayley Westenra of New Zealand both performed as well as Shin and Tiger Huang who are very popular in Taiwan. According to Haddaway, traditional music and dance was also highlighted and was woven into performances on the field followed by fireworks.
On the last days of the trip, the delegation visited Yangmingshan National Park and the National Palace Museum. “Aside from being a political junky, art and nature are two of my top interests,” Haddaway said. “Politics and policy are important, but I think that attitudes and beliefs are equally shaped by personal experiences, historical events and cultural influences, so it is important to have an understanding of all of these things.”
It was Haddaway’s first visit to Taiwan and an experience she called “a once in a life time opportunity that was very educational and informative”. Many of her meetings were very timely, including one with Cheng-hua Lee, President and CEO of the Bureau of National Health Insurance. Taiwan has a universal health care system similar to the model being considered in the United States. Haddaway reports that while the citizens of Taiwan are generally satisfied with the system, their officials reported that cost, quality of care and innovation were issues their country is still working on. She also discussed access to care for rural citizens with them - an issue Taiwan is familiar with. Many of Taiwan’s aboriginal populations live in mountainous regions or “off-island” on one of the smaller islands nearby. Like Maryland, Taiwan has a hard time recruiting doctors and physicians to work in more remote areas.
Haddaway and the delegation also met with Mary Ann Wo, the Director of the State of Maryland Business Center under the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED). From the Taipei World Trade Center, they discussed trade between Maryland and Taiwan and opportunities for future exchanges. “We discussed everything from biotech to fruits and vegetables,” Haddaway said. “I also talked with her about the new orchid business locating in Denton, Maryland and the partnership that University of Maryland Eastern Shore has with the Jet Green Group, of Beijing, China growing orchids. She was familiar with both projects.”
When asked about her least favorite part of the trip, Haddaway was quick to answer – “the earthquake”. According to AP News sources, Taiwan experienced an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale while the Maryland delegation was there. “It was about 2:00 am, so it took me a few minutes to figure out what was going on. We were on the 17th floor of the hotel and it was my first earthquake, so I was probably more nervous than I needed to be.” The next day, the group visited the Taipei 101, which is the world’s tallest building. No major damage or injuries were reported.
On a more relaxing note, Haddaway and the Maryland delegation received an invitation to attend the opening ceremonies of the World Games in Kaohsiung. The invitation came from Chen Chu, the Mayor of Kaohsiung, who is also serving as President of the World Games Organizing Committee this year. Haddaway said she was very impressed with the Stadium, which is completely eco-friendly. “There are nearly 9,000 solar panels on the roof and all of the raw materials used to build it are 100% reusable and all made in Taiwan,” she explained. “Aesthetically, it’s a very modern, dimensional design with great attention to detail.”
Of the show, Haddaway said it was spectacular and she felt honored to be one of the 40,000 spectators. Russell Watson and Hayley Westenra of New Zealand both performed as well as Shin and Tiger Huang who are very popular in Taiwan. According to Haddaway, traditional music and dance was also highlighted and was woven into performances on the field followed by fireworks.
On the last days of the trip, the delegation visited Yangmingshan National Park and the National Palace Museum. “Aside from being a political junky, art and nature are two of my top interests,” Haddaway said. “Politics and policy are important, but I think that attitudes and beliefs are equally shaped by personal experiences, historical events and cultural influences, so it is important to have an understanding of all of these things.”
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Haddaway Statement on Holocaust Museum Shooting
Delegate Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio released this statement today regarding the Holocaust Museum shooting:
“This was a terrible tragedy with a terrible motive and my heart goes out to the family and friends of Stephen Johns, the guard who was killed today. I am also shocked to learn that the gunman may have resided in Easton - a safe, close knit community where diversity is embraced. It is hard to comprehend that a person can become so consumed with hate that they would commit an act such as this. Thankfully, love is a more powerful force and it will be love and prayers that heal those who have been affected by this incident.”
“This was a terrible tragedy with a terrible motive and my heart goes out to the family and friends of Stephen Johns, the guard who was killed today. I am also shocked to learn that the gunman may have resided in Easton - a safe, close knit community where diversity is embraced. It is hard to comprehend that a person can become so consumed with hate that they would commit an act such as this. Thankfully, love is a more powerful force and it will be love and prayers that heal those who have been affected by this incident.”
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Gazette Article: Haddaway Rising Star
Delegate Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio was recently listed as an "up and comer" by the Gazette newspaper.
See what they had to say:
At just 31 years old, Haddaway-Riccio has long been considered one of the GOP's rising stars.
Some see her as an ideal candidate for the 1st Congressional District. She's the daughter of an Eastern Shore waterman, boasts a strong environmental record, owns a graphic design company and is a fiscal conservative who has strong crossover appeal.
Her composed presence within the GOP caucus and her strong debating skills on the House floor have earned kudos. She also has won plaudits for her advocacy of women's issues and her promotion of rural broadband.
"Jeannie's potential is unlimited in the caucus," [Chris] Shank said [House Minority Whip]. "Jeannie's star is uneclipsed. She can go as far as she wants to go."
For the full story, click on the following link:
http://www.gazette.net/stories/04242009/polinew201053_32522.shtml
See what they had to say:
At just 31 years old, Haddaway-Riccio has long been considered one of the GOP's rising stars.
Some see her as an ideal candidate for the 1st Congressional District. She's the daughter of an Eastern Shore waterman, boasts a strong environmental record, owns a graphic design company and is a fiscal conservative who has strong crossover appeal.
Her composed presence within the GOP caucus and her strong debating skills on the House floor have earned kudos. She also has won plaudits for her advocacy of women's issues and her promotion of rural broadband.
"Jeannie's potential is unlimited in the caucus," [Chris] Shank said [House Minority Whip]. "Jeannie's star is uneclipsed. She can go as far as she wants to go."
For the full story, click on the following link:
http://www.gazette.net/stories/04242009/polinew201053_32522.shtml
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