WHEREAS, up to 35 percent of all food produced in Maine is thrown away rather than eaten; and

WHEREAS, about 361,000 tons of food is wasted annually in Maine, much of which is safe and nutritious food that could instead help feed the 1 in 5 Maine children and 1 in 8 Maine adults who go hungry; and

WHEREAS, Maine can help our farmers and build our food system by recycling inedible food waste and returning the nutrients and energy to the soil as compost instead of trash; and

WHEREAS, first responders include firefighters, police officers, nurses, paramedics, emergency medical services personnel, 911 dispatchers, search and rescue teams, and members of other organizations in the public safety sector; and

WHEREAS, in the State of Maine, many children reside in formal and informal kinship care; and

WHEREAS, approximately 6,100 grandparents in Maine are currently standing in as parents; and

WHEREAS, every child in the State of Maine deserves the opportunity to grow and flourish in a supportive, nurturing, and safe home environment while retaining their sense of belonging to family, culture, and community; and

WHEREAS, the State of Maine is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all those living in and visiting our state; and

WHEREAS, a sufficient blood supply is a public health issue both locally and nationally, and our hospitals and medical centers need a readily available supply for our residents and visitors; and

WHEREAS, one blood donation can help save more than one life, and although most of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, only about 3 percent actually do; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations, the World Federation of the Deaf, the National Association of the Deaf and 129 National Associations of the Deaf throughout the world simultaneously participate in the Deaf World Week Celebration; and

WHEREAS, the State of Maine and its citizens observe the last full week of September as Deaf Culture Week in accordance with Sec. 1.1 MRSA §132; and

WHEREAS, the 130th Maine Legislature unanimously passed L.D. 1861, An Act to Establish the Safe Homes Program, and as Governor, I signed the bill into law on April 7, 2022; and

WHEREAS, this bipartisan law promotes responsible gun ownership and educates Maine people about gun safety while ensuring that gun owners are not prevented from taking steps to safely secure their firearms because of an issue of affordability or lack of knowledge and information about safe storage options; and

WHEREAS, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are the primary providers of community-based long-term support services for thousands of individuals with disabilities in Maine; and

WHEREAS, DSPs are valued for their work in building respectful and trusted relationships with individuals to assist them with their most intimate needs; and

WHEREAS, Maine has a rich and storied tradition of hunting and angling that dates back further than the state itself and carries forward to this day; and

WHEREAS, hunting and angling continue to be an integral component of the cultural fabric of communities throughout the state, and over recent years have offered a growing number of participants an opportunity to connect with nature on a personal level while simultaneously providing food security, a sense of self-sufficiency, and both mental and physical health benefits; and

WHEREAS, thousands of adults in Maine are in need of assistance in order to qualify for better-paying or more fulfilling jobs, to achieve a post-secondary education, or to improve their English language skills; and

WHEREAS, success in these endeavors leads to these adults becoming more effective family members, citizens, and workers; and

WHEREAS, regular screenings to detect both breast and lung cancer early when treatment can be most successful saves lives; and WHEREAS, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the U.S. and in the State of Maine; and