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November 2017 - Issue 115
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NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
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Annual County Executive's Awards for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities Winners Announced
Among this year's award recipients of the County Executive's Awards for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities is Lifetime Impact Award recipient Phillip Brown, Montgomery County Woodturners. The 2017 Lifetime Achievement award will be presented to Muriel "Mimi" Hom, Producer-Director and Founder of Opera International.
The Awards for Excellence will be held on Monday, November 6 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Round House Theater at 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. This event is free and open to the public. Ticket reservations are required and can be made online here. For more information about AHCMC, visit www.creativemoco.com
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Montgomery County Council Seeks Applicants for Grants Advisory Group
County Council is seeking applicants for positions on its Fiscal Year 2019 Grants Advisory Group. The Council will appoint the volunteer community panel to review grant applications and advise it on proposals received from the non-profit community.
Letters of interest must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, November 13. Applicants for the Advisory Group may not be employees of a nonprofit group applying for Council grant funding. Interested applicants living or working in the County should submit their letter of interest with a resume to: Council President Roger Berliner, Montgomery County Council, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850 or via email.
Questions?? Contact Council Grants Manager by email or Jean Arthur at 240-777-7934.
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Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade Celebrates 20 Years on November 18
The County Thanksgiving Parade, televised live from downtown Silver Spring, celebrates its 20th anniversary on November 18, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The only Thanksgiving parade in the area, it features over 140 marching units, including marching bands, musical groups, floats, and inflatables. Stepping off at 10 a.m., the Thanksgiving Parade route goes from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring, south on Georgia Avenue to Silver Spring Avenue.
The parade will be held rain or shine. For more information, call 240.777.0311 or click here
Holiday Family Photos and Selfies: take your family holiday photos at Veterans Plaza, right next to the ice rink, you can take your photo with inflatable turkeys, penguins, "Frozen's" Elsa, or with Hanukkah or Christmas décor. All selfies marked with the hashtag #MoCoThanksParade will be broadcast on the jumbotron at Ellsworth and Fenton along the parade route.
Volunteering: The parade needs volunteers, aged 13 and older, to dress up in costume, to serve as unit leaders, and to be inflatable and balloon handlers. The hours for volunteers are from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 18. Volunteers can register here.
Watch the live Broadcast at 10 a.m. on NewsChannel 8, the parade will be aired again several times on Thanksgiving Day.
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Fall Semester Registration is Open for Lifelong Learning Institute Program
Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) offers non-credit courses during daytime and evening, at multiple Montgomery County locations. Individuals ages 60 and over pay fees only; tuition is waived. For the Fall Semester schedule including full descriptions, please visit website. For questions, call Lynda Schrack or Tracy Ritenour at 240-567-1851.
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Purple Line Construction Information
Construction of the Purple Line is finally underway. The best way to make sure you get accurate and timely project information is via the website
www.purplelinemd.com. To sign up for construction notices, log onto the website and click the "Construction" button. The phone number for the Construction Hotline is 240-424-5325.
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East County Regional Job Fair:
Thursday, November 2, 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM at 3310 Gateshead Manor Way, Silver Spring. Meet with recruiters from public and private employers.Workshops will also be conducted on-site: Resume Review & Interviewing Skills; Uncovering the Secrets of Finding & Applying to Jobs in the Federal Government; Starting Your Own Business. For General Information about the Job Fair call 240-777-8411. Register Here.
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Montgomery College: Pathway to College Night
Thursday, November 9, 4-7 p.m.at Germantown Campus, 20200 Observation Drive, Germantown, High Technology and Science Center (HT), Globe Hall. High school juniors and parents can meet with college representatives from University of Maryland, The Universities at Shady Grove, and Montgomery College. Also learn about financial aid, scholarship opportunities and speak with faculty about programs and services.Learn more here.
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Nominations Open for Nonprofit Village's "Making a Difference Awards"
Recognize a nonprofit organization that makes a difference in your community. Nonprofits across the Washington metropolitan region are eligible and self-nominations are accepted. Nominations close on November 10. Award recipients will be announced in January 2018 and honored at the "Making a Difference" Awards Breakfast on May 4, 2018. Click here to nominate and for more information.
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Volunteer Opportunity: Homeless Resource Day
Thursday, November 16 at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 South Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg. Homeless Resource Day serves individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness and/or at risk of homelessness by providing a "one-day, one-stop" opportunity to access needed benefits, medical care and counseling.
All registrations due by Monday, November 6. Questions? please call 240-777-4565. Register here.
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Get Involved: Join a Board or Commission
County Executive Ike Leggett seeks applicants of diverse backgrounds, professions, gender, geography, disability, and ethnicity to serve on the county's boards and commissions. Members of County boards, committees and commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time. Applications of individuals selected for appointment are made public as part of the confirmation process.
Access complete list of vacancy announcements for boards, committees, and commissions
here
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Montgomery County Sister City Delegation Tours South Korea and China
It's a Small World After All
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett led a delegation of 40 County residents to Daejeon, South Korea and Xi'an, China for a Joint Sister Cities and Economic Development Mission Trip from October 20 to 29, 2017. County Executive Leggett signed a Sister City agreement with Daejeon, South Korea Mayor Sun Taik Kwon on October 23, 2017. Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard signed agreements with universities in Daejeon and Xi'an.
Council Education Committee Chair Craig Rice signed Sister School agreements with the school systems in Daejeon and Xi'an on behalf of Montgomery County Public Schools. David Petr, President and CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, Ellie Giles, CEO of WorkSource Montgomery, Montgomery County Assistant CAO Lilly Qi, and Wonro Lee, CEO of JG Business Link International, led our delegation of business leaders in talks in Seoul and Daejeon, South Korea and Xi'an and Shanghai, China. In addition to meetings with business and government officials, delegation members toured cultural and historic sites including the Terracotta Warriors World Cultural Heritage Site in Xi'an.
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Photo of Montgomery County Executive Leggett and Daejeon Mayor Sun Taik Kwon with Montgomery County delegation at October 23, 2017 signing ceremony
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Daejeon is Montgomery County's fifth Sister City under a program initiated by County Executive Leggett in 2009. Morazán, El Salvador became our first Sister City on July 26, 2011 followed by Gondar, Ethiopia (2012), Xi'an, China (2014), and Hyderabad, India (2014). One out of every three Montgomery County residents was born in another country. El Salvador, China, India, South Korea, and Ethiopia are the top five countries of origin of Montgomery County's foreign born residents. For more information about our Sister City program, please log onto
www.montgomerysistercities.org.
Bruce Adams
Director, Office of Community Partnerships
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Annual Employee Giving Campaign
County Executive Ike Leggett got the 2017 Employee Giving Campaign underway on October 16 in a meeting with departmental campaign coordinators and representatives of community nonprofits. Montgomery County employees generously contribute $250,000 each year to our nonprofit community partners. The campaign ends December 1. Employees may
contribute by logging onto the campaign website here.
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OCP Director Bruce Adams received the 2017 Peacemaker of the Year award at the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County (CRCMC)'s 8th annual gala. Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Director Ken Hartman received CRCMC's Executive Director's Award at the event held on October 9 at VisArts in Rockville. Bruce's family and OCP staff and alumni joined him at the event. For more information about CRCMC, please log onto
crcmc.org.
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Left to Right: Molly Callaway, Kasey Kaseman, Ike Leggett, Bruce Adams, Diane Vu, Nestor Alvarenga, and Karla Silvestre
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World of Montgomery Festival
The Ninth Annual World of Montgomery Festival was held on Sunday October 15 on the Rockville campus of Montgomery College. On a gorgeous Fall afternoon, 7,000 people were treated to traditional arts, music, dance, and food from every corner of the globe. Again this year, the Kid Museum and event organizer Elizabeth Gallauresi produced an opportunity for Montgomery residents young and old to feel what it means to be a 21st century global citizen. The theme was harvest, and the festival showcased the countries and cultures of Montgomery County's Sister Cities in El Salvador, Ethiopia, China, and India.
The festival was sponsored by Montgomery County, City of Rockville, Montgomery College, MCPS,
Maryla
nd State Arts Council, Ana G. Mendez University, Carl M. Freeman Foundation, Comcast, PEPCO, Southern Management, Verizon, and other sponsors of the Fund for Montgomery.
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At the welcoming ceremony at the World of Montgomery Festival, County Executive Ike Leggett presented Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard with a Joseph Craig English print commissioned as a gift for our Sister Cities in appreciation for the outstanding support Montgomery College has provided the World of Montgomery Festival and our Sister Cities program
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Upcoming Meetings of County Executive's Ethnic & Faith Advisory Groups
Asian Pacific American Advisory Group will meet at 6pm on
November 14 at the Nonprofit Village, 12320 Parklawn Dr, Rockville, MD 20852. Contact Diane Vu at
diane.vu@montgomerycountymd.gov for more information.
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Latin American Advisory Group (LAAG) will meet from 6:30pm-8:30pm on Tuesday, November 14 at Executive Office Building (EOB) 101 Monroe St. Rockville (9th floor, conference room). For more information contact Nestor Alvarenga,
Nestor.alvarenga@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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Middle Eastern American Advisory Group (MEAAG) will meet on Monday, November 6th from 7 to 9 p.m., Rockville Library (21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Suite 330 Mediation Room). Contact: Debbie Trent at dtrent@civilstrategies.net
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Volunteers Join Forces Throughout Community Service Week
The 31st Annual Montgomery County Community Service Week was another huge success! Thousands of people rolled up their sleeves to help with a variety of projects at nonprofits, schools, government agencies, and other organizations to improve the quality of life for all county residents. Volunteers prepared and collected food for low-income residents, cleaned up parks and playgrounds, assisted at events, visited with seniors, and much more.
Community Service Week provides a great snapshot of Montgomery County's volunteer spirit, which is truly a year-round activity in our community. Check the Volunteer Center's online listing of volunteer opportunities to find ways to help anytime.
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Gilchrist Center Wheaton Site On the Move
The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center in Wheaton has had an exciting few months! In late July, we learned we would be moving at the end of August since the Mid-County Regional Services Center was closing earlier than expected for Wheaton redevelopment.
With tremendous help from staff, volunteers, and our wonderful Liberty's Promise interns Ashraf and Daniela, we quickly began packing.
In the meantime, community support rallied around us to help us find a new temporary space, since our new home in Westfield South was not scheduled to be ready until January. Partners, volunteers, and community members offered ideas and contacts, and ultimately the Primary Care Coalition offered to share space with us!
We settled in with help from staff and volunteers (a shout out to Montgomery County's Department of Technology Services for lots of tech help!) and by September 5 were open for business again in our new location, Westfield North Building, 2730 University Blvd., West, Suite 220 in Wheaton.
Our clients, students, and volunteers have found us, and classes fill our new space with lively chatter. Class registrations in mid-October filled our evening and Saturday ESOL classes just as they normally did - so all the flyers and marketing did their job to help us make a smooth transition.
Please stop by Westfield North for a visit! And see us in January at our new location - Westfield South Building, 11002 Veirs Mill Road, 5th Floor, Wheaton.
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Greater Washington Immigration Film Festival - Films Across Borders
From October to December, Films Across Borders showcases inspiring stories of courage, hope, and determination, as international voices and perspectives are portrayed via dramatic features, documentaries and shots. Despite tremendous challenges, immigrants and refugees are often able to overcome and even prosper. Venues include Busboys and Poets, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, the Embassy of France, and Gala Hispanic Theatre. Through panel events and post-screening discussions, experts will engage with the audience to answer questions and further explore the issues. For films, schedules and venues click here.
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IMMIGRATION SERVICES & INFORMATION
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Citizenship Application Workshop - Learn the Benefits of Becoming a US Citizen!
Saturday, December 2 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Rockville Library - 2nd floor meeting room, 21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville. The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC) and Advancing Justice | AAJC in partnership with the Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships will be hosting a Citizenship Application Workshop where the APALRC legal team and trained volunteers will assist participants with completing their naturalization applications (Form N-400) from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. There is no charge for assistance available through the workshop, which is open to all. For an appointment and additional information, please call the APALRC at (202) 393-3572 or register online via this link.
Assistance will be available in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Spanish and English. Please call to register in advance to ensure an interpreter will be available in your language. Individuals who require assistance in languages other than those listed should call in advance to request language support. To access our flyers in Chinese, English, Korean, and Vietnamese, click here.
Learn more about the application process and the benefits of holding the U.S. passport by attending this workshop. Call (202) 393-3572 for an appointment.
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Citizenship Ceremony Held in Montgomery County!
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and County Council participated in a U.S. Citizenship Naturalization Ceremony hosted by Montgomery County at the White Oak Community Recreation Center and in partnership with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The ceremony is part of the Citizenship county-wide initiative aimed at reaching the 60,000 residents of Montgomery County who are eligible to become U.S. citizens now and working in partnership with our community nonprofit service providers, county agencies and USCIS. Visit Citizenship Initiative website for more information.
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2017 Mid Autumn Festival Celebrated by Vietnamese American Services (VAS)
On Sunday October 8th, the Vietnamese American Services (VAS) held their first Mid-Autumn Festival at Long Branch Community Center. There were about 400 adults, more than 100 children and 35 organizations and groups in Montgomery County which attended the event, including community organizations, seniors and youth groups. The event brought together various activities such as lion dance, traditional dancing, children's singing, games, and music. It also brought helpful information from the county to the community and provided delicious authentic Vietnamese food as well. Maryland Mid-Autumn Festival is a meaningful festival for Vietnamese community, in which people can get together to celebrate their traditional holiday and spend time with their families. This festival soon will become an annual festival not only for the Vietnamese community, but also for all residents who are interested in Vietnamese culture. Please click to see the pictures of Mid-Autumn Festival 2017 and see the video by Montgomery County Council here.
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Natananjali Dance School Presents "Nritya" The Annual Dance Show
November 11, 3PM at JCCGW 6125 Montrose Rd, Rockville. Tickets are now available for purchase. Everyone other than the participants will need to buy tickets. Ticket price is $15 and $10 for kids 4 years and under. All event costs are borne by the school and the proceeds are donated to a charity dealing with women and girl child issues. This year, the proceeds will be donated to Pratham USA, with instructions to them for the funds to be used towards girls' education in India. Tickets will be available at the door.
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Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, County Executive presented a proclamation to AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center of Silver Spring, MD on their 28th edition of the AFI Latin American Film Festival and their leadership, commitment to community values, diversity, inclusion, culture and the arts in Montgomery County and the Washington Metropolitan area. This was also the closing night of the festival with the screening of Carpinteros (Woodpeckers), a movie from the Dominican Republic. It was a night of celebration of Hispanic and Latino heritage, the arts, culture and community.
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| L to R: Actor Jean Jean, Silver Spring Regional Director Reemberto Rodriguez, County Executive Leggett, AFI team: Todd Hitchcock, Ben Delgado, Abbie Algar, Nestor Alvarenga, Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships. Photo credit: Bruce Guthrie |
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"Building Pride & Confidence in African American Youth" Gala
On October 18th, Pride Youth Services held its 3rd Annual "Building Pride and Confidence in African American Youth" Gala to celebrate over 16 years of service to youth and families in Montgomery County. The Gala included a cocktail reception, dinner, silent auction, and recognized youth who benefitted from the various youth development programs and other services.
The guest speaker was Sterling Crockett. Mr. Crockett is an impactful, visionary CEO with close to 30 years of experience specializing in innovative, strategic business practices that ignite business growth and masterfully inspire teams to high performance in meeting complex challenges. He is a sought after leader known for his contagious enthusiasm, integrity and candor derived from an impassioned dedication to meaningful achievement. Montgomery County CouncilMember Craig Rice attended and was recognized.
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Critical Youth Mentoring - A "My Brother's Keeper" Initiative
On October 20th, Dr. Torie Weiston-Serdan, author of "Critical Mentoring, a Practical Guide", engaged an audience at Johns Hopkins University in Rockville, in a conversation around the concept of critical mentoring of youth from communities that have historically been marginalized.
Weaving an understanding of critical race theory, cultural competence and intersectionality, Dr. Weiston-Serdan served notice that it's time to work in partnership with our youth, by not tokenizing them or further cementing historical notions of "helping" them. There were many youth-serving organization staff in attendance as well as youth that are engaged in many of these organizations themselves. This discussion is part of a continued probe by the Montgomery County's My Brother's Keeper Initiative in critical mentoring in the county and its importance among youth-serving organizations that seek to empower and enrich county youth.
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Multicultural Dialogue on Bias - A 3 Part Series
The Faith Community Working Group invites all to join the second annual Multicultural Dialogue three part series, "Exploring Bias, Meeting the Other." Participants will engage in anti-bias exercises with a trained facilitator. Each dialogue will begin with reflections on our sacred texts, our common humanity, and learn to see the divine in each other.
The first dialogue will be held on November 5 at the St. Camilllus Catholic Church Cafeteria, 1600 St. Camillus Dr, Silver Spring. The program will start promptly at 6 PM. Space is limited and all who wish to participate must register.
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Support Women to Achieve Results - Shop For a Cause
November 14, 15, 16 from 10am - 4pm at World Bank Main Complex,
1818 H Street NW Washington DC. Participate in the fundraising event and help support educational grants for women from developing countries. You will find beautiful decorative objects,fair trade items, handcrafted accessories, and much more from around the world.
The fair is open to the public with photo ID.
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Montgomery County Executive Signs Fifth Sister City Agreement with Daejeon, South Korea
County Executive Ike Leggett signed a Sister City agreement with Daejeon, South Korea on October 23 during a Joint Sister Cities and Economic Development Mission Trip. The 9-day trip included stops in Seoul and Daejeon in South Korea and Xi'an and Shanghai in China. Highlights for the Sister City delegation in Daejeon included a Hanbat Korean Traditional Orchestra performance arranged by Daejeon City Councilmember Byung Chuk Park, a lecture by County Executive Ike Leggett at Chungnam University on welcoming communities and visits to the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education, Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall, and Korea Aerospace Research Institute. During the visit to Xi'an, the County's third Sister City, delegation members toured the Xi'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, watched a Tai Chi performance, and toured the Terracotta Warriors World Cultural Heritage Site.
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Signed Sister City Agreement - CE with Daejeon Mayor Sun Taik Kwon on October 23
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Montgomery Sister Cities was established by County Executive Ike Leggett in 2009 to connect Montgomery County to the world by encouraging and fostering friendship, partnership, and mutual cooperation through educational, cultural, social, economic, humanitarian, and charitable exchanges. For more information on Montgomery Sister Cities, please visit website. For information regarding the trip, contact Diane Vu by email.
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Have News to Share?
To submit your news and events of interest to those in and serving Montgomery County's emerging communities and neighbors in need, email complete details and/or a press release to the OCP Newsletter.
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