NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
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Live Discussion with County Executive Leggett
County residents are invited to participate in a live online discussion with County Executive Ike Leggett. County residents may submit questions to the County Executive before and during the chat at Live Discussion with Ike Leggett. Questions and answers will be posted both during and after the chat. For more information, call the Office of Public Information at 240-777-6507.
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Third Annual County GreenFest with Special Focus on Kids
Saturday, May 6 at Bohrer Park, 506 South Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg. This festival suited for the whole family will have activities ranging from environmental films to workshops on composting, building a community green team and bike repair. From 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. an artist will be on hand at the Park Pavilion to create temporary nature themed tattoo designs.The local music school, Bach to Rock, glee club and acoustic students are scheduled to perform between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.
For more information on the schedule of events, directions, public transit, free shuttle buses from the Lake Forest Transit Center and the Shady Grove Metro, visit website
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Montgomery County Recreation to Host Move More Montgomery Festival
Saturday, May 6 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Bauer Drive Community Recreation Center, 14625 Bauer Drive, Rockville.
Montgomery County Recreation (MCR) will host the second annual Move More Montgomery Festival. The event which is free and open to the public and dogs is a field-day type festival and will feature a community walk, sport and fitness demonstrations, active performances and mini-classes, interactive wellness booths and the Fido Fitness Arena. For more information regarding the Move More Montgomery Festival click here or call 240-777-6946.
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Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless Gala:
Thursday May 4, 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at the North Bethesda Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. Click here to buy tickets and help raise over $200,000 to support a community where everyone has a safe, stable and affordable place to call home.
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IMPACT NOW 2017:
Thursday May 4, 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring. The event brings neighborhood residents together with leaders from government, the business community, and the nonprofit sector to connect with each other, and lift up a shared vision of a thriving multi-cultural community. Interested in sponsoring? Visit sponsorship page. Event is free but registration is encouraged. Read details here.
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26th Annual Affordable Housing Summit:
Friday, May 5, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Bethesda North Marriot Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda. Stay tuned for registration, speaker, and panelist updates. For more information please call 301.520.1587 or email.
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Celebrate Earth Month with Events Throughout April; Activities Culminate at the Annual County GreenFest on May 6
Click for Earth Month events details or registration information. Earth Month will close with the 3rd Annual Montgomery County GreenFest on Saturday, May 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bohrer Park and Activity Center located at 506 South Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg. The festival is free and open to the public.
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Corridor Concerts by Strathmore
Sunday, May 7 , 3 p.m. at UUC of Silver Spring, 10309 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring. Strathmore Corridor Concerts presents an afternoon of jazz and world music featuring the brand-new Strathmore World Jazz Choir, Chai Dynamics, and Strathmore Artists-in-Residence. Free Admission, tickets not required. Click here to know more.
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Seabury Resources for Aging Annual Fundraiser
Seabury Resources for Aging provides food, housing, transportation and many other essential services for low-income older adults. Most of these services are at no cost to older adults. County Executive Leggett is being honored at the annual Leadership in Aging Gala for his outstanding service in improving the quality of life for all older adults in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Join them in helping older adults thrive on May 17 at the annual fundraiser. Click here for more information.
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7th Annual Taste The World in Fenton Village
Sunday, May 21. in Silver Spring. Free event for food lovers will showcase food samples at more than 30 different restaurants representing international food from five continents. L
ocal and handmade crafts will also be on display on the service road in front of Pacci's and the World Building. Volunteers can sign up here. For other event enquiries email:Debbie Linn.
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Calling all Artists to Design 2017 Silver Spring Blues Festival T-Shirt!
Deadline Wednesday, May 24th at 5pm. Design should reflect the Blues and Silver Spring with the following text: "Silver Spring Town Center Inc. or Silver Spring Town Center Inc. presents The 9th Annual Silver Spring Blues Festival 2017". Send your submissions and any questions beforehand to SSTCi Executive Director Lisa Martin.
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Nominate a Maryland Educator for the MCEHG "Educator of the Year" Award:
Nominate an outstanding Maryland educator today and share what makes him or her so extraordinary! Click here to nominate an educator or simply share this email with your peers who would like to nominate a Maryland educator. All nominations are due by May 30, 2017. For more information visit website.
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Nominations Open for Governor's Service Awards to Recognize Top Maryland Volunteers:
Deadline 5 p.m. Friday, June 2. Click here to submit a nomination or to learn more. In its 34th year, the Governor's Service Awards will honor individuals and groups for exemplary service and contributions to Maryland's communities. Each recipient will be notified of selection near the end of summer and invited to an awards ceremony in the fall.
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2017 Epic Awards by Montgomery Community Media & Television:
Thursday, June 8 at The Fillmore Music Center, Silver Spring. The "EPIC Awards" (Excellence in Programming and Innovative Content) are the premier regional awards of merit that recognize the creators of outstanding and innovative multimedia content distributed on television or through the internet. Click here for sponsorship details and tickets.
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Heritage Days 2017 by Heritage Montgomery
Saturday, June 24 & Sunday, June 25 - noon to 4pm at 40 sites all around Montgomery County. Visit 40 parks, museums, and historic sites all across Montgomery County open with FREE Admission highlighting local history, culture, and outdoor recreation with live music, children's games & crafts, exhibits and demonstrations, food, and fun. For details on Heritage Days visit website or call 301-515-0753.
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2017 "Councilmember for a Day" Challenge
Deadline is Thursday, June 15. Montgomery County Council member Craig Rice, again this year will show one Montgomery County high school student what it is like to be a County Council member. Current eighth grade students and high school students (currently freshman, sophomores or juniors) can submit YouTube videos (of two minutes or less) or written essays (500 words or less). Click to submit your entry addressing the following:
- What is the most important public policy issue facing young people today?
- What are your ideas for dealing with this issue?
- What suggestions do you have for national, state and/or local leaders to address this issue?
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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. Members of these boards are eligible for reimbursement for travel and dependent care for meetings attended. County Executive Leggett's appointments are generally subject to confirmation by the County Council. 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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Needed More Now Than Ever
Montgomery County's Volunteer Center
Our fabulous new Congressman Jamie Raskin attended the sixth annual Montgomery Serves Awards event on Monday April 24. He called it "the most uplifting and inspiring hour" of his Congressional term. I love this event. We honor individual, youth, group, and business volunteers for their service in the previous year and present the Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award to "residents 60 years old or better whose accomplishments, enthusiasm, and lifelong commitment to volunteer service make them outstanding role models for those of all ages" and the Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Award to "community leaders, change agents, and role models who have made extraordinary contributions to Montgomery County over the course of their lives." Click here to see the 2017 winners.
Volunteer Center director Molly Callaway and Kimberly Hodges led the awesome Volunteer Center team who made this happen (some one whom are pictured above). Thanks to our friends at Imagination Stage for hosting us again this year. Thanks to the Fund for Montgomery and the Carl M. Freeman Foundation for sponsoring the event. Many thanks to Emcee Lesli Foster of WUSA*9. We appreciate the students from Montgomery Blair High School who provided the entertainment. Again this year, we thank Comcast for preparing the videos of the Nix award winners and Michael Bruen of the county's Public Information Office for preparing the Potter award videos. The Commission on Aging and Fund for Montgomery organized the judges who picked our winners.
The Volunteer Center's montgomeryserves.org website is needed more now than ever as people with high energy seek to get involved. Please go to our website to find a volunteer opportunity that fits your interests and availability. If you are with a nonprofit, please make sure your volunteer opportunities are posted on this site and kept up-to-date. And please consider organizing a volunteer project for our annual Community Service Week October 15-22, 2017.
Bruce Adams
Director, Office of Community Partnerships
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OCP Meets with Three Takoma Park Mayors
The Office of Community Partnerships met with Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart and two students from Piney Branch Elementary School. Abigail Greenberg and Jaeden Berrera won an essay contest titled "Why I Want to Be Mayor For A Day" and had the opportunity to shadow Mayor Stewart at Takoma Park City Hall on Friday, April 28.
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County's Top Volunteers Recognized
Congratulations to the volunteers and community leaders who were recognized for their outstanding service to our county at last week's annual Montgomery Serves Awards ceremony. These deserving individuals and groups represent just a fraction of the many ways Montgomery County residents give their time and talent every day to make our community better for all. Learn more about the honorees here and find your own ways to volunteer here.
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Gilchrist Center - Information and Resources for Immigrant and Immigrant Students
On March 4, Gilchrist Center Program Manager Anna DeNicolo presented on a panel entitled "Providing information and access to community resources relevant to our immigrant students' success" at Montgomery College's 10th Annual AELG Teacher Conference, attended by nearly 300 ESOL and GED faculty. Other presenters were Diane Vu of Office of Community Partnerships, Yvonne Iskandari of HHS, and Jacqueline Rishty of Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services. Anna emphasized the importance of ESOL teachers as a trusted "front line" for providing accurate information to ESOL students about local resources, and discussed ways to use the
Gilchrist Center's Quick Start Guide for Immigrants in Montgomery County in ESOL classes. Many teachers requested that Gilchrist Center staff present in their classes and expressed strong interest in lesson plans regarding the Quick Start Guide and our FAQ/Know Your Rights material.
On April 18, nine Gilchrist Center volunteer ESOL instructors and Program Manager Anna DeNicolo were in attendance in the MCAEL Network Dialogue with Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger. Chief Manger presented about Montgomery County police policies, and responded to many questions from ESOL providers and teachers. His message to the community was that Montgomery County police are not immigration police, they are your police. We are here to help you.
On April 19-21, Gilchrist Center staff attended the annual Welcoming Interactive in Atlanta, GA as part of the Welcoming Cities and Counties initiative organized by Welcoming America. Participants came from many cities, counties and nonprofits across the country and included representatives from New Zealand and Germany. The conference provided approximately 300 participants with opportunities to reconnect with other welcoming practitioners and learn from each other's experiences. Sessions on topics such as civic engagement, government leadership and connected communities were offered at the conference. Welcoming America, a national nonprofit organization, leads a movement of inclusive communities becoming more prosperous by making everyone feel like they belong. For more information about the organization, please visit:
welcomingamerica.org.
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IMMIGRATION SERVICES & INFORMATION
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Interested in Becoming a Citizen? The Time is Now & Assistance is Free!
The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC) and Advancing Justice | AAJC in partnership with the Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships are hosting a Citizenship Application Workshop. The workshop will be held in the second floor meeting room of the Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Ave, Rockville, Maryland on June 3rd.Two hours of free parking is available with validation. 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. Please call the APALRC at (202) 393-3572 to make an appointment and receive instructions.
Assistance will be available in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese, as well as English. Individuals who require assistance in other languages should call in advance to request language support. To access our flyers in Chinese, English, Korean, and Vietnamese, click here.
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Successful Launch of Communities-United-Against-Hate-MoCo (CUAH)
CUAH held its launch event on Sunday, April 23rd at B-CC High School in Bethesda. Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh was the keynote speaker and addressed issues relating to hate crimes and provided updates on immigration and action steps for the attendees. His strong support of the community uniting to combat hate is a first step to responding to the rise in hate crimes over the past 12 months. The event also featured a diverse panel of representatives from Sikh, Jewish, Muslim, LGBTQ, ADL, and many other communities. The event witnessed over 600+ attendees including many elected officials from Montgomery County, Congressman Jamie Raskin, State Senator Susan Lee plus State delegates, County Councilmembers and County Executive Ike Leggett as well as many Montgomery County Board of Education members, key staff and community leaders. 
Following the panel discussion, there was a
volunteer fair that hosted over
50 organizations with tables for attendees to browse community organizations from across the
county.
CUAH
is a nonpartisan organization that unites our diverse community to combat bigotry, support victims of hate, and promote inclusiveness in Montgomery County.
The event raised close to $2,000 in cash and online donations.
Click here
to read more about the launch.
CUAH's next event is coming soon and will be updated on their
facebook page
and
website
.
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Black Youth Achievement Awards
To recognize the scholastic achievements of Montgomery County's young leaders and scholars the Black Youth Achievement Awards (BYAA) will be held on May 6, 3 pm at Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive, Germantown and May 7, 3pm at Paint Branch High School 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville.
Twenty-six schools with more than three thousand students are expected to participate in this years awards. Via BYAAs students are recognized in five categories, receiving certificates for their noteworthy accomplishments: W.EB. DuBois for Academic Excellence (3.5 or higher GPA); Paul Robeson for Versatility (students excel in 3 or more of the categories); Jesse Owens for Athletics; Duke Ellington for the Arts and Martin Luther King, Jr. for Citizenship.
For more information please email Brother Kevin Johnson at
BYAA@iul1906.org
or visit website.
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Spoken Word Poetry at Montgomery College
On Saturday, April
22nd, the
Montgomery County Chapter
of Jack and Jill of America hosted a spoken
word event at Montgomery
College-Takoma
Park's Cultural Arts Building. The Poet, Donovan Livingston, recited poems that spoke to racial injustice, hip hop culture and the importance of family.
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May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Tuesday, May 2 at third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. Rockville. Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner and the County Council will host a special event which is open to public at 11 a.m. to commemorate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with community leaders. Panelists will share their experiences, give details about their achievements and discuss the issues that are important for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who live in Montgomery County.
The event, which will take place during the Council session, will include a video documenting personal stories from community leaders, a panel discussion about public policy issues and a special recognition ceremony for panelists and participants. The session also will be available live via streaming through the Council web site at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8.
For more information, contact Council President Roger Berliner's office at 240-777-7828 or Councilmember.Berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov
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Montgomery College 2017 Dialogues Across Difference Series
Monday, May 8, 7p.m. at Germantown Campus, Bioscience Education Center, 151-152 , 20200 Observation Drive, Germantown. Neel Saxena, Executive Director for the Asian American LEAD will speak at the ongoing Dialogue across Difference Series at Montgomery College and present on the cultural and linguistic difference that many Asian immigrants experience as well as how we as a community can support Asian Pacific American youth, help them construct educational goals, learn about their own and others' cultures and take on leadership roles in the community.
For information, call the President's Office at 240-567-5267 or visit website.
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Maryland Buddhist Vihara 2017 new year festival
The Annual Sinhalese New
Year
celebrations
were held at the Maryland Buddhist
Vihara in
Wheaton on April 16, 2017. It was organized under the leadership of the Chief Priest of the temple, Bhante Katugastota Uparatana Nayake Thera. Deputy Chief of Mission of the Sri Lanka Embassy, Mr. Gamini Keerawella participated along with many Buddhists in the area.
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Montgomery County Muslim Foundation Feeds the Homeless
The Montgomery County Muslim Foundation (MCMF) partnered with Interfaith Works Women's Center (IWWC) to feed the homeless from April 9 to 16. Residents of the homeless center in Rockville were provided three meals a day for seven days. In addition to breakfast and lunch, residents were provided hot and sumptuous dinners of different ethnic varieties such as Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, and Mexican cuisines. Approximately 170 volunteer hours were spent during this week of service. Click here for more details about MCMF.
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Salvadoran Consulate moves to Montgomery County! ¡Bienvenidos!
The Salvadoran Consulate has a new home, Montgomery County! County Executive joined the Salvadoran community and government officials
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Left to Right: Salvadoran Ambassador Claudia Canjura, Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador Hugo Martínez, County Executive Leggett, Consul General of El Salvador Ena Peña
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at their ribbon cutting ceremony at their new offices as they relocated from Washington D.C. to Downtown Silver Spring. The ceremony turned into a community cultural event that included folkloric musical performances, customs and delicious food. The Salvadoran consulate is open for business and providing full consular services such as passports and serving an average of 200 people a day. This results in more business for local businesses in the neighborhood and more people exploring and visiting downtown Silver Spring!
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Kosovo and Macedonia Officials Visit Montgomery County
Elected officials and educators from Kosovo and Macedonia spent a day in Montgomery County learning how we create social cohesion and public safety. The morning was spent with the Faith Community Working Group (FCWG) and the Center for Health and Homeland Security..
The afternoon featured County Executive Ike Leggett and moved on to Walter Johnson High School where students; Principal Jennifer Baker; teacher, Chris Murray; Deputy Superintendent Johathan Brice; Rabbi Batya Steinlauf, Chair of Education Committee for FCWG; and Rev. Kaseman addressed ways we work together in helping students move beyond appreciating their diversity to becoming pluralistic.
Montgomery County Model for creating social cohesion and public safety is considered the gold standard by the State Department and our county has hosted visitors from over 40 countries till now. Our diversity, interfaith engagement, level of collaboration and commitment to human rights and meeting basic human needs is proving to be instructive and inspirational to others.
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MoCo's Office of Community Partnerships Engages with Muslim Community Center
In the ongoing initiative to engage the diverse communities residing in our county, OCP staff visited MCC on April 7th where they learnt more about the service MCC offers to Muslims and Non Muslims and also about the the medical center. The staff at OCP thank Imam Abdullahi, Mr. Mirza and Mr. Zubairi for their hospitality and offer our congratulations on their 41st year. We are happy to continue our support in any way that we can.
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(From L to R standing) : Bruce Adams, Imam Abduallahi, Daniel Koroma, Julian Norment; (L to R sitting) Mr. Mirza, Diane Vu, Mimi Hassanein, Mr. Zubairi, Nestor Alvarenga
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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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