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December 2017 - Issue 116
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NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
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County Executive Leggett to Hold First of Five FY19 Operating Budget Forums On January 8; Residents' Feedback Crucial in Determining Priorities
The first of five budget forums is scheduled for Monday, January 8, to seek input from residents about Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) Operating Budget priorities. The forum will begin at 7 p.m. at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda.The County Executive will announce his Recommended FY19 Operating Budget on March 15.
Additional forums are scheduled throughout January across the County:
Wednesday, January 24 - 7 p.m. - Mid-County Community Center (for the Mid-County Regional Services Center), 2004 Queensguard Road, Silver Spring.
Monday, January 29 - 7 p.m. - BlackRock Center for the Arts (for the Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Services Center), 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown.
Tuesday, January 30 - 7 p.m. - Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring.
Wednesday, January 31 - 7 p.m. - Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring
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Office of Human Rights to Host Breakfast Employment Seminar
Free employment seminar on Thursday, December 7, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Rockville Memorial Library located at 21 Maryland Avenue in the second-floor conference room. Participants will learn about emerging employment laws and regulations including sexual harassment, earned sick and safe leave, age discrimination, tipped employee reporting requirements etc. Space is limited for this free workshop and registration is recommended. R
egistration deadline is December 6 and can be done
online
or by contacting Beverly Marshall at 240-777-8479 or by
Email
. A complimentary continental breakfast will be served.
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Montgomery Parks Garden of Lights Show Opens for the Season
Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, opened on November 24 the Garden of Lights Brookside Gardens' annual walk-through light show. The exhibit is open every night through January 1, 2018, except December 24 and 25. Find more information here.
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Neighborhood Events Matching Fund Program: Organizations Can Get (Up to) $1K from County for Events
Montgomery County organizations can now apply for a grant, funded by the county, to hold events and activities for their communities. The Neighborhood Events Matching Funds program was established amid requests from neighborhood groups asking for assistance to promote community engagement, networking and to stimulate the local economy. The maximum grant amount is $1,000. Funds must be matched dollar for dollar with cash or in-kind donations and the event must take place between now and June 30, 2018. Completed applications must be returned to the applicant's Regional Services Center.There is no deadline to submit an application. Click here for more information and to access the application.
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Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) Spring Registration for Non-Credit Courses Open
Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) offers non-credit courses in Art, Art History, Archaeology, World Cultures, History, Politics, Literature, Music, Personal Finance, Career Development, Photography, and Wellness for individuals 50+, but anyone is welcome to register. LLI offers flexibility through daytime, evening, and weekend courses at multiple Montgomery County locations. Individuals ages 60 and over pay fees only; tuition is waived. Click here to register and to read more.
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2017 Maryland Traditions Heritage Awards:
Saturday, December 2 at the Proscenium Theater in the Performing Arts and Humanities Building on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Doors opening at 7:00. Each year Maryland Traditions, the folklife program of the Maryland State Arts Council, honor three of Maryland's outstanding stewards of folklife, or living cultural traditions. Reserve free tickets here.
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SSTCi's Around the World Holiday Bazaar:
Tuesday, December 5 from 05:00 PM - 10pm at Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring. Free event for all to enjoy an evening of art, crafts & unique gifts from around the globe. Click here to RSVP.
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SSTCi's Film & Lecture Series: Poverty & Our Shared Humanity with A Wider Circle's Mark Bergel:
Tuesday Wednesday, December 6th. Holiday Potluck at 6.30pm. Program at 7pm at the Silver Spring Civic Building. Please RSVP by email and let them know what dish you will be bringing. Beverages will be provided.This is a free event and everyone is welcome.
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Citizenship Fair
Saturday, December 9 from 9:00am-12:00pm at the CASA Center for Citizenship, 14645 Rothgeb Drive, Rockville. Call 240-560-2272 to register. The fair will provide consultation with an immigration attorney and assistance in completing citizenship application for all permanent residents. A $50 or $75 fee applies for legal advice and completion of the application for eligible LPRs. If you are not yet a CASA member, you can apply on website ($35).
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"Food Memories Across Cultures" Party for Silver Spring Seniors
Tuesday, December 12 from 2-4 pm at the Silver Spring Civic Center. All are invited to this international holiday party for Silver Spring seniors to enjoy each other's traditions. Everyone is requested to bring a recipe and bite-sized samplings of your favorite holiday food. RSVP to Silver Spring Village by phone: 301-503-7401
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World Arabic Language Day:
Saturday, December 16 from 11 am - 5 pm at Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County, 9601 Medical Center Drive Rockville. Participate for calligraphy workshops and fun games & activities for kids & families. For more info email [email protected] or click here to register.
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Discover New Business Opportunities- Government Procurement Match Making Session:
Tuesday December 19 from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Silver Spring Civic Center One Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring. Connect with the companies and agencies who can share upcoming contracts for you to bid on. Registration is must to attend. No walk-ins or payments at the door. Registration Deadline is December 18-7:00 PM.
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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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Begin by Signing up to Serve on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Make 2018 a Year of Service to Others
It has been a tough and exhausting year. We need 2018 to be a year of engagement and service. To start the year off right, we are looking for 5,000 county residents ready to roll up their sleeves on MLK Day and go to work to make our community stronger and show our resilience and commitment to the values of the Montgomery Way.
Please join us for our Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on January 15 by
signing up to volunteer at one of our three main sites: Seneca Creek Community Church (13 Firstfield Road, Gaithersburg) from 9 to 11 a.m.; Silver Spring Civic Building (1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring) from 10 a.m. to noon; and Marriott Conference Center (5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda) from 1 to 3 p.m.
Better yet, please design your own service project and recruit your family and friends and colleagues at work or at your faith congregation. Send me an email at
[email protected] and my colleagues at the Volunteer Center will help you develop a service project at your school or faith congregation or business or neighborhood park.
If you are already booked for MLK Day, log onto our
website to find plenty of volunteer opportunities at hundreds of our wonderful community organizations that you can do any time throughout the year.
Thanks to our friends at Comcast for the
brand new video promoting volunteer community service in Montgomery County. Please take just a few minutes to watch the video and be inspired to commit to 2018 as a year of service to others.
Bruce Adams
Director, Office of Community Partnerships
P.S. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Here's a Thanksgiving message from Richard Florida: "Let's Give Thanks for Immigrants."
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Meals for Linkages to Learning Families
On Wednesday, November 22, the Montgomery County Police Department and Fire & Rescue Services partnered with Chores for Charities and Nando's to deliver Thanksgiving Holiday meals to 180 needy families in Montgomery County Public Schools' Linkages to Learning program. Chores for Charities has led this important initiative to feed needy families in Montgomery County for the past three years and has fed over 500 families. For more information, visit the
Chores for Charities Website.
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Upcoming Meetings of County Executive's Ethnic & Faith Advisory Groups
Asian Pacific American Advisory Group will meet at 6pm on December 5 at the Nonprofit Village, 12320 Parklawn Dr, Rockville, MD 20852. Contact Diane Vu at
[email protected] for more information.
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Caribbean American Advisory Group will meet on Tuesday, December 5 from 7:00PM-8:00PM at the Silver Spring Civic Building - One Veterans Place Silver Spring.
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Middle Eastern American Advisory Group (MEAAG) will meet on Monday, December 11th, from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Rockville Memorial Library's third floor Mediation room. All members of the public are welcome to attend. Contact: Debbie Trent at [email protected]
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The Latin American Advisory Group to County Executive will meet on Tuesday, December 12 at 6pm at the EOB. For more information contact Nestor Alvarenga at [email protected].
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African Affairs Advisory Group will meet on Thursday, December 14 from7:00PM-8:30PM, Silver Spring Civic Building - One Veterans Place Silver Spring.
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Holiday Donors & Volunteers Needed
If you are looking for ways to give back to the community during the winter holiday season, check out ways to volunteer or help with donation requests on the Montgomery County Volunteer Center's online holiday help page. Be sure to check back frequently as additional opportunities are posted regularly.
Holiday volunteer shifts tend to fill quickly, but there are always lots of ways to serve year-round. Find them on the Volunteer Center website, where you can search for volunteer needs based on location, keyword, interest area, and more.
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Monday, Jan. 15
MLK Day of Service Is Right Around the Corner
Save the date and plan to make Monday, Jan. 15--the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday--a day ON! Join thousands of other residents in honoring Dr. King's life and teachings by taking part in Montgomery County's MLK Day of Service 2018.
This annual event will feature a wide variety of coordinated family-friendly service projects at three locations: 9-11 am in Gaithersburg, 10 am-12 noon in Silver Spring, and 1-3 pm in North Bethesda, which is the largest site and features a volunteer fair as well as projects. Participants will have the chance to help with everything from packing snow day boxes for Meals on Wheels to creating costumes for kids in hospitals.
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IMMIGRATION SERVICES & INFORMATION
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Free Citizenship Application Workshop - December 2
Saturday, December 2 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Rockville Library - 2nd floor meeting room, 21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville. Citizenship Application Workshop. 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.
For more information and to access 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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Free Walk-In Legal Clinics
The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center holds free walk-in legal clinics at the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center's temporary location in Wheaton, MD (2730 University Blvd. West, Suite 220, Wheaton). Clinics are from 2:30PM - 4:30PM on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
Participants do not need immigration status and do not need to be able to speak English (phone interpretation available). Participants are advised to bring relevant documents. Representation is not guaranteed, and is based on factors including legal issue, income, and residence. For additional information, visit the APALRC website or contact their office at 202-706-7150.
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4th Annual Gospel Luncheon and Auction Held
The Alpha Wives Club of Montgomery County, Inc. held its 4th Annual Gospel Luncheon and Silent Auction - featuring Regi McClurkin on Saturday, November 4th at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in downtown Silver Spring. Proceeds will support the Montgomery County Helping Hands Shelter, scholarships and other social service activities.
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Caribbean American Advisory Group Hosted ACA Information Session
On Thursday, November 16, members of the County Executive's Caribbean American Advisory Group hosted an ACA Community Information Session at the Silver Spring SDA Church. Community members in the Silver Spring area attended the information session and asked questions about letters they are receiving from the health insurance companies. The presenters answered some of the general questions, but emphasized that attendees should go to one of the two enrollment centers located in Silver Spring. Pride Youth Services and the African American Health Program attended the information session. Visit website for more information about the Caribbean American Advisory Group.
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African Affairs Advisory Group Chair Welcomed African Union Chairman
On November 15, Ms. Omega Tawonezvi, Chair of the County
Executive's African Affairs Advisory Group, was invited by the African Union to attend a special luncheon with African Union Chairman, Moussa Faki Mahamat at The National Press Club. The African Union Mission in Washington DC held a diaspora town hall meeting that evening attended by many people.
The African Union Chairman addressed the standing room only meeting and challenged all African diasporans to speak with one voice. He thanked the diaspora for the many years of actively engaging the African Union and the United States government to improve US foreign policies towards Africa. Ms. Tawonezvi was appointed Chair of the AAAG in September and one of her priorities is civic engagement. She recently put together a task force to look for more ways to engage the community. For more information about the AAAG, please visit website.
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Welcoming Our New Neighbors (WONN) Program Launch At Interfaith Works Annual Meeting
The Welcoming Our New Neighbors (WONN) program was featured at the Annual Meeting of Interfaith Works (IW) because it illustrates the benefit of IW partnering with the County Executive's Faith Community Advisory Council in forming the Interfaith Network of Montgomery County (INMC). Since 2015 WONN has engaged over 50 faith communities and have raised in excess of $300,000 to settle 12 refugee families in Montgomery County and serving others in Prince Georges County.
County Executive Ike Leggett spoke to the importance of working across lines of difference, affirming our faith in the dignity of everyone and actively caring for the most vulnerable. Members of Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church and the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation shared their engagement reflecting the interfaith nature of this program that is making Montgomery County the most welcoming county in America.
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Middle Eastern American Advisory Group's First Showcase At The World of Montgomery Festival
The Middle Eastern American Advisory Group participated
in the World of
Montgomery Festival
on October 15th f
or the first time
. This year they decided to highlight Egypt. The Egyptian tent showcased many examples of papyrus and other artifacts to represent the harvest in ancient Egypt. The MEAAG team wore pharaoh costumes and took one hundred selfies with the people who visited our tent! Visitors were excited to dress like pharaohs, get their names written in hieroglyphics, and learn more about our history with Egyptologist Hazem Fahmy. All attendees enjoyed watching the live performance of Tanoura Folk Dancers.
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Ethiopia Sister City Committee Meeting
On Tuesday, November 7, members of the Gondar, Ethiopia Sister City committee held their meeting at the Addis Ababa restaurant in downtown Silver Spring to discuss ways of increasing membership, organize a fundraising event to support projects, and increase awareness of Montgomery Sister Cities. Members agreed to organize regular meetings at various Ethiopian restaurants and coffee shops to highlight the diverse cultures of Ethiopia and Montgomery County. For more information and to get involved, please visit www.montgomerysistercities.org
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6th Annual Mora Fest Fiesta Celebrated by Morazán, El Salvador Committee
Montgomery Sister Cities Morazán, El Salvador committee, celebrated their 6th annual Mora Fest Fiesta at the Silver Spring Civic Building. The fun evening is the major fundraiser for the committee and their ongoing initiatives and programs. The fiesta included a delicious Salvadoran dinner, a live music band, dancing and great community environment.
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Members of the Salvadoran sister cities committee and Reemberto Rodriguez, Silver Spring Regional Director.
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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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