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December 4, 2019 - Issue 140
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NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
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Gaithersburg Achieves 93 Score on Municipal Equality Index
The City of Gaithersburg earned a total of 93 points in the 8th annual Municipal Equality Index, an initiative of the Human Rights Campaign that examines the inclusivity of laws, policies and services with respect to the LGBTQ community.
READ MORE>>>
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Workforce Resource Fair for African Community
On Friday, December 6, 2019, The Governor's Commission on African Affairs Workforce Development and Education Subcommittee will offer resources and services for job seekers, businesses and community leaders. Register here or contact [email protected].
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Cupcakes & Conversation
The Montgomery County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. invites the public to the annual World AIDS Day event on December 7 at White Oak Library. The event will highlight the importance of community involvement in increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS. Click here for details.
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Holiday Market
On Sunday, December 8, 2019, the 7th Annual Holiday Market will return to the Silver Spring Civic Center to offer shoppers the opportunity to buy from local, women-owned small businesses! The event is sponsored by Empowered Women International and the Latino Economic Development Center.
READ MORE>>>
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Technology Students Host Refurbished Car and Computer Sale
The MCPS Automotive Trades and Information Technology Foundations are hosting their first refurbished car and computer sale of the school year on December 7, 2019 at Gaithersburg High School. Click here for details.
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Library Advisory Committee Seeks Members
Do you want to help make the Rockville Memorial Library better? The Library Advisory Committee (LAC) is looking for volunteers to join and help contribute to its efforts. The LAC is looking to broaden its membership in order to reflect the diverse range of customers that use the library and find out how we can better meet your needs
. Lend your voice today and help create a better library!
Apply here.
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Procurement Guide
The Montgomery County Office of Procurement now has a Procurement Pocket Guide available for download in Spanish and Chinese (Mandarin). Click here to view.
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Spring Semester Registration Open for Lifelong Learning Institute Non-Credit Courses
Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) is committed to creating a variety of intellectually stimulating opportunities for Montgomery County residents. The Lifelong Learning Institute offers flexibility through daytime, evening, and weekend courses at multiple Montgomery County locations. Individuals ages 60 and over may pay fees only; tuition is waived for eligible courses. Click here for registration information.
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Transitional Living Scholarship
The Montgomery College Foundation announces the Transitional Living Scholarship for women with dependent children who are currently experiencing housing insecurity or have been in transition/homeless over the last two years. To apply, email
or call 240-567-4365.
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Fight Acts of Hate and Bias
Communities United Against Hate (CUAH) is launching a year-long training series to engage the public around the issue of hate crimes and bias related incidents. The series is free and will feature quarterly themed modules addressing different aspects of hate and bias. Each module will culminate in a town hall, bringing together attendees, policy-makers, and other stakeholders to discuss key takeaways. For more information, click
here.
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Online Conferences for Nonprofits
The Nonprofit Learning Lab offers online conferences on a variety of topics. Click
here for more information. In addition, a nonprofit lab will be held in Baltimore on November 8. For details, click
here.
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Upcoming Small Business Training and Workshops
Wherever you are with your business, taking it to the next level requires you to think differently and leverage a new set of resources. Learn more
here
about a wide variety of offerings and opportunities.
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2020 CENSUS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY
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Get Involved!
If you are an individual, you can sign up to become a
Census Ambassador. Census Ambassadors are volunteers trained by the Office of Community Partnerships and Census Bureau to conduct education and outreach by hosting information tables, distributing Census promotional materials and engaging with county residents. Multilingual members of the community are especially encouraged to apply.
If you are part of a government agency or program, faith community, nonprofit organization, corporation, business, civic association, or community group, sign up to become a Montgomery County 2020
Census Partner! A Census Partner is any organization that helps ensure that communities are accurately counted in the 2020 Census. Census Partners join a network of national, regional and local organizations that are all working together to encourage households to respond and are critical to the success of the 2020 Census.
Sign up here to be a Montgomery County 2020 Census Partner.
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Save the Date! Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center Class Registration Starts this Fall!
The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center
will be offering classes in computer literacy, English as a Second Language, workshops for entrepreneurs, as well as many other classes and services this winter at locations in Wheaton, East County, Gaithersburg, and Germantown.
Registration dates are in early January 2020 and classes will begin in late January 2020.
For more information, please visit the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center's website to review and download our flyers. You can also follow us on Facebook @GilchristImmigrantResourceCenter.
For questions, please call 240-777-4940 or visit our website.
Welcoming America, a national nonprofit promoting welcoming and inclusive communities, led a Community Visit Exchange Program for immigrant integration practitioners in Dallas, Texas. OCP Director Diane Vu and Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center Manager Kaori Hirakawa met with leaders from Boston, St. Louis, Springdale and Detroit to learn best practices around immigrant integration and inclusion. During the day and a half visit, Dallas' Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs (WCIA) arranged for visits to partner agencies such as the Dallas City Police Department and organizations such as A Better Block that work to create safe neighborhoods, reduce crime and make corners pedestrian friendly. Leaders also met with social and immigrant entrepreneurs. The highlight of the program was the constant exchange of ideas and thoughts with fellow participants who inspired each other for more effective immigrant integration work.
Montgomery County is thankful to Welcoming America and the City of Dallas for setting up an educational trip and hopes to use the knowledge gained for future programming and planning.
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December Workshops and Information Sessions
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The Pro Bono Program provides FREE LEGAL SERVICES to low-income county residents in civil
cases. The program provides two means for residents to receive free services - at a legal advice clinic or through the client intake line for referral to an attorney volunteer for direct representation. Click for brochures in
English
and
Spanish
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The Pro Bono Program is committed to helping the residents of Montgomery County,
MD. Individual circumstances may vary and in some cases the program may not be able to assist
everyone.
The Montgomery County Maryland Bar Foundation Pro Bono Program Legal Clinics continue to meet twice a month throughout Montgomery County. Each clinic is staffed by attorneys versed in different areas of practice including Immigration.
For further information, please make sure to read the brochure or call the Pro Bono Program at 301-424-7651 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Monday - Thursday.
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> Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) Baltimore offers training sessions:
- Quick Topics Training - Asylum Updates, Wednesday, December 18, 2019, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. EST. Please join KIND Baltimore for an important discussion regarding recent legal developments in asylum practice, including new legal strategies.
Meeting ID: 244 832 420/Password: 127332
Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abCSojnyj4
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> Citizenship Information Sessions Presented by Montgomery College and Catholic Charities
Are you a legal, permanent resident preparing for the U.S. citizenship test and interview? Come to an
information session and discover how Montgomery College and Catholic Charities may be able to help
you for free! See the
website for more information.
>Free Citizenship Preparation Classes in Montgomery County
Montgomery College (MC) provides FREE citizenship preparation classes throughout Montgomery
County, including locations in Rockville, Silver Spring, and Wheaton. Multi-level classes are funded
through a grant from the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) at various schedules
to meet the needs of learners. Please check the
MC Citizenship Website for more information or call
240-567-8839.
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Language Services and Financial Assistance
> Language Access Services by Ayuda
Do you provide services to Maryland victims of crime? Do you ever need a spoken or sign
interpreter to communicate with the victims whom you serve? The Language Access Program at
Ayuda can provide you with professionally trained, trauma-informed interpreters at no cost
(because of funding from the Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention).
Please email
[email protected] with "Maryland Victims" in the subject heading to
learn more and to add your organization to the list of those that will receive services.
> Financial Assistance for Citizenship Application Fees offered by CASA
CASA, in partnership with Montgomery County, is offering financial assistance to those who are eligible
to apply for citizenship but cannot afford to pay the application fee. Residents of Montgomery County
who earn less than 300% of the federal poverty guideline may qualify for a scholarship of $150 or $300
to help pay the application filing fee. Interested applicants should call (240) 560-2272 for more
information. Flyers are available in
English and
Spanish. Note: Low-income individuals seeking to apply
for citizenship may also be eligible for a
fee waiver or
reduced fee through USCIS.
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HOLIDAY MEALS FOR FAMILIES
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The Montgomery County Police Department,
Fire & Rescue Services and Office of Community Partnerships partnered with Chores4Charities and Nando's to feed 1,000 families over a two-day period for Thanksgiving.
In attendance were Council Vice President Sidney Katz, Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Hans Reimer, Police Chief Marcus Jones and Fire Chief Scott Goldstein.
To learn more about Chores4Charities, visit their website: https://chores4charities.com/
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Upcoming Meetings of County Executive's Ethnic & Faith Advisory Groups
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African Affairs Advisory Group (AAAG) will meet on Thursday, December 12, 2019 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD. For more information, call 240-672-1788.
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Asian Pacific American Advisory Group (APAAG) will meet on Thursday, December 12, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Jewish Council for the Aging, 12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852. If you would like to be included on the agenda, please contact Mr. Yi Shen at [email protected].
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Caribbean American Advisory Group (CAAG) met on Tuesday, December 3, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Civic Center Building in Silver Spring. CAAG members celebrated their "Internal Spirit" with light refreshments. For more information, please email [email protected].
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Latin American Advisory Group (LAAG) will meet on on January 14, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at the Rockville Memorial Library, Third Floor, Suite 330 (Office of Community Partnerships). The meeting will focus on the Census 2020, the County's regional strategy, and how the Advisory Group can help contribute to a Latino complete count.
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Middle Eastern American Advisory Group (MEAAG) will meet on Monday, December 9, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at the Rockville Memorial Library, 3rd floor mediation room #331. This is a public meeting and all are welcome. Please direct questions to [email protected].
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Interfaith Community Advisory Group Meetings:
- Kenyan Delegation, Tuesday, December 3, 1:00 p.m.- 2:30 p.m., Rockville Memorial Library
- Executive Committee, Thursday, December 12, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Rockville Memorial Library
- Education Committee, 6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Rockville Memorial Library
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Many Ways to Give Back This Holiday Season
You can help make the winter holidays brighter for those in need by donating food,
gift cards, toys, and other
items to one of the agencies participating in Montgomery County's
Holiday Giving Project
which is collecting holiday meals and gifts for more than 10,000 local families. To find these needs--and many more ways to help during this season--visit the Volunteer Center's online list of holiday donation and volunteer opportunities. Holiday volunteer shifts tend to fill quickly, but there are always lots of ways to serve year-round.
While you're at it, you could also consider volunteering in honor of friends and family as a special holiday gift. Pick an activity important to your loved ones (filter by "Cause" to search our organization database or by "Interest" to search our volunteer opportunity database), then sign up and serve. Don't have time to fit in your volunteer service before your gift-giving time? You could pledge to volunteer for a particular project, perhaps committing to serve every month for one or more organizations. That way, maybe your gift recipients will be able to join you!
Once you decide on a volunteer activity, you can print out a Gift of Volunteering certificate offered by the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection as part of its Gift Outside the Box holiday campaign. This program encourages sustainable gift choices to reduce waste, support local businesses, and encourage volunteerism during the holiday season.
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AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
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OCP Staff Shares Census Information
On November 6th, Shawn Ellis and Julian Norment from Office of Community Partnerships l
ed a U.S.
Census presentation before Generation I (One), a seniors group at The People's Community Baptist Church. Shawn and Julian gave background information on the census, what a complete county means for Montgomery County, and how members of Generation I can volunteer and apply for census jobs.
Lynching Memorial Project
On November 3rd, a Soil Collection Ceremony and Reception was held on the grounds of Poolesville Presbyterian Church. The ceremony, the first event for the Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project, commemorated and recognized the traumatic era of lynching. Twenty-nine documented lynchings took place in Maryland, and at least three were in Montgomery County. One of those occurred in January 1880, when George Peck, age 22, was lynched in Poolesville, having been accused and arrested for attempted assault of a white child. The case was never brought to trial.
The Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project believes that by reckoning with the truth of the racial violence that has shaped many communities, they can help advance healing and reconciliation across Montgomery County.
Black History Month Leadership & Service Awards
In celebration of Black History Month, nominations are currently being accepted by the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism for the 3rd Annual Black History Month Leadership & Service Awards. This program recognizes Maryland-based, African American-founded organizations that provide volunteer service to improve Maryland communities for all. Selected recipients will be invited to the Black History Month Leadership & Service Awards ceremony on a weekday in February.
The nomination period is open until January 3, 2020.
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ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITY
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The Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC) celebrated its 37
th
anniversary on Sunday, November 3
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. CCACC is one of the largest grassroot organizations in the Washington Metropolitan area serving the Chinese community. Many state, county and municipal dignitaries attended the celebration to bring well wishes to the Center.
The Asian American Inter Community Services (AICS) celebrated its 15
th
anniversary on Sunday, November 3
rd
. AICS is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles in the Asian Community through awareness, education, and prevention, with a preferential focus on underserved and hard-to-reach populations.
Council Vice President Sidney Katz (center) and Maryland State Delegate Lily Qi (second from right) hosted the Asian American Business Roadmap: Resources, Opportunities and Challenges event on November 18, 2019. Asian business owners and people who are interested in doing business with Montgomery County attended the event to learn about the procurement process, the Montgomery County Business Portal, and other resources available in the County.
NHAVN-MARYLAND sponsored "Thanksgiving Meal - Thinking of Seniors" on November 23rd at the
Long Branch Community Center. Three hundred people attended, with representatives from a variety of state and local organizations.
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CARIBBEAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
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Strategic Planning
The Caribbean American Advisory Group's Strategic Plan includes four priorities and work teams:
Culture and Outreach, Economic Development, Education and Workforce Development, and
Health and Wellness. These priorities will be addressed through various media, with support from experts in the field and in partnership with community organizations.
CAAG will begin its new year with a general meeting on January 7, 2020, where its work-priorities and teams will be re-examined. The Education and Workforce Development Team will revise and finalize plans for the Effective Business Strategies Forum, Part 2, which will be held at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza. The presenters will discuss writing a business plan, starting a small business, and applying for a business loan.
Collection Drive
CAAG will be collecting items for the Montgomery County Women's Shelter until December 10. There is a need for wallets, small flashlights and gift cards. If you would like to contribute, please contact [email protected] to make collection arrangements.
Updates
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| U.S. Census Bureau Partnership Specialist Juliet Ceesay |
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| Maryland State Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins |
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| Shawn Ellis, Montgomery County's 2020 Census Manager |
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On October 30, CAAG hosted "The 2020 US CENSUS: What I Need to Know," a program at the Silver Spring Civic Building. The discussion was led by U.S. Census Bureau Partnership Specialists Robin Brown (Haitian), Daniel Jones (Dominican), Juliet Ceesay (Monserratian) and Shawn Ellis, Montgomery County's 2020 Census Manager. Maryland State Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins also added valuable information. For more information please contact Derrice Deane at [email protected] or [email protected]. CAAG will continue to participate in the 2020 Census Outreach program throughout the county.
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| Rosemarie Williams-Harvey |
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| Dr. Benjamin Farrell and CAAG Co-chair, Derrice Deanne |
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On September 26, 2019, CAAG hosted the first part of its Education and Workforce Development forums
at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza. The forum, Effective Business Strategies -
Part 1, was led by Montgomery College Professor Dr. Benjamin Farrell and Ms. Rosemarie Williams-Harvey, senior manager of a talent acquisition firm based in Montgomery County.
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Holiday Toy and Winter Items Drive
Several County partner organizations will be hosting a Holiday Toy and Winter Items Drive on Saturday, December 21
, 6:00 p.m. at Plum Gar Community Center (19561 Scenery Drive, Germantown). We are requesting donations of toys for boys and girls of all ages, and winter coats and accessories for children of all sizes. You can make donations at any time before December 21.
To donate or for more information, please call Jessy Mejia at 240-277-2211 or email [email protected].
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Upcoming Events
SAVE THE DATE:
Sixth annual Middle Eastern American Heritage Celebration,
Sunday, March 15, 2020,
3:00-p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
, featuring exhibits, proclamation presentation, music, dancing, and light fare. Location and other details to be announced.
Updates
On October 29
th
, Office of Community Partnerships Advisory Group chairs participated in the audit interview for becoming a Certified Welcoming Community through Welcoming America. They learned more about the purpose and plans of the Welcoming Community program and briefed the auditors on vision, programs, plans and needs of each advisory group.
On November 12
th
, MEAAG Vice Chair Akhtar Zubairi and Iraqi American member Subhi Rawi attended the County Council President's press conference announcing the new Economic Development Platform for the county. MEAAG is "all in" for contributing to expand business-friendly programs in Montgomery County.
On November 13
th
, MEAAG Chair Debbie Trent participated in the Montgomery County
Volunteer Managers Networking and Learning Session, exchanging strategies for engaging youth and teen volunteers.
On December 2nd, the County's Business Connect and the Middle Eastern American Advisory Group sponsored a
Small Business Development Workshop for individuals interested in starting a new business, registering a business in the state of Maryland, or doing business with Montgomery County. The free workshop was presented by
Daniel Koroma, Montgomery
County Business Liaison Officer at the Rockville Memorial Library.
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Interfaith Thanksgiving Services
Thanks to interfaith networks throughout Montgomery County, people came together in Kensington, Olney, Silver Spring and Potomac for Interfaith Thanksgiving Services. Pictured is the Potomac Area Interfaith Communities Thanksgiving Service hosted by St. Raphael's Catholic Commuity in Rockville. The service featured music, prayers, litanies and sacred texts from Eastern and Western faith traditions. It included giving thanks by contributing to Manna Food and supporting the Mother Earth Project, Trees for the Future, and the Montgomery County Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions.
Upcoming Events
Summit of Muslim Leaders, Tuesday, December 17, 1:00 p.m., County Executive Office
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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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