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"A More Equitable and Inclusive Montgomery County"
County Executive Marc Elrich
September 1, 2020 - Issue 147
NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
Free COVID Tests

Do you need a COVID-19 test? Visit the County's website for information about upcoming testing clinics and to make an appointment. Click here.
Donate Food

Want to organize a food drive for Manna in your neighborhood? Manna is accepting food donations in large blue bins outside their warehouse at 9311 Gaither Rd in Gaithersburg. Check the  Most Needed Foods list and drop it off 24/7 without needing to come inside. Click here.
Free Financial Navigator Guidance Program

In partnership with the national nonprofit organization Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund), the City of Gaithersburg today announced the launch of a free  Financial Navigator program to help residents address critical financial issues they may be facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Volunteer for Medical Reserve Corps

Montgomery County is expanding community testing for COVID-19, conducting specimen collection sites for asymptomatic individuals to receive self-administered testing. The county needs volunteers to join the Medical Reserve Corps, which is assisting in supporting community testing. For more information and to register to volunteer here.
Welcoming Week

Welcoming Week is September 12-20, 2020. During this time, organizations and communities bring together immigrants, refugees, and long-time residents to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity.
ESOL Classes for Adults

Find an online ESOL class on this flyer from MCAEL. A full list also can be found here.
Voting in Maryland 

Learn more about voter registration, mail in ballots, polling sites, and all things election related here.
Primary Election Voters' Guide 2020 

The League of Women's Voters of Montgomery County's Voters'  Guide is here. For information on how to access the Guide in English and Spanish, click here.
Election Judges Needed 

Election judges with basic IT and customer service skills are needed for the administration of the primary and general elections. The Board also needs judges who are bilingual in Spanish and English, as well as those who speak other languages. To serve as an election judge, you must be a United States citizen, a registered voter in Maryland, and you must attend training. Please contact the Board of Elections, visit the website www.777vote.org or visit the Election Judge page for more information about the community service opportunity. For the application, click here.
100th Anniversary of Women's Right to Vote

The City of Gaithersburg is presenting the "Women's Suffrage Centennial Series," with educational events and an art exhibit exploring the women's suffrage movement and voting rights. READ MORE>>>
Maryland Community Needs Survey

Ensure your local community needs are included in the Maryland State Service Plan by taking this 18-minute survey. 
Click here.
Grant Opportunity

Grant opportunity NOW OPEN for 501c3 nonprofits to protect water quality and reduce stormwater. The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust is accepting proposals from 501c3 organizations to support watershed restoration and outreach throughout Montgomery County. View the program intro video here.
 
Deadline to submit proposals is November 12, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. and a virtual informational session will be held on September 16th from 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. To participate in the virtual session or for questions, contact the Chesapeake Bay Trust's Grant Manager, Jeffrey Popp, 410-974-2941, ext. 103.
Business Resources During Covid-19

Beginning July 20, a new low-interest loan program is available to small businesses throughout Maryland that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for details.
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Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is intended to assist individuals and businesses with their COVID-19 related needs.The Senate Committee on Small Businesses & Entrepreneurship created The Small Business Owner's Guide to the CARES Act
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The SBA offers continuing guidance, which is available here. More business resources are available from the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation's COVID-19 update.
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The Maryland Department of Commerce in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Labor, the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, and several other state agencies launched a new webpage dedicated to business resources during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Click here for more information.
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Latino Economic Development Center also offers updates, information, and resources for small businesses. READ MORE>>>
Senior Planet Montgomery 

Senior Planet Montgomery offers virtual programs to help seniors learn new skills, save money, get in shape and make new friends. Visit their website or call 240-753-0676.
Amharic Video - Need Help Choosing a Major? 

Check out this video from Montgomery College.
Zoom Registration for Lifelong Learning Institute Non-Credit Courses

Virtual Face-to-Face in Real-Time! Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) is offering all fall courses online via Zoom. Zoom allows students to hear and see the instructor as they present their class using videos, powerpoints, and lectures. Zoom also offers students the opportunity to interact with the instructor and other students - asking questions and joining in discussions.
READ MORE>>>
Rockville Goes Purple

September is National Recovery Month, and the city will hold several events as part of Rockville Goes Purple, a continuing campaign to shine a spotlight on the impact of opioid addiction and educate the community about the epidemic.
Help Habitat for Humanity at Home

Build simple projects that you can do from the safety of your own home. Project materials will be shipped to your door. Donate your project to a Habitat Repair Partner or keep for your home.
Click here for details.
Stay Home and Learn

Nonprofit Learning Lab is offering daily online trainings as a resource for nonprofits who are responding to the evolving changes and needs in their community and within their organizations as a result of COVID. Click here for more information.

Empowered Women International and LEDC present free webinars in English and Spanish. Click here for information.
2020 CENSUS
2020 Census Last Chance Weekend - September 25-28 Everyone Counts

All 2020 Census operations are now scheduled to end on September 30, including all self-response options.  This offers us less than 4 weeks to ensure every household in Montgomery County is counted in this decennial.  

On the last weekend of the month of September, we will host a final series of Census outreach events before the 2020 Census closes. Our goal will be to encourage everyone who has not yet participated to take 5 to 10 minutes to complete their 2020 Census, right then and there.  To ensure safe interactions, we will primarily engage the community using posters with QR codes, census flyers, and even share Census give-away bags as an added incentive. We will do all of this while wearing face coverings and adhering to social distancing guidelines. 

With over 20% of the households in Montgomery County still uncounted and less than 30 days before the end of the 2020 Census, we continue to actively engage our communities and encourage them to submit their questionnaires.  At stake is not only our fair representation in Congress, but also billions of dollars in funding for hospitals, food assistance, school, and other programs that will be critical to our recovery over the next 10 years.

Volunteers Needed Today and Through September 30th 

We are still recruiting volunteers to help us encourage Census participation at food distribution, grocery stores, high-traffic shopping areas, and other community events almost every day, continuing through September 30th.  At each of these outreach opportunities, we will provide all necessary PPE's and adhere to social distancing guidelines.  We will use posters with QR codes and Census banners to encourage households to respond to the Census while they wait in line to receive boxes of food or other services. 

This will be an opportunity open to anyone interested and available, but if you have already taken our Census Ambassador training, please consider signing up to serve as a Census Captain at one of these opportunities.  
If you haven't already, please click here to submit a Census Volunteer Application and then sign up below to help.
We are looking to partner with specific hosting organizations to offer SSL hours to students interested in joining the effort.  These events will be clearly identified at the time of listing.

Please visit our page on the Volunteer Center website to register and sign up for an upcoming event.

Current Self-Response Rates

Check out the Response Rates Map and Rankings Dashboard to see how your hometown is doing and encourage your stakeholders, family and friends to participate. It's a great way to track the progress of the nation's self-response. The map is updated every afternoon to reflect the self-response rate of the country and of each state, county, city, census tract, congressional district and tribal area.       

Trouble Finding Your Census ID?

If you have not received anything from the Census Bureau yet, you can still respond online without your Census ID. Visit the online form and select "Start Questionnaire." Below the ID field, choose the link that says, "If you do not have a Census ID, click here."

FAQs

Click here for answers to your questions about the Census.

Citizenship Success

The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center is grateful to our citizenship teachers Cindy Newland, Martine Portee, Daniel McCall, Van Nguyen, Carolyn Quinn and John Schmelzer for their hard work, perseverance, flexibility and dedication to the program and over two hundred clients from over 15 countries taking their citizenship classes. 

We also wish to celebrate 25 of these clients who took in-person and online classes at the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center and who, through hard work and dedication, recently took their oath and have obtained citizenship and made a deeper commitment to the United States as their home.

Mrs. Kumba Josephine Bayoh
Professor Peter Okafor


"This is a very happy day for me! It was so difficult for me to get into a citizenship preparation program until I found the Gilchrist Immigrant Center who immediately accepted me, and I started classes at their East County location, last year. I am so proud to be a citizen of the United States of America. It is a dream come true, and I am eager to give back to this beautiful nation," said Mrs. Kumba Josephine Bayoh.

"I have B.A in French Language, M.A. and Ph.D in Linguistics from Universite de Paris III, Sorbonne, Paris. I lectured at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. For the past few years I have served as a volunteer teaching Montgomery County residents basic English and basic computers. I am so happy to be an American Citizen! American Dreams - here I come!" said Professor Peter Okafor.

Please join us in congratulating our new citizens!

The Center assumed the citizenship program last fall from Baltimore City Community College, which offered classes for more than 15 years and served many Montgomery County residents eligible for U.S. citizenship. Eleven classes were offered throughout the County and are now offered online with little or no disruptions. 

The success of these programs is primarily due to the teachers who are all skilled in teaching students with limited English proficiency, and have in-depth knowledge of the citizenship application processes. It is also built around the strong trust and relationship the teachers build with students and the classes scheduled in consideration of students' work and family commitments.

The Center's citizenship program continues to provide pathways citizenship for eligible County residents, aligning with the County Executive's vision of a more equitable and inclusive county. To learn more about citizenship and other upcoming classes, please visit https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/gilchrist/. We also welcome your calls and will help you in your language. All staff speak Spanish and will use interpreters for any language.
Call 240-777-4940, Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Please leave a message and we will return your call.
August Workshops and Info Sessions  

> Free Citizenship Application Consultations by APALRC
 
Due to concerns about the coronavirus, the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center is not scheduling any citizenship application workshops currently. However, APALRC has access to a safe and secure web platform, CitizenshipWorks, that applicants can use and get free help from an experienced attorney at the APALRC in reviewing and drafting their citizenship application. 

CitizenshipWorks is secure and private, and it allows attorneys to remotely review, edit, ask questions, and provide feedback on the draft N-400 form. The website exists in three languages: English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese. The website allows applicants to start and stop their application at any time and saves their work each step of the way. 

Please note, CitizenshipWorks is not connected to USCIS or the US government, it is a private website. This is not the same as filing online through the USCIS website. To start drafting your application today, please go to http://www.citizenshipworks.org/Portal/APALRC
.
Even though the APALRC office is closed to in-person meetings, they can still answer questions about the 2020 Census (immigration law related or otherwise) by phone and email. They can also assist persons with limited English to obtain Census information in the language of their choice. For more information, please contact APALRC at info@apalrc.org or 202-393-3572.
 
> Free Legal Service provided by the Pro Bono Program

The Pro Bono Program provides FREE LEGAL SERVICES to low-income county residents in civil cases. The Pro Bono Program provides two means for residents to receive free services - at a legal advice clinic or through the client intake line for a referral to an attorney volunteer for direct representation. See the brochures in English or Spanish.
   
The Pro Bono Program is committed to helping the residents of Montgomery County, MD. Individual circumstances may vary and in some cases they may not be able to assist everyone. 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.
 > Free Legal Service provided by the Pro Bono Program

The Pro Bono Program provides FREE LEGAL SERVICES to low-income county residents in civil cases. The Pro Bono Program provides two means for residents to receive free services - at a legal advice clinic or through the client intake line for a referral to an attorney volunteer for direct representation. See the brochures in English or Spanish.
   
The Pro Bono Program is committed to helping the residents of Montgomery County, MD. Individual circumstances may vary and in some cases they may not be able to assist everyone. 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.
> Free immigration consultations by HIAS by phone

HIAS works with a generous network of pro bono attorneys - both locally through their headquarters in NY and Silver Spring, MD, and across the country - to provide legal services to asylum seekers, asylees, and others who are seeking humanitarian relief. 

Given the evolving situation regarding COVID-19, for the safety of staff and volunteers, HIAS has suspended all in-person client meetings and all non-essential travel, including pro bono legal delegations to the border. However, they are now providing free telephonic immigration consultations for Montgomery County residents. If interested in receiving a consultation, please email generallaw@hias.org or call 240-668-4053 and leave a message. You must note in your email or your voicemail that you are a Montgomery County resident to get a callback.
 
For all other Maryland residents, please call HIAS's intake line the first Friday of every month at 301-844-7248 to receive a free immigration consultation. 
> Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) Baltimore offers a variety of virtual webinars and training sessions:

Quick Topics Training Webinar - Best Practices in Working with Clients and Social Media
Wednesday, September 9, 2020, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. 
Please RSVP by Monday, September 7th here.

Introductory Training - Representing Children in Immigration Matters
Thursday, September 17, 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
The training will take place at 1 South Street, Conference Room West, 21st Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. Please RSVP using the following link by Friday, September 11: Initial Pro Bono Registration Form.

Dealing with Denials
Sept 11 - October 2, 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.(Online)
More info and registration here.
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 interpreterbank@ayuda.com 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.
ADVISORY GROUP MEETINGS
Upcoming Meetings of County Executive's Ethnic & Faith Advisory Groups
All ethnic advisory groups are currently meeting virtually. For more information or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the liaisons listed below:

The African Affairs Advisory Group
will meet on Thursday, October 8, 2020 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Please feel free to reach out for more information and access. Contact the AAAG liaison, harrieta.shangarai@montgomerycountymd.gov.

African American Advisory Group Liaison: 
julian.norment@montgomerycountymd.gov

Asian Pacific American Advisory Group will meet virtually on Monday, September 21, 2020 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The link to join the virtual meeting is https://zoom.us/j/98933465313. Please contact Mr. Yi Shen at yi.shen@montgomerycountymd.gov if you would like to be added to the agenda. 

Caribbean American Advisory Group
will meet virtually on September 1 datefrom 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. The link will be provided closer to the meeting dateThe meeting will be divided into business and informational sessions focusing on the 2020 Census and COVID-19 related mental health presentations. Read more below.
  
Latin American Advisory Group will meet in September (date TBD). The Group will be updated on Census efforts, COVID-19 priorities and resources, and will review information regarding future appointments by Executive. For more information, please email Jessy.MejiaTerry@montgomerycountymd.gov

Middle Eastern American Advisory Group
will meet virtually on Wednesday, September 9, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. All are welcome.To receive the Zoom link, please email Arwa.ElBoraei@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Interfaith Community Advisory Group 
September 3, 1-3 pm - Executive Committee monthly meeting
Liaison: mansfield.kaseman@montgomerycountymd.gov

Learn How to Find Your Best Volunteer Fit During COVID-19 and Beyond - Online Session on September 10

Would you like to make a real difference during these challenging times? The pandemic has drastically altered the world of volunteering, as nonprofit and government agencies respond to both the increasing community needs and the constraints imposed by COVID-19. Join the Montgomery County Volunteer Center for a Zoom event sponsored by the county libraries on Thursday, Sept. 10, 11:00 a.m. - 12 noon, to learn about our rich resources for exploring volunteer opportunities, the special services of the 50+ Volunteer Network, and what community service may look like in the future. For questions or a link to the event registration, email 50plus@montgomerycountymd.gov.

AmeriCorps Members Serve Local (and National) Needs
 
AmeriCorps, an intensive service work program often referred to as "the domestic Peace Corps," relies on more than 75,000 people per year to serve nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the United States. While many local positions have been filled, a few organizations are still recruiting AmeriCorps members to help tackle a variety of needs in our community. Here are details:

CASA seeks full- and part-time immigrant integration specialists to support eligible lawful permanent residents in applying for U.S. citizenship and to provide community members with financial education and tax preparation assistance. CASA is also recruiting full-time youth education specialists to work with Latino and immigrant youth and families. Preference for individuals who are bilingual in Spanish, French, Korean, Mandarin, Thai, or Hindi. For more information or to apply, visit the CASA jobs website or email Pablo Blank.
 
The Choice Program at UMBC is looking for individuals to serve full time as mentors/counselors for disconnected youth at sites in Montgomery County (and other Maryland jurisdictions). Conversational Spanish proficiency preferred. Apply online or email choiceserves@umbc.edu to learn more.
 
Project CHANGE Montgomery is recruiting two full-time Americorps members to serve with Community Bridges in responding to MCPS student mental health challenges related to COVID-19. These individuals will help with after-school programming and mentoring for girls in grades 4-12 and beyond. Project CHANGE also seeks volunteers (not AmeriCorps positions) to provide one-on-one support to struggling MCPS students. For more information or to apply, email Paul Costello.
 
All AmeriCorps members are paid a living allowance stipend throughout the course of their service. They may also be eligible to receive an educational award at the end of their service and student loan deferment during their service.
AFRICAN COMMUNITY
African Heritage Month


Due to the proclamation event, the African Community Advisory Group will not hold its regular meeting in September.

Census Outreach 



The East County/Briggs Chaney Food Distribution event, led by Kingdom Fellowship, provided an opportunity to promote  the 2020 Census to ensure that everyone is counted. Trained Volunteer Census Ambassadors distributed information and helped people complete the census survey form as they waited in line for food. Over 500 individuals/families received food assistance at this event. 
AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
Council Approves Special Appropriation to Support African American Health Program Executive Committee's Targeted COVID-19 Response Program

On August 4th, the Montgomery County Council approved a $3,354,084 special appropriation for the African American Health Program Executive Committee Targeted COVID-19 Response. The African American and Black population has been disproportionately impacted by Covid-19 nationally and locally, with higher death rates than other demographic populations. The special appropriation was sponsored by the full Council and was spearheaded by Councilmembers Rice and Jawando. READ MORE>>>
CARIBBEAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
Census and COVID-19

CAAG continues to strategize opportunities for outreach to the Caribbean community. Shawn Ellis, Montgomery County 2020 Census Manager, will participate in the meetingSeptember
meeting to discuss the Census and the importance of participation and self-identifying as Caribbean. CAAG members will participate in outreach activities in low-count areas of Silver Spring.

The September meeting will also feature Dr. Tamar Rodney, Assistant Professor and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Rodney will discuss the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our personal and professional lives and how to identify and use coping mechanisms to address mental health issues.

Ms. Derrice Deane, co-chair of CAAG and host of CaribNation Cable Channel television, interviewed Shawn Ellis on August 16 for a program on the 2020 US Census and the Caribbean Community. View the program on YouTube.


For more information about the Group's activities, please email Yvonne.Stephens@montgomerycountymd.gov.
CAAG: Working to Serve the Caribbean Community in Montgomery County. 
Mrs. Venice Mundle-Harvey, Chair
Mrs. Derrice Deane, Co-Chair
Mrs. Yvonne Stephens, Liaison
LATIN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
Census 2020 - Last Stretch

The last month of the "Everyone Counts in Montgomery/En Montgomery Todos Contamos" Census campaign has begun, and the Office of Community Partnerships is working with all hands-on-deck. In the Mid County region, Wheaton Westfield Mall and Costco are supporting our Census outreach effort and are hosting our table with materials and volunteers so that we can help visiting customers complete their Census on-the-spot. We will also be doing the same while supporting food distribution events by our nonprofit partners in the region. All this activity is complimented by an all-Spanish local mainstream media campaign on radio, television, newspaper and social media. Thus far, Montgomery County has surpassed its own 2010 count with a month to go.

DÍA NACIONAL DE REGISTRACIÓN DE VOTANTES SEMINARIO WEB EN ESPAÑOL

National Voter Registration Day is September 22. Please click here for more information about this free event, featuring
Dr. Gilberto Zelaya, Montgomery County Board of Elections.
.
Supporting Families

Food and housing insecurity are still a major issue during this economic crisis brought about by COVID-19. To support families most in need, we have begun to provide rental assistance information with our Census materials at food distribution sites, and in Spanish through our WhatsApp line, as well as sharing information on COVID-19 resources.


Census volunteers supporting our nonprofit partners serve families most in need in Mid County, with additional information regarding Census, rental assistance and other critical resources. 
MIDDLE EASTERN AMERICAN COMMUNITY

To celebrate Eid-Ul-Adha with low-income neighbors, the Muslim Community Center Social Services & Food Pantry, including several MEAAG members, conducted a Greet-Grab-N-Go curbside food distribution to 125 families and food delivery to another 25 families. The MCC Sisters Committee distributed 220 gift bags of toys to children of refugee families and other local needy families. (See attached report, with photos). MEAAG members also contributed to the post-Eid toy drive conducted by the Islamic Community Center of Potomac

On August 20th, the American Muslim Senior Society convened the interfaith virtual dialogue, "Sharing Traditions for Life Decisions." MEAAG members and friends were among the dozens of participants, hearing from Imam Mohamed Abdullahi (MCC Chaplain), Dr. Rev. Tyrone Pitts (Gen. Sec'y Emeritus, Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.) and Rabbi David Rose (Chaplain-Hospice/Jewish Social Service Agency). View the video recording here.

Thanks to Arwa ElBoraei, Middle Eastern Liaison and Senior Fellow, MEAAG has a YouTube channel! Three short public service announcements on Completing the Census Count provide the why and the how to participate.

Capturing Kindness Photo Contest - Deadline Extended to September 6

The Montgomery County Middle Eastern American Advisory Group (MEAAG) is pleased to announce the Capturing Kindness during Covid-19 Photo Contest. Residents and employees of Montgomery County -- amateur photographers of all ages -- are eligible to submit. Images with acts or scenes of kindness during the novel coronavirus pandemic should somehow reflect the diverse Middle Eastern American community of the county. The contest runs through September 6. Click here for details and flyer.

Humanitarian Relief to the Lebanese People

The devastating blasts of ammonium nitrate on August 4th at the Port of Beirut has been especially difficult news for county residents and employees of Lebanese descent. MEAAG extends heartfelt condolences to those who have lost family, friends, business associates, or property among the more than 170 deceased and thousands injured in the capital city. The American Task Force on Lebanon and the Lebanese Information Center provide accurate, timely, non-partisan information on the explosions, their aftermath, and secure ways to donate money or contribute toward material assistance directly to the Lebanese people. One list of relief organizations can be found here. Anyone interested in participating in a
special relief effort from our county residents and businesses should please contact Debbie Trent, MEAAG chair, at dtrent@civilstrategies.net.

Upcoming Events

Blood Drive - Wednesday September 2nd,  Noon - 6:00 p.m., Baitur Rahman Mosque, 15000 Good Hope Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20905. Click here for details.

In partnership with the Montgomery County Public Libraries, MEAAG has arranged an intergenerational "Meet-the-Author" series of Zoom talks. The featured author on September 10th is Rajia Hassib and on September 24th, Nadia Hashimi. The registration information and program description are in the attached flyer. For the September 10th event, register here and for September 24, register here.


INTERFAITH COMMUNITY
Faith in Action on Racial Equity
 

 
On August 13, the Faith Community Advisory Council (FCAC) and the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. (SSTCi) co-hosted a panel discussion on racial equity. The event featured four faith leaders, Rev. Abbi Janamanchi (Senior Minister, Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church), Rev. Dr. Gareth Murray (Associate Pastor, First Baptist Church), Imam Faizul Khan (Islamic Society of Washington Area), who defined the meaning of racial equity and described how their faith communities are dealing with systemic racism and working with others toward achieving racial equity. They responded to questions on repentance and reparations for contributing to racial inequity, practical steps to take for congregation to nurture diversity, concerns about congregations' "creation stories" and truths to be told regarding church founders who could have been slaveholders. This was an important conversation as faith leaders strive to participate in creating a more inclusive and equitable Montgomery County.

September Events
  • FCAC, HHS and EveryMind are preparing to host a series of Mental Health First Aid and Self Care Training in the Fall. Also, soon to be made available to the community is a comprehensive Mental Health Resource Guide. Stay tuned for details.
  • FCAC, HHS and the OEMHS are partnering to offer a series of webinars to address reopening guidelines for houses of worship, including guidelines for special rites and services (weddings, funerals, etc.) and non-religious meetings and gatherings (recovery groups, staff meetings, etc.). The webinars also will address sanitizing/disinfecting procedures, contact tracing (if a congregant or staff member tests positive), security and compliance, and other important topics for Montgomery County faith communities..
  • Welcoming Week Kick Off -- "Creating Home Together: A Welcoming Week Experience"
    The virtual event, scheduled for  September 12 at 3:00 p.m., will feature music, dance, inspiring stories and more. Click here for details. 
  • The 15th Annual IFC (Virtual) Unity Walk sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington will be held on September 13. Click here for flyer.
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