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January 8, 2019 - Issue 129
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NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
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County Executive Elrich to Hold Five FY20 Operating Budget Forums
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is holding the first of five budget forums on Monday, January 14, to seek input from residents about Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) Operating Budget priorities. The forum will begin at 7 p.m. at the BlackRock Center for the Arts, at 12901 Town Commons Drive in Germantown.
Additional forum dates:
- Wednesday, Jan. 16 7 p.m. - Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring
- Tuesday, Jan. 22 7 p.m. - Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring
- Wednesday, Jan. 23 7 p.m. - Mid-County Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Road, Silver Spring
- Monday, Feb. 4 7 p.m. - Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, 4301 East West Hwy, Bethesda
The County Council approves the operating budget at the end of May. The County Executive will announce his Recommended FY20 Operating Budget on March 15.
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Celebrate African American History Month with "Strength, Beauty and Sisterhood" Exhibit
In recognition of African American History Month, the City of Gaithersburg Multicultural Affairs Committee presents "Strength, Beauty and Sisterhood," an art exhibit highlighting the works of well-known local artist Sandra Davis. The exhibit runs January 18 through March 11, 2019, at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 South Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg. Viewing hours are Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The public is invited to meet the artist during a free Artist Reception on Thursday, January 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For details, click here.
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Free Tax Preparation Available for Qualilfied Individuals
The annual Volunteer Income Tax (VITA) program, a partnership of the City of Gaithersburg and the Montgomery County Community Action Agency, is now accepting appointments to prepare 2018 taxes. The VITA program offers free tax preparation assistance to low- and moderate-income individuals who earn $55,000 or less per year. Preparation is done by IRS-trained volunteers who assist taxpayers in determining if they are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Services are offered in English and Spanish. For additional details, click here.
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Arts Barn Seeks Student Volunteers for Summer Break
The Arts Barn is now accepting applications for
2019 summer break student volunteers. Located in the heart of Kentlands, the Arts Barn offers enriching art education programs in the visual and performing arts for children ages 5 to 16. Student volunteers, who must be at least 14 years of age, will work with highly qualified teaching artists in a variety of disciplines while earning Student Service Learning (SSL) hours and valuable experience. A mandatory orientation will be held at the Arts Barn on June 15. Click
here for an online application.
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Winter Registration Open for Recreation & Parks Programs & Activities
Visit
ActivMontgomery to sign up for Montgomery County Recreation and Montgomery Parks programs and activities.
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Get Ready to Sweat!
CentroNía is hosting its 3rd annual
"It's A Dance, Dance Resolution Zumbathon" with instructor
Eric Ruiz Dance DC.
Get a jump start on your New Year's fitness goals
Thursday, January 17 at CentroNía headquarters. All proceeds will support CentroNia's high-quality, affordable, bilingual early learning programs and family support services for our city's low-income, working families.
Get your tickets today!
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Housing and Small Business Courses
Want to improve or start your own business...buy a home...take control of your finances? The Latino Economic Development Corporation offers classes and workshops to help! Visit the website.
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County Executive Marc Elrich was sworn in as Montgomery County's seventh executive on December 6, 2018. During his inauguration speech, he stated that as he went around the county to meet with different groups, he was "constantly reminded how important it was [for former County Executive Ike Leggett] to have made the table bigger and to have brought more people to the table in Montgomery County so their voices could be heard...I am going to continue that. I am confident that the members of this Council will continue that." And so the work of the Office of Community Partnerships (OCP) continues.
OCP's mission is to strengthen relationships between Montgomery County government and the residents it serves, with special focus on underserved and emerging communities and our neighbors in need. The OCP serves as a bridge builder between the County government and community organizations serving the residents of Montgomery County, working across the barriers of race, ethnicity, income, and religion.
As with any transition, there will be some changes over the next few months. With that being said, I was incredibly fortunate to be an integral part of OCP for the past seven years under the leadership of Bruce Adams. Over the course of that time, I worked on a wide range of issues from language access and immigration policy to LGBTQ and senior issues while being a fierce advocate for underrepresented communities. That experience will serve as a foundation for our office moving as we push forward to the next chapter of our work.
County Executive Elrich and I continue to be excited by the level of engagement with residents and stakeholders during his eight stop listening tour in November and December. We hope that you will continue to have your voices heard and contribute ideas to develop the recommended FY20 Operating Budget during one of the County Executive's five Operating Budget Forums.
Looking forward, OCP not only remains committed to the previously stated mission, but we are excited to work towards creating a more equitable and inclusive Montgomery County under County Executive Marc Elrich.
Diane Vy Nguyen-Vu
Acting Director, Office of Community Partnerships
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County Executive Marc Elrich Holds Listening Sessions
County Executive Marc Elrich hosted listening sessions in November and December to give residents and stakeholders a chance to have their voices heard and give feedback around the County Executive's top priorities. Over 1,300 residents attended the eight sessions held around the county over a period of four weeks and weighed in on a wide array of topics including affordable housing, traffic, immigration, development and the environment.
Videos and coverage of the listening sessions can be found on Montgomery Community Media's website.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Montgomery County continues the annual celebration of Dr. King's birthday at Strathmore Music Center on Monday, January 21 at 3 p.m. This year's theme is "Women of the Dream," presenting the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. through music, arts, dance and performance. Tickets are free and available at the door.
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January Workshops and Information Sessions
Get a one-on-one meeting with an attorney. Ask your immigration questions.
- These are brief advice and referral clinics. If you meet with an attorney, the services you receive will be limited by time, expertise, and the information you provide. You will receive advice that is specific to your situation, but the attorney you meet with will not represent you after the clinic.
- SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2019. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. International High School, Langley Park. 5150 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg, MD 20710
- FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2019 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. CONSULATE OF HONDURAS, 1990 M ST., NW, SUITE 104, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036
Please call ahead if you need a sign language interpreter. We serve clients in all languages. Send an email to
anastasia@ayuda.com
or call (202) 243-7315 with any questions about language services.
PLEASE BRING THESE THINGS TO HELP US SERVE YOU:
- All immigration documents
- Your passport and the passports of your family members
- Police reports, if you have been the victim of a crime or if you have been accused of committing a crime
- Criminal court documents, if you have been accused or convicted of a crime, even if charges were dismissed
Citizenship Corner Info Sessions hosted by APALRC
Questions About Citizenship? Free consultation with an immigration attorney and assistance with citizenship applications.
- 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Gaithersburg Library's "Citizenship Corner" 18330 Montgomery Village Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20879
All nationalities welcome! Please call for help: (202) 706-7135
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! Information sessions: January 15th at 6 p.m. or January 19th at 9 a.m.
See website for more information
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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 United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) at various schedules to meet the needs of learners.
Registration will begin on January 15th at 6 p.m. or January 19th at 9 a.m. To registerplease bring your green card to Montgomery College, 11002 Veirs Mill Road, Wheaton, MD, 20902. Please check the MC Citizenship Website for more information or call 240-567-8839.
- Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), a Maryland state agency, provides FREE citizenship preparation classes throughout Montgomery County, including locations in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, Silver Spring, and Wheaton. Citizenship classes prepare students with the ESL skills and knowledge of U.S civics and the naturalization process to complete the federal citizenship exam and successfully become U.S citizens. Classes are multi-level and are offered on various schedules to meet the needs of learners, including weekends and evenings. See the Winter 2018 schedule here.
Winter classes and registration will begin on January 5, 2019. To register, please, bring your green card and social security card to any class time and location. Walk-ins are welcome. Please check the BCCC website to see the full class schedule. Contact Citizenship Program Coordinator Yana Cascioffe for more information at 410-986-3201 or ycascioffe@bccc.edu.
Are you living/working in Montgomery County and interested in becoming a U.S. Citizen?
- Sixty hours of intensive English language instruction
- Prepare for the citizenship exam
- Free legal assistance with your citizenship application
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 in the amount 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.
Free Legal Services 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 referral to an attorney volunteer for direct representation.
- The Montgomery County Maryland Bar Foundation Pro Bono Program Legal Clinics continue to meet twice a month throughout Montgomery County (Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center & Germantown meet only once a month). Each of our clinics are staffed by attorneys versed in different areas of practice including Immigration.
- Please note that our East county clinic that meets the 1st Thursday of every month has two Immigration attorneys to address inquiries regarding Immigration.
The Pro Bono Program is committed to helping the residents of Montgomery County, MD. Individual circumstances may vary and in some cases we may not be able to assist everyone.
Call the Pro Bono Program at 301-424-7651 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday for additional information.
Free Citizenship Classes hosted by Briggs Center for Faith and Action
Classes will prepare you for U.S. Citizenship test and interview
- Tuesdays & Fridays, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
- Briggs Center for Faith and Action, 5148 Massachusetts Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20816
- For questions or to register, call 301-229-7725 or email csfannon@gmail.com
- Walk-ins welcome. www.BriggsCenter.org
Citizenship Classes: We help with the application process (N-400 form)
To register, call Cecilia Rojas: 301-251-2136.
- January 7- February 7, 2019. 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
- Millian Memorial United Methodist Church, 13016 Parkland Dr. Rockville, MD 20853
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). This new program will be launching in February or March of 2019. Please write to 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.
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Upcoming Meetings of County Executive's Ethnic & Faith Advisory Groups
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African Affairs Advisory Group (AAAG) Monthly Meeting will be held on
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Asian Pacific American Advisory Group has not finalized a date for January. For additional information, contact Diane Vu at
diane.vu@montgomerycountymd.gov
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Caribbean American Advisory Group (CAAG)
will meet on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 at the Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Joanne.Antoine@montgomerycountymd.gov
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Interfaith Working Group Meetings
- Faith Community Working Group (January 31, 10 a.m.- noon) Rockville Library
- Neighbors In Need Working Group (Not meeting)
- Religious Land Use Working Group (January 30, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.) Upcounty Regional Services Center
- Executive Committee (January 31, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.) Rockville Library
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Middle Eastern American Advisory Group (MEAAG) will hold its annual retreat on January 12 from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Office of Community Partnerships, Suite 330 in the Rockville Memorial Library, 21 Maryland Ave. For additional information, contact Debbie Trent, Chair, at dtrent@civilstrategies.net.
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MLK Day of Service Offers Many Ways to Give Back
On Monday, January 21, join thousands of other Montgomery County residents in celebrating the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by serving our community. The Volunteer Center will hold its annual
MLK Day of Service event -- featuring a wide variety of family-friendly service projects, plus a volunteer fair--at the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. that day. Participants will have the chance to help with everything from packaging food for the needy to making blankets for hospice clients.
Registration is required.
In addition, there will be multi-project service events coordinated by partner agencies in Gaithersburg (9 a.m. - 11 a.m.), Silver Spring (10 a.m.-12 noon), Rockville (10 a.m. -12 noon), Olney (11 a.m. - 2 p.m.), and Germantown (1 p.m. - 3 p.m.).
Find sign-up links and details here.
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Mark your Calendar for English, Citizenship, and Basic Computer Classes!
The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center offers free and low-cost classes in Wheaton, Gaithersburg, Germantown, White Oak, and East Silver Spring. Learn basic computer skills, practice your English, or prepare for the citizenship exam with us! We can also connect you with many other county resources - and we can help you in any language.
Registration for our winter classes will begin on January 8. Please check out our
website for registration dates and more details.
You can also download more detailed information of offerings at our four locations by clicking below:
Find us on Facebook at GilchristImmigrantResourceCenter or call us at 240-777-4940.
Spanish Speaking Computer Instructors Needed
The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center seeks volunteers who are fluent in written and spoken Spanish to teach or co-teach our basic computer skills class. The class covers
computer fundamentals, MS Windows, basic introduction to Microsoft Word, internet and email. These classes are designed to provide our clients with the skills to use the computer independently. We have a great curriculum and all teaching materials available. Our teaching materials are reviewed and updated yearly. Ongoing support will be available.
We also have classes that are taught in English, if interested. Teaching experience desired, but not required.
The 8-week winter session will begin the last week of January. Students are very eager to learn these basic and essential computer skills, and all we need are volunteers to lead the classes!
If you are interested, please complete an application via the following link https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/gilchrist/team.html. Upon receipt of your application, a brief interview will be conducted prior to being assigned to this opportunity.
Please help us continue to make Montgomery County a welcoming and thriving county for all!
Grants Information Workshop Held in December
The Gilchrist Immigration Resource Center - East County hosted a Community Grants Information Workshop in December. A C
ounty representative explained how nonprofit organizations could apply for grants through the County Council and County Executive. The presentation included information on eligibility criteria, application procedures, Council priorities, and more. The interactive workshop helped participants feel better equipped to apply for funding.
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Ethiopian Embassy Visit
Gondar, Ethiopia
From January 16 - 26, Council Member Craig Rice will lead a delegation of twenty community members and Montgomery College faculty on yet another historic and memorable trip to Gondar. For the first time in history, the group, including representatives from Montgomery College, will celebrate Martin Luther King Day at the University of Gondar. In addition, a new community park will be opened and dedicated to the people of Gondar. If you are interested in joining the group, contact Yasin Yimam at (301) 318-5913 or yasinyimam@gmail.com. For more information, visit Montgomerysistercities.org.
Morazan, El Salvador
The Morazan committee continues to provide scholarship support for eight college students in Morazan. They are also planning their annual Fiesta. Stay tuned for more details.
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AFRICAN AFFAIRS ADVISORY GROUP
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Community Grants Information Workshop
On December 5th, 2018 the African Affairs Advisory Group hosted a Montgomery County FY20 Community Grants Information workshop at the Silver Spring Civic Building. Carolyn Chen, the Council Grants Manager from the Office of the Montgomery County Council, gave an excellent presentation to
more than thirty-five attendees, representing over twelve organizations serving immigrant populations.
The African Affairs Advisory Group chairs continue to receive positive feedback on the helpfulness of this workshop and encourages medium to small non-profits providing critical services to the community at-large to apply for grants. More information on the grants process and how to apply can be found on the council grants website.
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End of Year Meeting Features State and Local Officials
Members of CAAG were joined by Delegate David Moon, Delegate-Elect Have Acevero, and Gaithersburg
City Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles for their last meeting of the year. Members of the Montgomery County Delegation provided a preview of their priorities for the 2019 General Assembly Session and actions the Advisory Group can take to support their efforts in Annapolis and on the local level. The group also was joined by Ambassador Curtis Ward to discuss efforts to re-establish the Governor's Commission on Caribbean Affairs. Stay tuned for information on our 2019 "lobby like a pro" training!
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Multi-Faith Vigil and Press Conference
A Multi-Faith Vigil and Press Conference at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church included laying on of hands by members from some 30 faith communities as blessing for Rosa Gutierrez Lopez. She is an undocumented mother of three children being threatened with deportation by ICE and now has sanctuary at Cedar Lane UU Church.
Rev. Mansfield Kaseman, speaking on behalf of the County Executive, Marc Elrich, and County Council President, Nancy Navarro, said, "We can be proud and grateful to live in a county where our elected officials stand in solidarity with faith communities and all who believe we are called to welcome the stranger, care for the vulnerable and love our neighbor as ourselves."
Quoting from the statement of the Council President, Nancy Navarro, he said: "We are a welcoming county, one that protects the most vulnerable among us. The Federal government's draconian immigrant policies are in stark to the values of what Montgomery County stands for, as they seek to divide families and communities instead of bringing them together."
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| Faith communities stand in solidarity with undocumented mother of three children |
Inaugural Interfaith Service at Strathmore
The Inaugural Interfaith Service included leaders from seven faith traditions reminding our County Executive and Council Members that we are all members of one human family and we share a common mission in creating a more inclusive, equitable and beloved Montgomery County.
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| Elected Officials with their families and faith leaders enjoyed a glorious Inauguration Day at Strathmore. |
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Interfaith Network of Montgomery County Executive Assistant
The Executive Assistant will provide administrative functions to the Interfaith Liaison of Montgomery County and the Faith Community Advisory Council (FCAC), its working groups and committees. The Faith Community Advisory Council, a part of the Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships, ensures that the County Executive is well informed of and able to act effectively in responding to the needs and concerns of faith communities. It works collaboratively with government, nonprofits, and community organizations in creating a more inclusive, equitable and compassionate community.
Read the full job description. Please submit resume and cover letter to
info@iworksmc.org.
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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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