NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
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Independence Day Celebrations and Other Upcoming Events:
Event:Germantown Glory
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 4; 7 p.m. - fireworks at 9:15 p.m.
Location: South Germantown Recreational Park, 18041 Central Park Circle, Boyds
Event: Mid-County Sparkles
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 4; 7:30 p.m. - fireworks at 9:15 p.m.
Location: Albert Einstein High School, 11135 Newport Road, Kensington
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County Council Seeks Applicants for Nominating Committee for Board of Trustees of Montgomery College
The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants for the Nominating Committee for the Board of Trustees of Montgomery College. Letters of application must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, July 9. The committee consists of two members appointed by the County Executive, one by the Montgomery College Alumni Association and two by the County Council. The current Council representatives on the committee are Kenneth Jones and Dwayne Leslie. The terms are for two years. The Nominating Committee was established by state law and has no limit to the number of terms members can serve.County residents who are registered voters, have knowledge of and an interest in meeting higher education needs of the County, and who have demonstrated an active interest in civic affairs are encouraged to apply.
Applicants should send a letter expressing interest, including a resume listing professional and civic experience, addressed to Council President Hans Riemer, County Council Office, Stella B. Werner Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850 or emailed. Contact Sonya Healy at 240-777-7926 or by email.
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Registration Open for Montgomery County Recreation and Montgomery Parks Summer Programs and Activities
Registration is now open via ActiveMONTGOMERY.org,
the registration and facility reservation system shared by Montgomery County Recreation, Montgomery Parks and Community Use of Public Facilities.
If you are registering for a Montgomery County Recreation program, contact a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist at 240-777-6870 or email.
When registering for a Montgomery Parks program, call the Montgomery Parks Program Access Office at 301-495-2581 (Voice/TTY), MD Relay 7-1-1 or 800-552-7724 or email. Visit website for more information.
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Leveling the Playing Field Offers Free Sporting Equipment to Nonprofits
For nonprofits looking for free sports equipment to enhance programming and save money, Leveling the Playing Field, a local charity, provides free sports equipment to programs looking to provide affordable, accessible sports programming for their community.
Their warehouse has roughly a million dollars of sporting equipment for tennis, soccer, golf, baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse and more. LPF has donated over $2 Million to over 500 programs worldwide. To learn more and apply to receive equipment, visit the LPF donation site. Additional questions? Email Ian Cohen or call 301-844-5621.
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Interactive Website Launched to Understand Demographics of Self-Sufficiency
A new interactive website will help government agencies, nonprofit organizations, advocates and policy makers understand the demographics of county residents living below the self-sufficiency standard threshold. Learn more about Montgomery's Interactive Self-Sufficiency Standard here. To view the interactive website, click here.
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New Grant Opportunities for Montgomery County Nonprofits
Sharing Montgomery Fund: The Community Foundation is now accepting Letters of Inquiry for the Sharing Montgomery Fund, which has a track record of supporting local nonprofits addressing the needs of the county's low-income children, families, and seniors. Specifically, Sharing Montgomery has three priority focus-areas:
Safety-net - Emergency services which address the basic needs of low-income children, single adults, families, and seniors in crisis, and prevention programs in health and human services which help residents as they work to lift themselves out of poverty.
Education - Academic and enrichment opportunities which empower youth from low-income families to make smart choices, discover their talents, succeed in school, and gain skills necessary for adulthood. Workforce Development - Skill-building, professional accreditation, literacy, income generation, and other programs which enable unemployed and low-income individuals to achieve financial self-sufficiency. Grant awards may range from $5,000-$10,000 and may support special projects, programs, or continuation funding, including general operating support. The deadline to apply for grants through The Community Foundation's online portal is no later than 4:00 pm on Monday, July 9. Read more here .
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Sandy Spring Museum Refugee Art Exhibit:
Ongoing until September 2: Collection of artwork created by refugees residing in the DC metro region.Uprooted:
Starting May 5, the museum will be open Thursdays from 10 am - 8 pm, and Fridays and Sundays from 11 am - 4 pm. There is no admission charge. For more information visit
www.SandySpringMuseum.org
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VITA Program Now Preparing Amended and Prior Year Returns for Low-Income Residents
VITA's free tax preparation services are for Montgomery County residents only. To qualify, residents must have incomes of less than $54,000. Appointments are available on Tuesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Takoma-East Silver Spring Center, located at 8513 Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring and on Wednesdays and Thursday's from 11-4pm at the Community Action Agency office, located at 1401 Rockville Pike, 3rd floor in Rockville. Evening appointments are available at the Rockville location on the third Wednesday of the month from 5 to 8 p.m. Learn more here.
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Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) Summer Registration for Non-Credit Courses is Open
Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) offers non-credit courses in multiple disciplines for individuals 50+, but anyone is welcome to register. Some new Summer courses Puerto Rico: From West Side Story to Hurricane Maria, Treasures of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris - A Virtual Tour, Genetics in Modern Society, and Gentle Cardio Dance for Fitness. 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 for registration information.
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Board Member Boot Camp bootcamp!
Saturday, July 28 from 8:30AM - 3:30PM. The Nonprofit Village and the Center for Nonprofit Advancement are partnering to provide a one-day course for new board members that will give an overview of what their role is in the governance of a nonprofit organization. The course will also cover budget, and financial reporting, compensating the CEO, the board's role in funding the organization, risk management and strategic planning. Location:Silver Spring Civic Center, 1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring. Click here to register and for more information.
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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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How Will the County Tap into the Energy and Creativity of the 2018 Campaigns?
Talent Magnet
As I write this on the day after the primary election, we don't know who the Democratic candidate for County Executive will be. But we do know this: an extraordinary number of very talented people decided to roll up their sleeves and run for elective office. We should all be grateful to them. Running for office is an enormously time consuming and tiring exercise.
Most of them lost. Take the five candidates who failed to win the Democratic nomination for County Executive, the 29 who lost their County Council At-Large bids, and add the scores of other candidates who came out on the short side of Council and legislative district elections, and you have a talent pool that would be the envy of any community in the nation or the world. Then add their hundreds of volunteers and supporters.
In addition to thanking all these people for their service to our community going back decades in some cases, I'm thinking about how we can tap into all of this creativity and energy to make sure that Montgomery County continues to improve and move forward. While those of us who have had the privilege of serving in the Leggett administration these last dozen years are proud of our accomplishments, we must all admit that the challenges facing the County in the upcoming decade are enormous. The federal government is no longer a reliable partner. Sustaining our commitment to be one of the nation's most welcoming communities by reducing disparities and treating all with dignity and respect will continue to be a substantial financial and leadership challenge. The national economy will inevitably make corrections that will cause fiscal pain and interrupt progress.
The story of Montgomery County over the last one hundred years is a story of attracting and engaging talent in order to keep moving forward. The 1920 Census recorded a population of 34,921 for our sleepy rural suburb of the nation's capital. Then in the 1930s and 40s as thousands of idealistic government reformers came to Washington to help FDR fight the depression and win the war, many inevitably ended up across the boundary line in Maryland. This first wave of talent soon demanded good government, top notch schools, and quality parks. Excellent services continued to be a magnet as people came to serve in the New Frontier and Great Society and decided to stay. Montgomery's leadership enacted pioneering civil rights and fair housing laws that made it possible to attract even more talent. As federal immigration laws changed in the 1960s through the 1990s, a second great wave of talent brought people here not just from across the country but from around the world. These waves of talented people seeking excellent schools and a high quality of life have created the modern multicultural Montgomery County we love.
We are about to have a dramatic shift of political leadership in our County. The elected leaders we select on Tuesday November 6 cannot carry the burden of sustaining excellence alone. Montgomery County's greatest natural resource has always been our people. There's no oil here and what little gold we had was long ago picked. Community engagement has been the key to our success - the civic reformers of the 1940s who demanded a modern structure of government and the civil rights advocates of the 1960s established our proud tradition of participation.
My hope is that the hundreds of people who have worked so hard this last year as candidates and campaign volunteers will stay active and make valuable contributions as we tackle the challenges ahead. That's The Montgomery Way.
Bruce Adams
Director, Office of Community Partnerships
Note of Appreciation:
A huge thank you to Manorita Ahuja, who has produced this newsletter for us since April of 2016. I am so grateful for her time and expertise and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.
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Citizenship Preparation Program at Baltimore City Community College
Free citizenship preparation classes and free naturalization legal assistance (through Catholic Charities) through a grant from the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). Preparation classes are held at Montgomery College and Baltimore Community College locations in Wheaton, Rockville, Germantown and Silver Spring, with various schedules designed to meet the needs of the learners. Registration dates are as follows:
Classes and registration start July 6 and registration ends Aug 28. How to register: In the first 8 weeks of class, bring your green card and social security card to any class location and time listed here.
Walk-ins are welcome.
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Upcoming Meetings of County Executive's Ethnic & Faith Advisory Groups
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African Affairs Advisory Group Community Meeting on July 12, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM at 1 Veterans Place (Civic Building), Silver Spring, MD. For more information on AAAG click here.
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The Middle Eastern American Advisory Group (MEAAG) will meet next on Monday, July 9th, at the Rockville Library, 3d floor, Mediation Room, 7 - 9 pm. Youth and adults are welcome. Contact Debbie Trent at dtrent@civilstrategies.net for more information.
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The Caribbean American Advisory Group Community (CAAG) Meeting will be on Tuesday, July 10th from 7:00PM-8:30PM at the Rockville Memorial Library (Meeting Room 1 on 1st Floor) at 21 Maryland AVE Rockville, MD. CountyStat Analyst, Dennis Linders, will be joining us to discuss the demographic profile of Montgomery County's Caribbean community. For more information, contact Joanne at joanne.antoine@montgomerycountymd.gov. To stay updated on CAAG's latest events and opportunities, please visit Facebook: facebook.com/MoCoCaribbeans
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July Interfaith Meetings
July 12 - Faith Community Working Group, 2-4 PM at the Jewish Community Relations Council
July 13 - Neighbors in Need Working Group, 12-1 PM Location TBD
July 25 - Religious Land Use Working Group, 2-3 PM at the Upcounty Regional Services Center
July 26 - FCAC Executive Committee Meeting, 1-3 PM at the Rockville Memorial Library
Contact Sierra Smith at smith.sierra@icloud.com
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Get Volunteer Opportunities by Email
Keep up with the latest community service news and get information about upcoming volunteer opportunities delivered right to your inbox every month when you subscribe to the Montgomery County Volunteer Center's e-newsletter. The July issue, for instance, will feature a spotlight on the Junior Achievement Finance Park that will begin serving middle schoolers throughout the county this fall, details on school supply drives going on all summer, and lots of new and timely volunteer openings for this month and beyond. Subscribe here.
To find even more ways to volunteer, visit the Volunteer Center online and use the red search box to find opportunities to serve based on keywords, location, date, and more.
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Congratulations to Gilchrist Staff Members on Their Achievements!
May was an important month for our hard-working Gilchrist Center staff, who earned recognition for their accomplishments in service and academics.
Gilchrist Center staff member Zainab Hassan was recognized for her superior service to the community by the Community Action Agency's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for her support of VITA programs at the Gilchrist Center in the East County Regional Services Center. According to Community Action Agency staff, Zainab went out of her way to support the program, which provides free tax assistance to eligible residents. CAA also nominated Zainab for the Maryland Governor's Volunteer Service Certificate for her work in encouraging eligible families to file their income tax returns with VITA and also to take advantage of other services that are provided by Community Action Agency.
The Community Action Agency also nominated Gilchrist Center Director Kaori Hirakawa for the Maryland Governor's Volunteer Service Certificate for making it possible to offer VITA services to Wheaton residents at a time when very little space was available. CAA wanted to recognize how Kaori went the extra mile to make sure space the program was a success.
Congratulations to Gilchrist Center staff member Carlos Iglesias, who earned his Master of Law from the University of Baltimore School of Law! Carlos was an attorney in his home country of El Salvador, and for the last 2 years, Carlos has pursued his legal studies. Carlos also works for Impact Silver Spring, where he supports the development of community micro-enterprises and worker cooperatives. He now plans to study for the Maryland Bar.
Graigni Loor Wasaki, Gilchrist Center information Specialist graduated from Montgomery College with her Associate's Degree in General Studies, and will begin studying for her degree in Social Work at University of Maryland - Baltimore County this fall.
Montgomery County is fortunate to have staff that are so committed to serving the community and developing their skills so that they can do even more.
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Gilchrist Center Offers New Conversation Class this Summer
In response to the needs of English students to maintain their progress over the summer, the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center's Wheaton site will offer an evening conversation class on Mondays starting July 25. Please click here for more information. Conversation classes are a great way to practice speaking for those who prefer an informal, drop-in option. Classes are offered at the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center in Wheaton and Gaithersburg, and in many branches of Montgomery County Public Libraries.
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Another Successful Juneteenth Festival This Year
On June 15th, County Executive Leggett hosted the 22nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration. A signature part of the Juneteenth Celebration in the past few years has been to honor Montgomery County African American Living Legends. The goal of this community wide, inclusive celebration, is to forge and empower a legacy connection between the African American Community's elders and young, emerging leaders who are prepared to accept the mantle of service and are willing to advocate for equal rights, equal access to opportunity, and a high quality of life for all residents of Montgomery County.
Specific objectives include: a) strengthening intergenerational connections within the black community while recognizing the pioneering innovation, spirit and determination of those Elders who have made a profound and positive difference on the quality of life within the County; b) facilitating the transmission of wisdom and generative insights by African American Legends to younger, emerging community leaders; and c) initiating a culturally specific and regular opportunity for validating the voices of legendary elders within the African American community in Montgomery County.
The 2018 African American Living Legends honored were Harvey Zeigler, Sol Graham, Samuel C. Hamilton, Esq., and Arthur Holmes, Jr.
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Upcoming African Community Events
July 1
- Taste of Africa 2018 Festival from12pm - 9pm
Location: 1 Veterans Place Silver Spring, MD
July 14 3rd Annual AGBI Water is Life Gala at 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring
An event by Africa Gives back International
Save the Date!
Proclamation of African Heritage Month will be formally held on September 6, 2017 at the Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Pl., Silver Spring 4pm - 9pm |
The African Affairs Advisory Group held their monthly meeting on June 14, 2018 at the Silver Spring Civic Building. The highlight of this meeting was honoring continental African graduates for 2018. Attending graduates with PhDs, Masters and Bachelor degrees were recognized and given the chance to talk about their journeys to success and their work in the community. Dr. Sombo Pujeh and Wummi Duyile, two long serving AAAG members were among the few celebrated.
The Health, Education, Economic Development, Outreach, Sister Cities and Cultural affairs working groups gave their reports, and community members were invited to discuss concerns, events and opportunities in their communities. Community members were encouraged to get civically engaged, diligently read up on electoral candidates and strongly encouraged to do early voting or vote on June 26th elections.
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Caribbean American Advisory Group (CAAG) welcomes 14 new members!
On June 5th, CAAG kicked off its month-long membership drive with an Open House. Residents of Caribbean/West Indian descent from throughout the County gathered to learn about the history of the Advisory Group, the future work of CAAG, and opportunities to join. WDVM-TV featured the gathering on the local news that evening. Following the meeting, residents that were in attendance along with referrals from the Embassy of Trinidad & Tobago and others applied for membership. New members will be announced in July. There's still time to apply for membership, visit website to apply.
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Montgomery County celebrates the 13th anniversary of Caribbean American Heritage Month
On June 14th, the Caribbean American Advisory Group held an event to honor the 13th Anniversary of Caribbean American Heritage Month. Councilman Tom Hucker joined to present the Proclamation signed by County Executive Leggett followed by a panel discussion led by Ambassador Ward on how the Caribbean diaspora can tap into its political power. The panel featured speakers of Caribbean heritage from ACLU of Maryland, Caribbean PAC, Center for American Progress, and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. CAAG also honored The People's Community Baptist Church with a service award. It was a great celebration filled with Caribbean food, music and more. Click here to view a few pics from the event.
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Faith Community Open House to Discuss Public Safety
The Faith Community Advisory Council hosted an Open House event on June 19 at the Public Safety Headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD for their partners in creating social cohesion and public safety. This event thanked all members of MCFRS, MCPD, OEMHS and DHHS for their participation and dedication over the years to empower and support faith communities of Montgomery County.
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Save The Date: Justice and Peace Convention
July 13-15 marks the 70th annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (USA) convention in Harrisburg, PA. The theme is Justice: The Foundation for Lasting Peace. The agenda and registration information can be accessed here. All are welcome.Transportation to Harrisburg and back will be provided from Baitur Rehman Mosque, Silver Spring.
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2018 Ramallah Convention
The 2018 Ramallah Convention is being held from late June through mid-July. It celebrates 60 years of reunions of the Palestinian diaspora in Ramallah, Palestine. Over 3,000 are estimated to be attending, including approximately 40 Montgomery County families. The October, 2018 mission will focus on cultural and educational exchange programs about which more information will be provided, soon.
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ATFA-MD and Rumi Forum hosted Interfaith Iftar Dinners during Ramadan
During the month of Ramadan, American Turkish Friendship Association and Rumi Forum of Maryland hosted 15 interfaith Iftar dinners at their cultural center in Columbia, MD and in community members` homes in Rockville, Columbia, and Baltimore regions. More than 150 guests attended these interfaith and intercultural exchanges to learn more about the meaning of fasting, giving and sharing in the month of Ramadan. Officials from the government, county offices, faith leaders, law enforcement officials as well as NGOs joined these events in an effort to learn from one another and have a meal together.
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Ripken Collegiate Baseball Players Collect 9,499 Pounds of Food for Manna Food Center
On Saturday June 30, nearly one hundred college baseball players who have come from across the country to play summer baseball in Montgomery County collected 9,499 pounds of food
at twelve Giant Food stores across Montgomery County
for the Manna Food Center. The Gaithersburg Giants upset the perennial champion Rockville Express to win the Ninth Annual Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League's Feed the Hungry Challenge by collecting an individual team record 3,205 pounds of food. Players from the Bethesda Big Train and Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts also collected food on Saturday. Despite wilting heat, the league total was the highest in the nine years of the challenge as three of the four teams recorded dramatic increases over previous years. In the nine years of the competition, the college players have collected 53,171 pounds of food - nearly 27 tons of food for Montgomery County's neighbors in need. Thanks to the Manna Food Center, Giant Food, and Text Design for supporting this community service program of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League.
Jackie DeCarlo, Manna Executive Director, said "Once again the Cal Ripken League teams came together for the local community in an impressive effort. The Manna team thanks all who made the collection of nearly five tons of food possible. It is especially valuable to get this food now to restock our shelves for the summer." Ripken League Co-Founder Bruce Adams, who initiated the Feed the Hungry Challenge in 2010, said: "Seeing these college ballplayers who have come here from all across the country pitch in to serve our Montgomery County neighbors in need - especially in this incredible heat - reminds us of the good there is in the world when we all work together."
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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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