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November 2018 - Issue 127
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NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
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Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs - 5th Annual American Indian Heritage Month Kick-off Celebration
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Council Seeks Diverse Pool of Applicants for Grants Advisory Group
Application deadline 11/2
The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants for positions on its Fiscal Year 2020 Grants Advisory Group. The Council will appoint the volunteer community panel to review grant applications and advise it on proposals received from the non-profit community. Letters of interest with resumes from applicants
must be received no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, November 2.
See
press release for details.
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American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month Powwow
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Celebrate Democracy Concert with The Civic Circle
Renowned vocalist LEA and popular entertainer Nick Newlin will perform songs from "I Sing America!" an all-new, original children's show that celebrates voting and other civic values.
Saturday, November 3,
7
p.m.
Seekers Church, 276 Carroll St., N.W., Washington, D.C.
Reserve your seat online or email for more information.
Children are invited!
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Pathways to College Night at MC
Wednesday November 7 at 5PM at Germantown Campus of Montgomery College. High school juniors and their parents:
- meet with college representatives
- Learn about financial aide and scholarships
- Parents learn how to support your students
- MC staff available in Spanish
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Nominate Organizations for Nonprofit Village's "Making a Difference" Awards
The Making a Difference Award is presented to nonprofit organizations that demonstrate their ability to enact social change through collaboration and sustainable management practices. The award recipients become shining examples of effectiveness and serve as role models for expanding the nonprofit community. Click for more information and nomination form. Nomination deadline November 9.
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Habitat for Humanity Presents 10th Annual Affordable Housing Benefit Breakfast
Friday November 9.
The money raised at this event helps Habitat build decent and affordable homes for low-income families in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties.
Learn more and register to attend.
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Share Your Thoughts About Home Sharing
Are you a homeowner who feels your home is too big or costly to maintain? Or a renter concerned about increasing rent? Would you consider sharing a home with someone else?
Montgomery County Government would like to hear your thoughts about a program which would thoughtfully match homeowners and renters and offer background checks.
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Identity's Promise of Latino Youth Forum
Thursday November 15. Join Identity as they kick off their 20th anniversary year
with a report and discussion of how Latino youth in Montgomery County
are faring in the context of national, state and regional trends and how to close the gap between their dreams of a bright future and the reality of lost potential.
Register for Forum
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2018 MoCo Transgender Day of Remembrance
Friday November 16 hosted by MoCo Pride at Vis Arts in Rockville. This
free event will remember the lives lost this year to transphobic violence and build resilience as a community. Register to attend.
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Connecting Diverse Communities - Panel Discussion
Office of Community Partnerships in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County is offering a free public event on immigrants in Montgomery County. On
Monday, November 19 from 6:30 - 8:30pm at the
Marilyn J Praisner Library in Burtonsville, a panel consisting of Diane Vu, Claudia Canales, Mimi Hassanien, and Maya Zegarra will talk and answer questions about the immigrant population in MC. Ms. Vu will give an overview of immigrants in the County, Ms. Hassanien will talk about the voices of Muslim women, and Ms. Zegarra will describe how immigrants navigate the legal system. Ms. Canales will moderate the panel. All are welcome. Free
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Montgomery County Community Grants Information Workshops
The Montgomery County Community Grants Program is holding three information workshops to launch the fiscal year 2020 (FY20) grants application cycle. Workshops are free, open to the public and identical in content. Representatives from the County Executive, County Council and Health and Human Services will be presenting important information on how non-profit organizations serving County residents can apply for grant funding.
Wednesday,
November 28
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Council Office Building - 3rd Floor Hearing Room
100 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD 20850
Thursday, November 29
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
White Oak Community Recreation Center - White Oak Social Hall B
1700 April Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20904
Wednesday,
December 5
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
UpCounty Regional Services Center - Conference Room A
12900 Middlebrook Rd, Germantown, MD 20874
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Honoring Those Who Built the Modern Multicultural Montgomery County
Celebrating Four Model Public Citizens
One of the things I have most enjoyed about my job at the Office of Community Partnerships is the opportunity to support County Executive Leggett's commitment to honor those who helped build the modern multicultural Montgomery County that we all so enjoy today.
This coming Saturday November 3, County Executive Leggett will join with Montgomery Parks and our friends from the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail to dedicate the Neal Potter Plaza at the Capital Crescent Trail. Please join the festivities at 10 a.m. where the Capital Crescent Trail crosses River Road. Neal Potter was the very first local politician I met upon returning home from college in 1970. He was running for the first of six terms on the County Council. Ironically, Neal replaced me on the Council in 1994 after he stepped down as County Executive, and I left the Council to run for Executive. Throughout his 28 years of service as a Councilmember (1970-90 and 1994-98) and County Executive (1990-94), Neal consistently exhibited the highest personal integrity of any elected official I have ever known. He was a great friend, mentor, and role model to me and to County Executive Leggett. Neal died in 2008 at the age of 93, and County Executive Leggett renamed our annual volunteer award for lifetime achievement the Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award.
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Neal Potter Roscoe Nix Charlie Gilchrist Connie Morella
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As the president of the Montgomery County branch of the NAACP from 1980 to 1990 (and as a community leader before and after), Roscoe Nix was a fearless and tireless advocate for educational excellence and social, economic, and political justice. People like Roscoe Nix made elected officials like me better by demanding that we live up to the principles we espoused on the campaign trail. Very significantly for the future of Montgomery County, it was Roscoe Nix who "talked Ike Leggett into running" (euphemism alert!) for County Council in 1986. Roscoe died in 2012, and at his memorial service County Executive Leggett announced he would establish the
Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Award
in his name and that he would present the first of these awards posthumously to Roscoe Nix. This summer, an elegant new plaque listing the Nix award winners was hung in the lobby of the Executive Office Building. If you want a quick history of many of the people who helped build the modern Montgomery County,
check out the bios and videos
of the 21 Nix awardees.
The Charles W. Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center is the heart and soul of County Executive Leggett's commitment to make Montgomery County one of the world's most welcoming communities. Former County Executive Doug Duncan created the center and named it after our second County Executive (1978-1986). I met Charlie Gilchrist in the early 1970s and had the honor of serving him on several boards and commissions. As an elected official and clergyman, Charlie saw the changing demographics of his boyhood home and set Montgomery County on a path of welcoming new faces, cultures, and languages. It has been a great privilege to work to strengthen the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center under the leadership of County Executive Leggett since it became part of our Office of Community Partnerships in 2010.
What fun we had on a beautiful sunny April Saturday this year when County Executive Leggett named the refreshed library in Bethesda the Connie Morella Library. Connie epitomizes the upbeat, positive, bipartisan servant leader we all long to have representing us in Rockville, Annapolis, and Washington. Connie served us as a member of the House of Delegates (1979-87), Member of Congress (1987-2003), and U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2003-07). Her warmth and authenticity made her beloved by her constituents. I am grateful to have shared experiences with Connie from leafleting in front of polling places to our Sister City trip to El Salvador and to Orioles games at Camden Yards with my fellow baseball fanatic Tony Morella. Connie is special, and I cannot think of a more appropriate way for the County Executive to express the appreciation of a grateful county than by naming her local library after this former English teacher.
As we move on to a new generation of county leaders, I hope people will remember those who laid the foundation for the Montgomery County of today and tomorrow.
Bruce Adams
Director, Office of Community Partnerships
P.S. Check out this great series of interviews with County Executive Ike Leggett "The Leggett Legacy" by Montgomery Community Media.
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Thanksgiving Parade - Saturday November 17
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This year's parade features over 110 marching units, including college and high school marching bands; glittering Thanksgiving and Christmas floats; balloons; theatrical performances by the Maryland Youth Ballet, Princess Mhoon Dance Institute, and Adventure Theatre-MTC; a baton twirler and drummers, South American musical groups; 12-foot inflatables, including a turkey, a dinosaur and a penguin; motorcycles and horse-mounted police; pageant winners; fire engines; antique cars; performing dogs and rescue animal groups; Kapitol Klowns and more. See
press release for details.
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Remembering Victims and Working to Build Community
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Montgomery County Council issued a statement on 10/29 on the tragic mass shooting that took place in the Jewish neighborhood of Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh and the shooting of two innocent bystanders in Kentucky at a Kroger grocery store on Sunday. "We cannot let our places of worship become places of fear." Link to statement.
Be sure to subscribe to the Faith Community Advisory Council newsletter to stay abreast of all the work being done collaboratively to build a more beloved community!
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Tenth Annual World of Montgomery Festival
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The tenth annual World of Montgomery Festival was held on Sunday October 21 at Montgomery College Rockville. The annual family-friendly event treated 6,000 participants with a display of multicultural Montgomery by spotlighting the cultures of Korea, China, El Salvador, Ethiopia, India, and other countries. The partners who make this festival happen each year include the sponsors of the Fund for Montgomery, Montgomery College, KID Museum, City of Rockville, MCPS, and our Office of Community Partnerships. Click here to see Fund for Montgomery sponsors.
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Annual Employee Giving Campaign Underway
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This year's Montgomery County Employee Giving Campaign will run from October 15 to November 30, 2018. Employee contributions to the campaign have increased each of the last five years. In 2017, County employees donated $281,540 to our community nonprofit partners. To participate, County employees may visit the Employee Giving Campaign website at charities.org/montgomerycounty.
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Office of Community Partnerships Thank You Reception
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On Sunday, October 28, the County Executive's six ethnic advisory groups, Faith Community Advisory Council, Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center and Montgomery Sister City Committees hosted a Thank You Appreciation Reception for County
Executive Ike Leggett, First Lady
Catherine Leggett and Office of Community Partnerships Director Bruce Adams.
Over the past 12 years, the seven advisory groups (African Affairs, African-American, Asian, Caribbean, Faith, Latino, and Middle Eastern), comprised of community leaders and advocates of all faiths and backgrounds, worked tirelessly to ensure that our County is able to act effectively to respond to the needs and concerns of underrepresented communities in Montgomery County.
Montgomery Sister Cities established cultural, educational, and economic relationships with El Salvador, Ethiopia, China, India, and South Korea,
top five countries of origin of our residents.
The
Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center
provided
tens of thousands of residents with linguistically and culturally appropriate direct and referral services.
View the Photo Album here and
or more information on the advisory groups, Gilchrist Center or Montgomery Sister Cities, please visit the OCP website.
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November Workshops and Information Sessions
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: November 6 or November 10.
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 November 6 at 6pm or November 10 at 9am. To register, please 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.
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Registration for FREE citizenship preparation classes in Gaithersburg and in Silver Spring at the White Oak Library by the Association of Vietnamese Americans (AVA) is now open. Winter session classes start in December and run through February. Funding for classes is provided through a grant from Montgomery County Government and AVA is a partner of the Montgomery County Citizenship Initiative. For more information or to register, please contact the office at 301-588-6862.
Free Legal Services
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.
- The Pro Bono Program is committed to helping the residents of Montgomery County, MD. Individual circumstances may vary and income cases we may not be able to assist everyone.
Call the
Pro Bono Program
at 301.424.7651 between the hours of 9:00am - 3:00pm Monday - Thursday for additional information.
Trainings
CLE Defending Children Against Deportation Workshop by CAIR
Join CAIR Coalition for a half-day training hosted by White & Case LLP focusing on how to provide pro bono representation to unaccompanied children. CLE Defending Children Against Deportation Workshop by CAIR: November 13th, 9:00am- 12:30pm. Visit their website for more information.
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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 will meet on November 13 at 6:30pm at the OCP Suite 330 Rockville Memorial Library, 21 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD. For additional information, contact Diane Vu, Asian Liaison at
diane.vu@montgomerycountymd.gov
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Caribbean American Advisory Group (CAAG)
will meet on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 at the Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD from 7-8:30 pm. For more information, please contact Joanne.Antoine@montgomerycountymd.gov
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Interfaith Working Group Meetings
NINWG - Thursday, November 8 (12-1 PM Conference Call)
Education Committee - Monday, November 19 (6-8 PM Rockville Library)
Montgomery County Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions - Tuesday, November 27 (7:30-9 PM Adat Shalom)
RLUWG - Wednesday, November 28 (2-3 PM Upcounty Regional Services Center)
FCWG Steering Committee - Thursday, November 29 (10-12 PM Rockville Library)
Contact Sierra Smith at
Sierra.Smith@montgomerycountymd.gov
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Latin American Advisory Group will meet on Tuesday, November 13th at 6:00 p.m. on the second floor of Executive Office Building in Rockville. For more information, please contact Claudia Canales at claudia.canales@montgomerycountymd.gov
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Middle Eastern American Advisory Group (MEAAG)
usually meets on the second Monday of every month but since the regularly scheduled meeting date falls on Veterans Day in November, the group is still trying to finalize a date and location. Please contact Debbie Trent, Chair, at
dtrent@civilstrategies.net
for more information.
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Help Those in Need With Tax Returns
Interested in providing an important service to your community during tax season? Consider volunteering to prepare taxes, schedule appointments, or greet clients through the RSVP/AARP Tax-Aide Program,
which offers tax preparation for low-to-moderate income taxpayers (with special attention to those 60+). Training is provided.
Learn more about these volunteer opportunities at one of these information sessions. (Registration is not required)
- Wednesday, Nov. 14, 1 pm, at the White Oak Library (11701 New Hampshire Ave.)
- Friday, Nov. 16, 1 pm, at the Gaithersburg Library (18330 Montgomery Village Ave.)
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Volunteers Join Forces for Community Service Week
Across our region, thousands of residents of all ages worked together to take on a variety of community needs during last month's 32nd annual Montgomery County Community Service Week. Volunteers collected food for low-income families, cleaned up parks and playgrounds, made scarves for homeless individuals, and much more. Here's a great photo of the volunteers led by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated - Eta Pi Zeta Chapter who assembled care packages for families impacted by domestic violence.
If you missed Community Service Week but want to get involved with improving the quality of life in Montgomery County, check the Volunteer Center's online listing of
volunteer opportunities
to find ways to help all year.
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Join Gilchrist as a Volunteer!
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Montgomery County Receives Scholarship from Welcoming America
Montgomery County, Maryland has been awarded a $6,000 scholarship to underwrite the costs of becoming a "Certified Welcoming County." Welcoming America is a not-for-profit organization that supports the development of "strong 21st Century communities ... that connect and include people of all backgrounds. By doing so, communities - and those who live there - will meet their highest civic and economic potential. As places look to harness the vibrancy that comes from diverse talent and a more global workforce, welcoming and inclusive communities will set themselves apart."
With support of the scholarship, Montgomery County will seek to meet the rigorous requirements of Welcoming America's Welcoming Standard in order to receive Certified Welcoming status. More information about Welcoming Standard and Certified Welcoming are available here: www.certifiedwelcoming.org.
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Visit India through Folk Dances at the Olney Theater
India is a land of varied cultures and traditions. Diversities in all spheres make the Indian culture quite unique. Indian folk and tribal dances are product of different socio-economic set up and traditions. Indian folk and tribal dances are simple and are performed to express joy. Enjoy folk dances accompanied by upbeat and joyous folk music in local languages at the Olney Theater on Saturday November 17 at 5pm.
For tickets and more information, visit the Olney Theater website.
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County Hosts 9th Annual Diwali Celebration
County Executive Ike Leggett hosted the 9th annual Diwali Celebration on October 23, 2018 in the cafeteria of the Executive Office Building Cafeteria. Diwali is the celebration of lights and is one of India's most important holidays of the year. Diwali symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. The Celebration was organized by the Diwali Planning Committee and included a reception with live music and traditional food, cultural performances, remarks from the County Executive and a food drive for Manna Food Center. Food and supplies for the event were covered by community sponsors. View the photo album here.
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2020 Diversity Visa Immigrant Visa Program
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Affordable Care Act Information & Enrollment Fair
On November 28 Caribbean American Advisory Group (CAAG) in partnership with the Silver Spring SDA Church will host a free ACA Information & Enrollment Fair. The event will feature enrollment assistance from a trained expert as well as a panel discussion highlighting everything immigrants and refugees need to know about enrollment. To register, visit http://acaenrollment.eventbrite.com
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Gondar Ethiopia Sister Cities
On October 9th, County Executive Isiah Leggett and members of the Ethiopia Sister Cities committee met with Ambassador Kassa Teklebirhan Gebrehiwet, and other members of the Ethiopian Embassy diplomatic corps.
Hon. Gebrehiwet acknowledged and thanked the County Executive and members of the sister cities committee on their efforts in supporting projects between the Gondar city and Montgomery County. He emphasized that Dr. Abiy, Ethiopia's newly appointed prime Minister, sees great merit in building and strengthening these types of people to people relationships and promoting cross-cultural understanding. He told the group, that the Embassy's goal is to deepen existing and new relationships within the diaspora community and friends of Ethiopia.
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Multicultural Dialogue Series
Multicultural Dialogue Series "Exploring Racism & Bias: Meeting the Divine in the Other" began its third year at the Upcounty Regional Center. Potluck supper and small diverse groups deepen appreciation for our diversity and our unity. Next dialogues are November 11 at Islamic Society of Washington Area and December 9 at IMAAM Center beginning at 6:30 potluck and 7:00 program.
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JSS Spiritual Mission
His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Deskhidendra Mahaswamiji of the JSS Spiritual Mission in Kamatake, India was hosted by County Executive, Ike Leggett, and County officials related to Montgomery County being the first location of the JSS Spiritual Mission in America.
The JSS Spiritual Mission has over a million adherents, runs over 300 schools and has a medical school serving those unable to pay tuition. The Department of Permitting Services, Upcounty Regional Director, Interfaith Community Liaison and Religious Land Use Working Group are working together to accommodate the JSS Spiritual Mission.
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SACOC Scholarship Application 2018
The Salvadoran American Chamber of Commerce of Washington, D.C. (SACOC) will award $500 student scholarships to deserving and academically-oriented students from the Metro D.C Area to aid in furthering their education. The Salvadoran-American Chamber of Commerce of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, is a nonprofit organization created to represent, organize, and develop Salvadoran-American enterprises and business leaders.
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Melodies of the Middle East
The Middle Eastern American Advisory Group (MEAAG) presents
Melodies of the Middle East on
November 11th, 2-4 PM at the
Sandy Spring Museum. The free program will feature performers from Iran and Palestine as well as cuisine of the region.
November Display at Germantown Library
Throughout the month, the lobby display cases at the Germantown Library
will feature various books, stories, and recipes from across the Middle East.
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The Alexandria Dance Troupe of Egypt Performed at MC Rockville
In October The Alexandria Dance Troupe of Egypt gave a wonderful performance at the Robert E. Parilla Theater at Montgomery College.
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Abraham's Tent Program on "Welcoming the Stranger"
On October 17, 2018, American Turkish Friendship Association of Maryland(ATFA-MD) & Rumi Forum of Maryland organized an interfaith discussion on "Welcoming the Stranger" event under the Abraham's Tent theme. Rabbi Sonya Starr from Columbia Jewish Congregation, Pat Jones from Immigration Outreach Service Center (IOSC) and Dr. Qamar-ul Huda from Center for Global Policy (CGP) focused on the refugees and immigrants in our midst from their respective Abrahamic faith perspective. With our motto "Open Doors, Open Minds and Open Hearts", panelists discussed the topic from faith and freedom point of view, while drawing stories from peacebuilding and social harmony.
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Iraqi History & Culture Tent at World of Montgomery Festival
MEAAG's tent exhibit on Iraqi history and culture at the October 21st World of Montgomery Festival was well attended, with interactive displays, special guests and beautiful paintings and handmade crafts by several local Iraqi artists. Thanks to
Al-Diwan Al-Iraqi
(Iraqi American Cultural Center of the Washington, DC area) for referrals and materials, and to former Ambassador of Iraq Samir Sumaida'ie (being interviewed, below), Iraqi American educator Lina Abdul Wahid, and artists Rand Talal, Ahmed Alkarkhi, and Omar Al Hadithi.
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LAZARUS LEADERSHIP FELLOWS PROGRAM
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Lazarus Leadership Fellows Program Graduation
County Executive Ike Leggett spoke at the graduation of the Lazarus Leadership Fellows Program on October 1 at the Strathmore Mansion. Each of the 15 high school students from B-CC and Whitman High Schools participated in nine seminars with community leaders in the Spring and then performed 200 hours of community service in the Summer on projects they designed. The Lazarus Fellows have completed 63,000 hours of service since the program began in 1997. Leggett was joined by B-CC HS Principal Donna Redmond Jones, Leaders Institute Founder Stephanie Clark, and Lazarus Founder Bruce Adams.
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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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