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April 16, 2020
Dear Friends,
For over a month, the County has been preparing with our health care providers and the State of Maryland for a surge in cases. We
are at the very beginning of the surge, which will likely last for several weeks.
Only together can we protect our families.
Social Distancing, Staying At Home and Wearing Masks = Saving Lives
The Prince George's County Council sitting as the Board of Health received briefings on Tuesday from healthcare providers about their preparations for the surge in cases. Many of us now have a friend or loved one who has tested positive, is in critical condition, or has passed away from this h
ighly spreadable virus.
COVID-19 cases and updates including hospitalizations and information by race and gender can be found on this dashboard and additional information on the Coronavirus can be found here.
If you have questions or are exhibiting symptoms, please call the COVID-19 hotline at 301-883-6627.
Watch the Board of Health Briefing here.
View the presentations here.
Our medical experts urge all Prince Georgians to stay home. Leave your home only for essential trips for food, medicine, or to exercise. Wear a mask when you are outside of your house or apartment. Exercise close to home and avoid car trips: there is not space in our emergency rooms should you get into a car accident.
Many people who are positive show no symptoms. Act as though you have the virus and everyone you come into contact has the virus: stay six feet away from everyone you do not live with. Wash your hands often. Do not touch your face.
 Many of our neighbors are in need right now. I am incredibly proud of the ways so many individuals and organizations have stepped up to assist. Last week, we distributed more than 600 meals to individuals across District 3. This week we will distribute more than 5,500 meals and bags of groceries. Our partners in this work include Jose Andres and World Central Kitchen, Sardi's, Capital Area Food Bank, Christian Life Center's Passion & Compassion Ministry, Sowing Empowerment & Economic Development (SEED), Kaiser Permanente, Central Kenilworth Avenue Revitalization (CKAR) CDC, Brighter Bites, Peace City Church, Solid Rock Church, Town of Riverdale Park, Town of Landover Hills, New Carrollton Council Member Phelicia Nembhard, IRC, East Pines Terrace Apartments, Park View Gardens Apartments, St. Mary's Catholic Church of Landover Hills, United Baptist of New Carrollton, numerous civic leaders, and more.
Two large food distributions are taking place on Friday and Saturday this week. Please see the flyers on the right hand side for details. There are many more food distributions happening around the County, including at Suitland High School, so please reach out to your local Council Member for details on food distribution near you or visit this webpage for more information about food resources.
 Friday, April 17, at 1:00 pm at Riverdale Elementary
-- fresh produce and prepared meal distribution by Christian Life Center. Prepared meals will be purchased from locally owned restaurants with funds raised by Greater Riverdale Cares/CKAR.
Saturday, April 18, at 11:00 am, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 7301 Annapolis Road, Landover Hills
-- grocery and fresh produce distribution by Capital Area Food Bank, Brighter Bites, and Coastal Sunbelt Produce. District 3/Greater Riverdale Cares will host a food distribution every Saturday in April and May at rotating locations in District 3.
In addition, we have partnered with World Central Kitchen and Sardi's to supplement the PGCPS Grab and Go meals at Riverdale Elementary and Carrollton Elementary. Now, when students pick up their Grab and Go meals every Monday and Wednesday, beginning at 10am, they will also receive two prepared meals for their parents or other members of their household until the prepared meals run out. This is a pilot program we hope to expand to other PGCPS meal sites.
Are you in a position to help others? Here are ways you can help.
Volunteer at an upcoming Saturday food distribution in District 3.
Sign up here
.
Volunteer to distribute prepared meals to senior apartment buildings in College Park. Sign up here.
Donate to Greater Riverdale Cares to support the purchase of meals from locally owned restaurants which will be donated to families in need. Your gift will help the businesses keep employees on staff and feed families. Learn more and donate here.
 Sew masks for our food distribution volunteers and for vulnerable residents. Many thanks to Janet G. who sewed and donated masks which were distributed to volunteers at this week's food distributions and to vulnerable residents who picked up food. Please reply to this email or send a message to [email protected] if you have masks to donate.
Contribute Pantry Items to local food banks:
- St. Andrew's Church, 4512 College Avenue, College Park (drop off at the back door under the awning near the rear parking lot)
- College Park Church of the Nazarene,
9704 Rhode Island Avenue, College Park
Donate to the Employ Prince George's Employee Relief Fund. More than 3,000 applications have been received already and additional funding is needed to support all applications. Donate here. Learn more or apply here.
Support the Capital Area Food Bank. CAFB has purchased as much food in the past few weeks as they normally purchase in an entire year. Over the next few months CAFB will provide providing thousands of boxes of food to District 3 residents in need. Please consider supporting that effort.
Fiscal Year 2021 Budget
County Executive Alsobrooks transmitted her proposed budget to the County Council on March 11. In so many ways, that feels like a lifetime ago. We know the COVID-19 pandemic will have a major impact on both the revenue and expenditure sides of the Fiscal Year 2021 budget. The County Council is required by state law to pass a budget by June 1 and we will conduct our budget responsibilities in a through and measured manner. This will look different than in past years due to the prohibition on gatherings and the need to social distance.
April 20, 4:30 pm - WSSC
April 20, 5:00 pm - Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning
May 4, 5:00 pm - County Operating and Capital Improvement Program
May 20, 5:00 pm - County Operating and Capital Improvement Program
The Prince George's County Council will continue to meet virtually until the state of emergency declarations are lifted. Therefore, we have established an eComment portal
to facilitate public participation in virtual Council sessions. The portal enables residents to register electronically to speak on agenda items scheduled for public hearing, or to submit a comment or letter into the official public record, in lieu of verbal testimony.
The eComment portal will be activated at 5:00 p.m. on the Friday preceding each meeting agenda. Written testimony or comments will be accepted in electronic format, rather than by U.S. mail. For those unable to use the portal, comments/written correspondence may be emailed to:
[email protected]
or faxed to (301) 952-5178. All testimony and comments received by the deadline will become part of the public record of the meeting.
Testimony and comments will not be accepted via social media or by telephone/voice mail message.
The eComment portal will be available for the Council session scheduled for Monday, April 20, and future Council sessions, including Budget Public Hearings.
All Council public meetings are streamed live (and then archived for future viewing) online on
the
County Council Video
page. I welcome and encourage robust participation in our legislative and budget processes during this unprecedented time.
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As always, feel free to reach out to a member of my District 3 team or me if we can help you in any way. I am sharing updates regularly on social media, especially my
Facebook page.
#onlytogether
Together Strengthening Our Community,
P.S. Please remember to complete the U.S. Census. Everyone Counts!
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