Registration for Winter 2022 classes has been very successful – 400 students applied for ESOL classes in the first 24 hours and as a result, registration was closed early. Computer classes also filled quickly. Applications are still being accepted for Citizenship Preparation classes. Online English conversation classes are a great way to practice and get to know people - no registration is required. For anyone who did not get a spot in classes, please visit the classes page of the Gilchrist Center's website for lists of classes offered by other providers. MCAEL’s Class Directory is another useful resource.

One of the great rewards of working at the Gilchrist Center is supporting students through the various stages of their journey as they work to establish themselves in the U.S. One such student is Saadia (not her real name), who was new to the Citizenship preparation class, but had previously received assistance from the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center to find employment. Read more about Saadia's experience here.

Nominations are now open for the Montgomery Serves Awards, our County's highest honor for volunteer service. This prestigious annual awards program is coordinated by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center and recognizes volunteer efforts in the following categories:

To nominate deserving volunteers, complete the appropriate online nomination forms linked above no later than Friday, March 11 at 5 pm.

Free Citizenship Preparation Classes at the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center

The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center offers free Citizenship Preparation classes for people living in Montgomery County, ages 18 and older. Learn U.S. history and civics, improve your English reading, writing, and speaking to prepare for the citizenship interview. The classes are currently online. To register, please click here to find more information and to register.

The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC) provides free legal assistance to individuals seeking to become U.S. citizens. You must be a lawful permanent resident to apply. Please call the APALRC Helpline at (202) 393-3572 and request assistance. To learn more about the program, please visit the APALRC website. Assistance is available in many languages including Chinese, Korean, and Urdu. Note: When Montgomery County guidelines allow, APALRC also will be holding in-person meetings at the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center in Gaithersburg on a bi-monthly basis.

The Maryland Bar Foundation's Pro Bono Program provides free one-on-one telephone consultations with attorneys for low-income county residents in civil cases. Click here for more information. In addition, the program is moving forward with a collaborative effort with immigration attorney Rachel Ullman to address SIJS cases. Clients must meet ALL criteria to be eligible. Please refer potential clients to their main line at 301-424-7651. Flyers are available in English and Spanish.

HIAS Asylee Outreach Project offers free help connecting Maryland asylees (and T visa holders) with the resettlement resources and benefits available to them in the state of Maryland. Click here for more information.

Quick Topics Training - Advanced Topics in State Court/Q & A

Wednesday, February 16, 2022, Noon - 1:00 pm.

Click here for information and registration. Deadline: Monday, February 14.

FIRN Inc., a Department of Justice (DOJ) accredited non-profit organization located in Columbia, Maryland, is currently accepting intakes for individuals residing in Montgomery County who need representation in their removal proceedings. Click here for more information.

On March 2, 2022, Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services will hold a training on representing immigrant children in Maryland Circuit Court proceedings. The training will provide Maryland barred attorneys with the essentials for representing children applying for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). READ MORE.

The Language Access Program at Ayuda provides professionally trained, trauma-informed interpreters at no cost. 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.

CASA, in partnership with Montgomery County, is offering financial assistance to those who are eligible to apply for citizenship but cannot afford the application fee. Click here for more information.

MCASA's Sexual Assault Victim Advocate Fundamentals Training is an online training for advocates who work directly with sexual assault survivors in Maryland. Live webinars will be held daily from February 7 - 17. Registration is free and open to all advocates and service providers. CEU credits are available. For more information and to register, click here.

African Affairs Advisory Group meets every second Thursday of the month. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 10, at 7:00 pm. To register for this meeting please click here. For more information email Harrieta.Shangarai@Montgomerycountymd.gov

Asian Pacific American Advisory Group will not meet in February and will reconvene in March. If you have any questions, please email Mr. Yi Shen at yi.shen@montgomerycountymd.gov.  

Caribbean American Advisory Group will meet on Tuesday, February 2, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. For more information, please contact Rodrigue Vital, Caribbean American Liaison, Rodrigue.vital@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Faith Community Advisory Group will meet on Monday, February 7 at 7:30 pm. The meeting will focus on learning more about the Thrive 2050 master plan and how it will impact Montgomery County. Several prospective FCAG members will be joining the meeting. This meeting is open to the public and all are encouraged to join. Click here for Zoom link. For more information email Kate Chance at kate.chance@montgomerycountymd.gov

LGBTQ Advisory Group will meet on Monday, February 14 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. The meeting will be held on Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86801452892

Middle Eastern American Advisory Group will meet during the third week of February. For more information, please contact the OCP Middle Eastern American Community Liaison.

The Office of Community Partnerships mourns the loss of a distinguished community leader, Mr. Tufail Ahmad, who passed away on January 13th. Tufail was a true humanitarian who fully devoted his life to community service and enhancing the dialogue among different ethnic and religious communities within Montgomery County. One of his many lasting legacies is the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation (MCMF), which he founded. It is now one of the most prominent social welfare organizations in the County dedicated to helping realize the vision of a hunger-free and hate-free society. Our County and community are better because of Tufail's service and selflessness. Our deepest condolences to his family. Read the statement issued by County Executive Marc Elrich.

The African Advisory Group reminds readers that Montgomery County has COVID testing locations throughout the County. Click here for a list of sites. Information about vaccine sites can be found here. Free taxi service to vaccination and testing locations is available for seniors and residents with disabilities.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Iota Upsilon Lambda Chapter and The Alpha Scholarship and Charitable Foundation presented its 45th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast on January 17. Click on the image above to view the program.

February is Black History Month, and the Sandy Spring Slave Museum will host hands-on, fun, and educational activities for the whole family. For more information, please visit SandySpringSlaveMuseum.org and to purchase tickets online, click here. A flyer is available here.

The City of Gaithersburg celebrates and honors Black History Month

with storytime programs, film screenings, discussions, and an official proclamation. Explore all programs and events here.

The County Executive celebrated Korean American Day virtually with Korean leaders on January 13. The day commemorates the arrival of the first 102 Korean immigrants to arrive in the United States in 1903 in Honolulu, Hawaii and celebrates Korean Americans who have contributed to the United States in every field.

Lunar New Year, one of the most important holidays in Asian countries, was celebrated on Tuesday, February 1. It is a time of family togetherness, good food, and good spirits. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger, regarded as the King of Beasts in Asian cultures. The Tiger represents bravery, strength and warding off evil. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

Vietnamese American Services offers free COVID testing and vaccines at their offices. Click here for flyers in Vietnamese and English.

Every Mind will be creating and disseminating educational videos on mental health and wellness for the Asian American community. In order to provide the most relevant and helpful mental wellness education, they are seeking feedback from the community. A five-minute survey is available in these languages:

Montgomery County, MCPS and several community partner organizations will be organizing a winter clothing donation drive during January and February to benefit recent arrivals and refugees to the County. To donate and support this worthy cause, please visit AmazonSmile (smile.Amazon.com) and designate ‘Identity’ as your charitable organization of choice. For more information, please contact Jessy Mejia Terry.

MEAAG's Voter Education Initiative (VEI), designed by MEAAG member Sahar Fahmy, was part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service organized by the Islamic Center of Maryland. Thanks to Diane Hibino of the League of Women Voters, MEAAG members Mumtaz Jahan and Sahar Fahmy, and Day of Service coordinator, Sister Adileh Sharieff of the Islamic Center of Maryland.

COVID Outreach

On January 23, MEAAG helped distribute COVID-19 related materials during the vaccine clinic organized by the American Diversity Group and Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The clinic aimed to increase access to the COVID-19 vaccine for men, women and children in the community near the Baitur Rahman Mosque. Pfizer and Moderna boosters were available Thanks to MEAAG members Dr. Amjad Chaudhry and Ms. Sahar Fahmy for their efforts.

MEAAG held its annual retreat on January 22, providing updates from the Office of Community Partnerships, community news and a review of MEAAG’s ongoing and upcoming activities. County Executive Marc Elrich attended the retreat and discussed the County’s policies and measures to combat COVID-19, provide affordable housing, and support immigrants and newcomers. Mr. Elrich presented a certificate of appreciation to Akhtar Zubairi who resigned from his leadership as MEAAG’s Vice-Chair. Mr. Zubairi will continue serving as a MEAAG member. The MEAAG leadership transition team was announced, which includes Dr. Debbie Trent, Ms. Sahar Fahmy, and Ms. Farideh Jahanbin.

African American History Month | Asian Lunar New Year, February 1 | Tet Nguyen Dan February 1 | Vasant Panchami, February 5 | Parinirvana, February 15 | Magha Puja, February 16 | President's Day, February 21

The first in a series of Tele-Town Halls will be held on Tuesday, February 15 at 7:00 pm. This monthly event will take pace on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm so that faith leaders can learn more about County and community resources. February's topic will focus on the work of non-profit Identity and will provide updates on unaccompanied minors from the southern border and how the faith community can assist. All faith and community leaders are encouraged to join. To register, click here.

The second meeting of the Montgomery County Resettlement Working Group will take place on Wednesday, February 2 at 7:00 pm. The group is focusing on how the faith community can support newcomers, especially in regard to Afghan newcomers. If you are interested in joining this group please email kate.chance@montgomerycountymd.gov

Ongoing initiatives to support refugees and newcomers in Montgomery County include efforts from the organizations listed below. Please click links for more information or contact kate.chance@montgomerycountymd.gov.

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is administering two separate Community Safety Works grant opportunities that will encourage the implementation of crime prevention strategies through physical design improvements and community vigilance and maintenance. Maximum grant request is $25,000 for facility-related improvements that make the facilities of nonprofit organizations, including faith-based nonprofit organizations, safer and more defensible. For more information, go to https://onestop.md.gov or email dhcd.communitysafety@maryland.gov.

Taxicab companies operating in Montgomery County, including Action, Anytime and Regency/Barwood, are providing free roundtrip transportation for seniors 65-and-over and residents with disabilities to COVID-19 vaccination and testing locations, Click here for flyer.

Celebrate Chinese New Year & International Mother Language Day with Benjamin Gaither Center.

Opportunity for Youth: Chesapeake Conservation Corps -- The application for the Chesapeake Conservation Corps is now open with a March 3rd deadline. The Corps increases access and opportunities to green careers across the Chesapeake Bay watershed by placing young adults (18-25) with nonprofits and government agencies to work fulltime for a paid yearlong term of service.

Lifelong Learning Courses -- Registration is open for Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Institute Non-Credit Courses. Offering Zoom and on-campus classes! 35 new classes are being offered in Spring 2022. Click here for registration information.

To submit your news and events of interest to those serving Montgomery County's emerging communities and neighbors in need, email complete details and/or a news release to the OCP Newsletter.