When it was announced that Montgomery County would go back to school virtually this year, MCCH staff we knew we would have to provide extra support to the students in our permanent supportive housing programs. During our Back to School Fair, over 200 of the children we serve were provided with school supplies from caring community members to help them succeed. But this was just one piece of the puzzle!

In addition to school supplies, these students need a safe and healthy learning environment, which includes a desk for class and homework. Thanks to the dedication and teamwork of our community, over 40 desks were delivered to students in need!

A special thanks to the IKEA location in College Park, MD for finding us desk inventory and the Washington-Rockville Elks Club for providing the desks. Thanks to many of our dedicated MCCH volunteers (Elks Club members, Boy Scouts from Troop 1449, and community members), desks were quickly assembled and delivered, providing at-home school necessities to our families in need!

The connections between healthcare and housing are intertwined and a lack of either or both can have lasting effects. Receiving necessary healthcare is often a struggle for people experiencing homelessness but MCCH is working with Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Healthcare for the Homeless to remove those barriers.

Healthcare for the Homeless provides medical and dental services to the men in our shelter as well as individuals and families served by MCCH permanent supportive housing programs. Despite the setbacks experienced during COVID-19, this Montgomery County supported program has made adjustments to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals and clients receiving services, such as offering virtual consultations and intensifying their collaboration with hospitals and service providers.

Healthcare for the Homeless fully understands the medical struggles of people experiencing homelessness. Experiencing homelessness takes years off of people's lives. Someone who is homeless in their 50s could have the medical challenges of someone in their 70s and 80s. And not all programs are easy to access because they don't anticipate someone that age having those health challenges.

While continuing to support MCCH clients, Healthcare for the Homeless is focused on increasing opportunities for dental services, in-house behavioral health services, and developing a medical respite program. MCCH values their commitment to our clients and people experiencing homelessness throughout the county!

Have you joined our Urgent Needs Task Force Facebook group yet? This group connects caring community members with MCCH clients who are in need of items to end their homelessness or thrive after ending their homelessness.

Even through this pandemic, our dedicated supporters have continued to provide urgently needed items to our clients! In October, the group donated over 75 blankets for the men at our shelter, winter gear for elderly clients, clothing for a veteran, and more!

With this simple gesture, your donations of needed items demonstrate to our clients that their community cares about them. When recovering from the trauma of homelessness, that reminder can be a glimmer of light in the darkness.

You can directly support our clients by joining our Facebook group today and bringing hope to the people we serve all year long!