VOLUNTEER NEWS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE
Montgomery Serves Awards logo
Nominate Volunteers for County Awards
Act Before March 11 Deadline!
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 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.
AGENCY SPOTLIGHT: GILCHRIST IMMIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER
The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center, part of Montgomery County's Office of Community Partnerships (OCP), provides welcome and support to residents of Montgomery County and serves as a gateway for County immigrants.

Through the Gilchrist Center, Montgomery County residents including newcomers can obtain information and referrals to programs and services offered by government agencies and community organizations; strengthen their life skills through English and basic computer classes; and increase their knowledge to prepare for civic life and/or U.S. citizenship.

The Gilchrist Center's English and computer classes are taught entirely by volunteers. Since the pandemic classes have been held virtually, which has increased the number of people who are interested in enrolling in classes due to the convenience of online learning. That has increased the need for volunteers to support creating more classes and workshops to respond to the need. "The goal is to keep these classes small," says Program Manager Josephine Garnem. "The smaller the class, the more learning happens."

Volunteers tend to stay with the Gilchrist Center for a long time and the Center also welcomes short-term volunteers. "They get a lot of support and community building," says Program Manager Anna DeNicolo, Newer volunteers that are teaching classes can be paired with established teachers to observe a class before moving into leading a class on their own.

The Gilchrist Center partners with other Montgomery County agencies including Montgomery College, Workforce Montgomery, and Life Assets, providing workshops throughout the year on everything from learning about college programs, starting a small business, managing finances to job seeking. Many graduates of the classes are motivated to volunteer at the Gilchrist Center as a way of giving back to the community and getting the needed experience on their resumes. "We have many people who had highly professional jobs in their countries of origin but are needing to build their experience here," says Anna, "so we encourage them to volunteer as well."

Here are the current opportunities posted with the Volunteer Center by The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center for computer instructors, Spanish-speaking computer instructors, Zoom assistants, and online ESOL instructors.
FEATURED VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteering Does a Heart Good
The benefits of volunteering are broad and can include positive impacts on volunteers' physical and emotional health. Experience these yourself by filling any of the volunteer needs below--or any of the hundreds of other volunteer positions that local nonprofits and government agencies are currently recruiting for. Use the search box at the top of this email or on any page of the Volunteer Center website to search for more ways to serve.
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH TRANSCRIBE-A-THON: Sandy Spring Museum seeks help in transcribing historic documents from their archives as part of a partnership with Digital Maryland. Learn more here or send an email. Register by February 21.
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INDOOR SPRING SALE HELP: Montgomery County Parents of Multiples seeks volunteers to help set up booths for an indoor yard sale on March 5 from 11 am-2 pm that benefits their group and the community. The event is held at Seneca Creek Community Church in Gaithersburg. Tasks will include handing out bags to shoppers, helping shoppers carry purchases to the curb, and helping move items that will be donated to a local charity from the sale space to the donation area. Masks are required. Details for sign up and more can be found here.
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KEEPING IT SAFE VIDEO CONTEST: Middle school and high school teams are invited to create a 30-second PSA about underage drinking. Register by March 11. Click here for entry details and a link to the submission and release forms. Questions? Email Gabriela Monzon-Reynolds or call 240-777-1954 or Rodrigo Aguerre or call 240-672-3318.
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ROCKVILLE WEED WARRIOR WORKDAY: Join Rockville Weed Warrior Leaders for a non-native, invasive plant removal workday at Redgate Park on February 21. Space is limited and online registration is required. Read details here, or contact Weed Warrior Leader Chuck Woolery at 240-997-2209 or email chuck@igc.org with questions.
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Opportunities marked with the graduation cap icon meet the MCPS guidelines for Student Service Learning (SSL) hours--but they're not just for students! Other opportunities may be eligible for SSL hours; visit the MCPS SSL website to learn more.
SSL and Eligibility for Certificate of Meritorious Service
SSL remains a state graduation requirement for students this year, and the SSL Hub for
Students and Families is a one-stop place for accessing SSL forms, opportunities, guidelines, and more.

Any high school senior who has submitted documentation to show the completion of 240 SSL hours or more by April 1, 2022, will earn the Certificate of Meritorious Service along with a purple tassel for graduation. This award requirement has been prorated to account for the period of time during which school buildings were closed

Any middle school student who has submitted documentation to show the completion of the 75-hour SSL graduation requirement (for the first time in middle school) by April 1, 2022, will receive the Superintendent's SSL Award.

 A complete list of SSL coordinators may be found on the MCPS SSL webpage at www.mcps-ssl.org. Any questions about the SSL program may be directed to the SSL dropbox at SSL@mcpsmd.org.
NEWS & RESOURCES
Residents Honor Dr. King Through Virtual Volunteering
The 2022 MLK Week of Service wrapped up with another impressive show of participation from volunteers. The pandemic constraints did not dampen the spirits and energy of our community participants. MCVC hosted seven projects itself and supported and promoted thirty additional projects across the county. The event, which ran from January 15-22 with volunteers completing their projects from home, saw more than 350 volunteers donate over 4,000 projects throughout the week of the MCVC-hosted projects.

A sample of projects: volunteers wrote 758 letters to seniors, 460 letters to foster children, 927 valentines to veterans, and assembled 228 fleece blankets.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to giving time in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We've included two of the many pictures shared with us by MLK Week volunteers. See our MLK photo gallery for more photos submitted by our hardworking volunteers! We look forward to seeing everyone again next year.
Volunteer Bill Hicks Honored for Years of Service
William (Bill) Hicks, a long-time AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP who volunteers with AARP Tax-Aide in Montgomery County was recently honored with a Daily Point of Light Award for his dedicated leadership in providing free tax preparation assistance to low-to-moderate income Montgomery County residents with special attention to older adults. This award celebrates the power of individuals to lead and lend support to causes they care about. Read Bill's story here. Congratulations, Bill!
Watch the Ways to Make a Difference

Make a Difference is a monthly County Cable Montgomery program that highlights the contributions of exemplary county volunteers and organizations that work to better our community. You can view the latest episodes here.
Subscribe to Our Partner Newsletters
The Montgomery County Volunteer Center is part of the Office of Community Partnerships, which works to strengthen the relationship between the Montgomery County government and the residents it serves, with special emphasis on underserved and emerging communities. Subscribe to the monthly OCP newsletter to keep up with these activities.

Follow these links to subscribe to our other partner agencies' electronic publications:
Montgomery County Volunteer Center
240-777-2600
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