Community Advocacy Institute Participants Testify Before County Council

Eight Community Advocacy Institute participants testified at the County Council budget hearings this month! Participants Sandra Martinez, Joseph Hooks, Odessa Davis, Lynnette Hamrick, Angela Harvey, Yeshi Mengistu, William Hegwood, and Elizabeth Umana used the advocacy skills they developed during the CAI to speak in support of key issues impacting the lower-income community, including the “cliff effect," early care and education, affordable housing, and affordable transportation options.

All CAI participants are required to complete an advocacy project in order to successfully complete the program. Some participants will submit letters to the County Council, while others have scheduled in-person meetings with Councilmembers. Eighteen CAI participants are on track to graduate from the program on May 22 during the Community Action Awards. The Community Action Board will begin accepting applications for the 2018-2019 CAI in July. Please check the CAB website this summer for more information.

Community Action History Video Premiers on County Cable

Community Action partnered with County Cable Montgomery to create a video celebrating the agency's 50th anniversary in Montgomery County. A 15-minute video about Community Action's impact in the community was featured on the County Cable program "Did You Know?" this month. The video features interviews, historical photographs, and information about the Community Action Board,  TESS Center, VITA Program, Head Start, and County contracts. Please click HERE to watch the video online.

Partners Gather for Financial Capability Symposium and Interactive Self-Sufficiency Standard Focus Group

On April 11, Community Action was a proud co-sponsor of the CAFE Montgomery Financial Capability Symposium. Over 130 people attended the program, which included presentations about financial education for different generations and online resources for seniors. Following the Symposium, over 50 representatives from local non-profits participated in a focus group session to develop new training and tools for practitioners interested in using the Interactive Self-Sufficiency Standard with clients. Participants provided feedback on the new tool, developed in partnership with CountyStat and shared ideas for ways to incorporate this tool into work with lower-income residents.

VITA Tax Season Comes to a Close

Community Action's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program has completed another successful tax season. VITA has served 1,936 households with a combined impact of $5.4 million to County taxpayers. Services were provided at multiple sites throughout the County January - April.  VITA also hosted three Super VITA Days in March. Over 75 volunteers supported the VITA program, serving 2,085 hours throughout the tax season.

Community Action's VITA program is the only year-round VITA site in the County. Staff and volunteers will assist with prior year and amended returns. Free tax preparation services will resume on June 5 and continue through October 30 at the Rockville CAA office and the TESS Center. Please visit the CASHBACK website for more information about off season tax preparation in the coming weeks.

Meet Jeff Weber, One of the VITA Program's Exceptional Volunteers

Jeff Weber has been a longtime volunteer with Community Action's VITA program, providing free tax preparation services for low-to-moderate income residents. We asked Jeff to tell us a little more about his volunteer service.

Jeff just completed his ninth season volunteering for the CAA VITA program. As to why he decided to volunteer, Jeff reports, "When I retired I was looking for some way to give back to the community. My wife was a Montgomery County Public School teacher at the time. She received an email looking for volunteers and passed it on to me." Jeff volunteered as an Advanced Preparer and Quality Reviewer in Gaithersburg and Rockville. He also volunteered at two Super VITA Days. In terms of what he likes most about volunteering, Jeff says, "I like the fact that the clients are so appreciative of the effort all of the volunteers put in to help them with their taxes."

A big Thank You to Jeff and all of the VITA volunteers who served this tax season!

Montgomery County 
Community Action Agency
1401 Rockville Pike, 3rd Fl
Rockville, MD 20852
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Community Action Partner Spotlight: Kids in Need of Defense

KIND staff and mentored pro bono attorneys provide legal representation to minors who live in Montgomery County and came into the U.S. unaccompanied by adults. To escape abuse and neglect, children as young as eight years old have crossed the border without an adult and are now living in Montgomery County, either reunited with an estranged parent or staying with a guardian. KIND staff attorneys, based in Baltimore, are currently representing 103 unaccompanied immigrant minors living in Montgomery County; 76 of these are eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). Nearly 25 of these cases are new since the beginning of the FY2018 contract. It can take years for SIJS cases to wend through the courts. 

KIND staff provide training for County attorneys willing to represent pro bono unaccompanied minors and their guardians. Recent training sessions focused on advice for clients who turn 18, and what to expect at Immigration Court Master Calendar hearings.

KIND will provide Know Your Rights presentations for immigrant youth and their sponsors later this spring and summer. The FY2018 contract runs until September. Please click HERE to learn more.

TESS Center Senior Social is Back!

The Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center will restart its Senior Social program for the spring and summer months. This popular program brings together seniors from the Long Branch community to learn about County services, participate in activities and field trips, and socialize with each other. The next senior social is Friday, April 27, 11 am - 1 pm at TESS. The senior social meets on the last Friday of the month April - October.

Head Start/Pre-K Registration Now Open

MCPS Head Start/Pre-K 

registration for the 2018-2019 school year is underway. On-site registration is available Mon - Fri, 9 am - 4 pm, at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Rockville. Walk-ins are welcome. Families may also schedule a registration appointment by calling 240-740-4530. Registration information is available online in ENGLISH, SPANISH, FRENCH, CHINESE, KOREAN, VIETNAMESE, and AMHARIC.

Community Advocacy Institute Alumni Workshop Focuses on Network-Building

On April 23, the Community Action Board hosted a Community Advocacy Institute (CAI) alumni workshop for graduates of the 2017 program and current participants. Lanita Whitehurst, Senior Network Coach at IMPACT Silver Spring, was the guest speaker. Ms. Whitehurst led participants in a network-building activity and spoke about ways for CAI participants to get involved in IMPACT's networking circles. 

Community Action Board Supports Strategic Plan to Increase Economic Opportunity

On April 24, Community Action Board Chair Pamela Luckett testified before County Council in support of Bill 14-18, which calls for the development of a Strategic Plan to Promote Prosperity and Increase Opportunity. Community Action was joined by Interfaith Works, A Wider Circle, Manna Food Center, and several others in support of this important legislation.

Announcements:

• April 27, 11 am - 1 pm, Senior Social Group at TESS
• April 30, 11:30 am - 4 pm, One Stop Fair Housing Shop at the Silver Spring Civic Center
• May 1, 10 am - 12:30 pm, MCFC FoodStat Launch at the EOB
• May 1 - 3, MCAP Conference, Annapolis
• May 3, 6 - 8:30 pm, IMPACT Now! 2018 at the Silver Spring Civic Center
• May 4, 7 - 9:30 am, Nonprofit Village Making a Difference Breakfast at the Bethesda Marriott
• May 7, 8:30 am, Community Roundtable for Collaboration at the Universities at Shady Grove
• May 22, 6 - 8 pm, Community Action Awards at the Silver Spring Civic Center
• May 23, 5:30 - 8 pm, ECHO Workshop: Emergency Preparedness at the Silver Spring Civic Center
• May 24, 6 - 8:30 pm, Nonprofit Montgomery's County Executive Candidates Forum at the Interfaith Clothing Center
• Tuesdays, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, English Classes at TESS, April 24 - June 26 
• Wednesdays, 1 - 2 pm, Judy Center Jump Bunch at TESS
• Fridays, 9:30 am, Walking Group at Mary's Center