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August 2022 - Community Action Agency e-newsletter

Montgomery County Maryland sent this bulletin at 08/29/2022 01:04 PM EDT

E-Newsletter: August 2022

Montgomery County
Community Action Agency

TESS Welcomes Long Branch Community to New Site

On the third of August, the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center celebrated its move to 8703 Flower Avenue, Silver Spring, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Speakers at the event included County Executive Marc Elrich; County Councilmembers Will Jawando and Tom Hucker; Dr. Raymond Crowel, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, Chair of the Community Action Board; Sharon Strauss, Executive Director of the Montgomery County Community Action Agency; Maureen Larenas-Rivas, TESS Manager, and Victoria Hall, Community Services Aide.

The TESS Community Action Center has a 50-year history of serving thousands of residents each year in the Long Branch community of Silver Spring. TESS is a walk-in DHHS office where residents connect with County services and non-profit programs and resources. Services provided include rental assistance, childcare assistance, financial benefit programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), and, in partnership with the Montgomery County Maryland Bar Foundation, legal advice and referrals for services. TESS provides a “one-stop-shop” where staff can help residents navigate a complex system of available services and programs. TESS was the first County office to provide services in Spanish and Vietnamese. Current TESS staff, including those pictured below, speak English, Spanish, Amharic, and Farsi. TESS also works closely with other County agencies during localized emergencies, such as fires and floods, to help affected families get connected with services, on a short and long-term basis.

“I have worked with TESS for decades and understand firsthand how valuable they are to Montgomery County,” said County Executive Elrich. “I congratulate them on this new building and location. I’m proud of their outreach and thank them for the crucial role they play in improving the County’s health and equity outcomes while enriching the lives of those they serve.”

“The TESS team is successful in demonstrating equity principles, by ensuring that our residents, regardless of language spoken, socio-economic status, access to technology, or where they live in the County have access to the services they need,” said Sharon Strauss. “I am so proud of the TESS team, which with federal CARES funding, has grown in their capacity to deliver exceptional navigation to our neighbors, here and throughout the County, working closely with county and nonprofit partners to address new needs, linking them to new opportunities. I am delighted to welcome you to our beautiful new TESS Center!”

TESS was established in 1969 following advocacy from the Takoma East Silver Spring Community Action Committee, which included residents of Long Branch and leadership from the City of Takoma Park.

Along the Community Action Agency, it was a sister program of Community Action in the former Department of Family Resources, and its history includes its affiliation with the Silver Spring Government Services Center at 8818 Georgia Avenue, working closely with our Department of Social Services.

“From the start, TESS has been a true model of exceptional customer service, utilizing the ‘no wrong door’ approach and the whole family approach, both of which are considered best practices in the human services field,” said Dr. Crowel.

“Residents find comfort in knowing that they can come to TESS and speak fluently with a staff person in their primary language. Thank you to the TESS team for being an integral part of DHHS.”

Community Action Board Chair Dr. Jeffrey Johnson added, “For many years now, our board has advocated for the TESS Center’s staffing needs and its facility needs. For TESS to continue to meet the needs of our most vulnerable community members, the Center needs a facility that is accessible to everyone. We are thrilled to see the Center’s beautiful new space today. The Community Action Board will always be a strong advocate for the Center so that TESS will have the resources and staffing needed to continue to provide high-quality, culturally competent services to thousands of residents every year.”

Maureen Larenas-Rivas, who has worked at TESS for thirty years, and Community Services Aide Victoria Hall described the impact services can make in the life of community members. Ms. Hall recounted the services provided to a single mother with two young children last year. “She had lost her job due to the covid-19 business closures," Ms. Hall said. "She was also going through a divorce. Her estranged husband was not providing any support for the family. She was emotionally and financially devastated and struggling to make ends meet. Previously, she had a great paying job and had never had to apply for benefits.”

The resources available to young family ranged from financial assistance, rental assistance, food, other emergency supplies, such as diapers, and child support, to legal assistance, counseling, and early learning, library events, and recreation for the children. In partnership with private donors, TESS staff also provided holiday gifts to the children, and continued to work with the young family to broaden the mother’s job prospects through Montgomery College courses.

“Good news!” Ms. Hall concluded. “The lady and her children were approved for all the benefits she had applied for, and best of all she was approved for the COVID-19 rent relief. The divorce and child support has been granted in her favor; best of all, she received her work permit and found a job! She feels more empowered, happy and is proud to be moving forward!”

The TESS Center is open at 8703 Flower Avenue, Monday through Friday, with walk-in hours available from 9 a.m.–noon. Appointments are available Tuesday – Thursday from 1 – 4 p.m. The TESS phone remains 240-773-8260. More information is also available at: montgomerycountymd.gov/TESS.

Portions of this article are from the Montgomery County press release: https://montgomerycomd.blogspot.com/2022/08/takoma-east-silver-spring-tess.html

Learn how to be an advocate for your community!

The Community Action Board is accepting applications for the Community Advocacy Institute (CAI), a free advocacy training program for lower-income County residents. The CAI is an eight-month program (October – May) with monthly workshops focused on working with elected officials, advocacy issues, storytelling, research, writing letters of support, giving testimony, and other topics. Most workshops, which are bilingual in English and Spanish, will be held online this year, with a few in-person sessions as well. Participants complete an advocacy project, which may include submitting written testimony or testifying before the County Council.

Participants in the CAI must live in Montgomery County and must have a combined household income of $60,000 or less. Apply online by September 2.

Tax Deductions for Teachers; Tax Credits for Taxpayers with Student Loans

Community Action's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) team wants community taxpayers to know about two important items of tax news for educators and higher education students.

IRS Tax Tip 2022-118 provides information for teachers on deducting from their income taxes up to $300 for classroom supplies & professional development fees that have not been reimbursed.

The Maryland Comptroller urges eligible Marylanders to act fast and apply for the Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit Program for Tax Year 2022. Applications must be submitted by September 15. The following is an excerpt from the Comptroller's news release:

The program is administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) and provides an income tax credit for Maryland residents making eligible undergraduate and/or graduate education payments on loans from an accredited college or university.

To be eligible, you must claim Maryland residency for the 2022 tax year, file 2022 Maryland state income taxes, have incurred at least $20,000 in undergraduate and/or graduate student loan debt and have at least $5,000 in outstanding student loan debt upon applying for the tax credit.

MHEC will prioritize tax credit recipients and dollar amounts based on applicants who have higher debt burden to income ratios, graduated from an institution of higher education located in Maryland, did not receive a tax credit in a prior year and were eligible for in-state tuition.

Students who do not attend an in-state institution are still eligible for the tax credit, but may not receive as large a tax credit. You do not have to be a college graduate to qualify. Selected recipients will be asked to prove that they used the full amount of the tax credit for the repayment of eligible student loans.

More than 40,000 Marylanders have benefited from the tax credit since 2017. with more than $40 million distributed. In 2021, 9,155 Maryland residents received the Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit. Those who attended in-state institutions received $1,067 in tax credits, while eligible applicants who attended out-of-state institutions received $875 in tax credits.

For more information, contact the Maryland Higher Education Commission at 410-767-3300 or 1-800-974-0203 or visit https://mhec.maryland.gov/.

Montgomery County
Community Action Agency
1401 Rockville Pike, 3rd Floor
Rockville, MD 20852
240-777-1697 (main)

Head Start Registration for 2022 - 2023 School Year

In-person: Families can register their children for Head Start in-person at the Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141, Rockville, MD, 20852.

Online: Montgomery County Public Schools has new QR codes to link families to the application process for Head Start and Pre-kindergarten. The QR code takes the parent or guardian to a portal and they can apply directly from their phone in their preferred language. Fliers in English and Spanish direct parents and guardians to one link if they are new to MCPS, and another if they already have a child attending MCPS. Children must be three or four years old by September 1, 2022 to apply for Head Start or Pre-kindergarten. Families must meet income guidelines. The programs help children thrive in school and link their parents to resources, including parenting support.

Head Start/Pre-K registration fliers are available for download in English, Spanish, Amharic, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, French, and Portuguese.

Do you have questions about Head Start? Check out the Common Questions online.

Prior Year Taxes and Amended Returns: Walk-In Hours Added

Through October 31, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) team is offering free tax help for current year (2021), prior years (2018 – 2020), and amended returns to Montgomery County residents with household incomes of $58,000 or less.

Virtual appointments are available on Mondays and Fridays, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In-person appointments are available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

VITA is now offering walk-in appointments on a first come, first served basis in Rockville Tuesday – Thursday, 2 – 4 pm. All in-person appointments will be at 1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 320, Rockville, MD 20852.

To schedule an appointment, please call VITA at 240-777-1123 or go to the CASHBACK website. See also our VITA fliers in: English, Spanish, Amharic, Chinese, French, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Community Action Partner Spotlight: Long Branch Partners

The Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center, which celebrated its move this month to 8703 Flower Avenue, Silver Spring, is a proud member of Long Branch Partners. Formed in the wake of an explosion and fire that severely impacted the community, Long Branch Partners is comprised of area service providers who have forged alliances since 2016 to deepen their coordination of services and to share information.

Community Action Agency contract partners Community Health and Empowerment through Education & Research (CHEER), IMPACT Silver Spring, and the Spanish-Speaking Community of Maryland are among member organizations and who work closely with fellow Long Branch partners, including Adventist Community Services, the City of Takoma Park, and the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington. Montgomery County departments represented within Long Branch Partners include the Health and Human Services, Public Libraries, Public Schools, and Recreation.

After significant efforts to track assets, resources, and needs in the community, several organizations that belong to Long Branch Partners became a COAD, or Community Organizations Active in Disasters. Having plans, communications, and partnership in place benefited the community when a a 2020 neighborhood apartment fire again displaced Long Branch families.

Long Branch Partners have distributed food and emergency supplies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and organized events to celebrate the community, including trail walks and outdoor festivals.

Collaboration and partnership can significantly impact a community by connecting people in need to resources that help them survive and thrive. To learn more about Long Branch Partners, visit CHEER’s website.

Green Tip: Scrap Metal Recycling

Did you know that in Montgomery County, you can recycle a bicycle? A treadmill? A grill, metal filing cabinet, and even rolled metal fencing?

Metal is hard to mine from the earth, but can be recycled again and again--if you make the effort.

Curbside scrap metal items may be up to 8 feet long. Go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/scrapmetal to find out how to request a curbside pick-up of scrap metal.

Items of any size can be dropped off at the Shady Grove Transfer Station: 16101 Frederick Road, Derwood, MD 20855.

Find out more about how to recycle scrap metal in Montgomery County. The Earth will thank you for it!

Resources:

NEW: Montgomery County information on Monkeypox, including vaccine access, frequently asked questions, and more.

Montgomery County provides COVID-19 vaccines for adults and children ages six months to five years and up: Montgomery County COVID-19 Vaccine Site

Montgomery County COVID-19 information website

Montgomery County COVID-19 hotline in English: 240-777-1755, and in Spanish: 301-270-8432

Financial Empowerment Center open at WorkSource Montgomery: Free Financial Counseling

Frequently Asked Questions about Rent Relief Round 4 are available in English, Korean, Spanish, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Amharic.

Are you struggling to keep up with your mortgage payments or other housing costs due to COVID-19 related financial hardships? Please check the Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund to find out if you are eligible for assistance. The local organizations assisting residents in applying for funds are the Latino Economic Development Corporation and the Housing Initiatives Partnership.

Ban the Box, or the Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Law, assists in the successful reintegration of people with criminal records into the workforce by removing barriers to employment and housing. Find out more from the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights.

Asian American Health Initiative

Latino Health Initiative

African American Health Program

Food assistance resources and programs (information available in English, Spanish, Amharic, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean)

Diaper distribution

Family violence prevention

CASHBACK – VITA Services, tax credit information, COVID-19 financial resources

CFPB Your Money, Your Goals

CFPB Financial Education Tools in Multiple Languages

Information from Protecting Immigrant Families about immigrant eligibility for public programs.

Unemployment Insurance

Office of Home Energy Programs – Utilities assistance

WSSC water & sewer bill assistance in English and Spanish. Call Center Advisors: 301-206-4001.

Water bill assistance flier in English and Spanish

The Community Action Agency is part of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Affairs.

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