 On May 23, the Community Action Board hosted a graduation ceremony at Bohrer Park for the board’s free advocacy training program, the Community Advocacy Institute (CAI). This year, 21 participants successfully completed the program, joining the over 100 graduates from the first six years of the CAI.
County Executive Marc Elrich was on hand to honor the graduates, noting that all community members should have a seat at the table when policies are being developed. The graduation, which was led by board leaders Dr. Jeffery Johnson and Zelda Wafer-Jones, also included a Joint County Executive and County Council Proclamation and remarks from Councilmembers Katz, Balcombe, and Sayles; Betty Lam, Chief of DHHS Office of Community Affairs; and Sharon Strauss, the Community Action Agency’s Executive Director. Graduates had the opportunity to read their personal statements, which may be found in the graduation program.
The CAI is a bilingual (English and Spanish) eight-month training program for lower-income County residents. Participants attend monthly workshops and complete an advocacy project. The board will begin accepting applications for the 2023-2024 program in July. Please check the Community Action Agency website for the latest information.
 2023 CAI graduates are pictured at top. Members of the CAI Planning Committee, including Community Action Board members, former board members, and CAI Ambassadors, are in the above photo.
 On Saturday, June 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Head Start program will host a “Party in the Park” at Wheaton Regional Park. In collaboration with HOC Fatherhood Initiative, we will have a fun-filled day of wellness activities for fathers, children and other family members. Pre-kindergarten/Head Start registration will be available on-site.
Pre-kindergarten and Head Start eligibility is based on family income. The registration process for both Head Start and Pre-kindergarten is the same, and both have half-day and full-day classes.
Head Start/Pre-K registration fliers are available in: English, Spanish, Amharic, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, French, and Portuguese.
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.
Applications are accepted online via https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org and in-person at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00p.m.
Do you have questions about Head Start? Check out the Common Questions online.
 In the first week of May, the Montgomery County Community Action, which is part of Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services, served as the host agency for the Maryland Community Action Partnership’s 2023 Annual Human Services Conference at The Bethesdan Hotel. Sharon Strauss, Executive Director, welcomed attendees from Community Action Agencies across Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Delaware. The theme of the conference was Re-imagining Possibilities, Strengthening Families and Communities.
“We believe this theme encompasses where we are heading, bringing forward new ideas and a brighter future for Community Action,” Ms. Strauss said. “As we gather together, we get to re-imagine what our work will look like for our future--bringing forward proven best practices, and great expectations to build new innovations and partnerships.”
“I’m proud to welcome you to Bethesda, home of hundreds of delicious restaurants with diverse cuisine from around the world, fabulous shopping, and a multitude of entertainment venues,” Ms. Strauss said.
“I would be remiss to point out though that not all of Montgomery County residents are as economically fortunate as today’s surroundings suggest—we are a county of hidden hardships. In Montgomery County 72,305 people live in households earning below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level, including 19,013 children. In our school system of about 158,232 students, almost 40% receive free and reduced meals. And it costs most types of households here 3 to 4 times federal poverty to achieve self-sufficiency.
“I appreciate the work of my colleagues and Board from Montgomery County’s Community Action Agency, AND the efforts of all of MCAP agencies in Maryland, Delaware and DC to serve families as they strive to become stable, safe and economically secure.
“Regardless of where we live, we all have many challenges to deliver holistic and integrated services. That is why I am so excited about the opportunities we have to meet with our peers at this conference, hear each other’s stories and take home lessons learned. I encourage you to dig in and engage, so you can bring this collective knowledge back home to strengthen families and communities.”
Evelyn Okutu, a member of the Community Action Board and a graduate of the Community Advocacy Institute, addressed the conference and co-led a workshop on the CAI. Ms. Okutu, pictured at right, spoke on the importance of leadership training for underserved community members whose voices deserve to be at table where resources are decided.
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In a conference session on “Strengthening Workforce Partnerships,” Anthony Featherstone, executive director of WorkSource Montgomery, joined with Sharon Strauss, Community Action’s executive director; Dr. Charlestine Fairley, CEO of the Anne Arundel Community Action Agency; and Kirkland Murray, President & CEO of the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation. Following changes in the federal WIOA legislation, Community Action Agencies are designated as required partners to the State Workforce Plan and members of their respective local workforce Boards, a bit like an "arranged marriage," said James E. Rzepkowski, Assistant Secretary for Workforce Development & Adult Learning with the Maryland Department of Labor. The conference session demonstrated how the two counties have moved beyond their MOU requirement to collaborate and expand community members access to innovative services designed to strengthen financial independence and wellbeing.
During the conference, staff awards were given to those who have achieved special recognition, including Maureen Larenas Rivas, manager of the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center. Ms. Larenas has worked at TESS since January 1989, beginning as a Community Services Aide. Today, Ms. Larenas manages the center with compassion, kindness, and an equity lens. Over the past three decades she has addressed community needs through such programs as the Senior Social group to reduce senior isolation, English classes for newcomers, partnered with the Judy Center play and learn group, and offered financial counseling. She has made numerous connections with community services such as the DHHS Street Outreach team (gang prevention), partnering with the Capital Area Food Bank, the Long Branch Business League, and more. Ms. Larenas led the TESS team’s support for families recovering from the 2016 Long Branch fire, working effectively with public partners and nonprofits to better serve families and assist in rehousing them.
In recent years, Ms. Larenas has initiated the whole family (2-Gen) practice at TESS, training all staff and launching an opportunity coach program that has successfully assisted 15 families with bettering their lives. She has worked diligently with MCAP, national experts, colleagues and management to refine best practices and training required for a successful service navigation practice, piloted with CARES funding and now a permanent DHHS Navigation unit. Ms. Larenas has shown an unwavering dedication to her staff, supporting them in their work and guarding their emotional wellbeing. Ms. Larenas has dedicated her career to Community Action Agency, carrying the enduring legacy of the TESS Community Action Center and making the Silver Spring area a community hub for equitable access to services.
In the top photo, from left to right, are Wendolyn McKenzie, MCAP Board Chair and executive director of the Allegany County Human Resources Development Commission, Inc.; Denise Harlow, executive director of the National Community Action Partnership; Maureen Larenas, manager of the TESS Community Action Center; and Angela Martin, executive director of the Maryland Community Action Partnership.
Community Action thanks the MCAP conference planning team, our many local speakers and guests, and all who participated in the conference's success.
 Community Action staff and Board members at the 2023 MCAP conference.
 On May 9, the Montgomery County Community Action Agency hosted Charisse Johnson, director of the Division of Community Assistance with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration of Child and Families, her team, along with staff representatives from Montgomery County’s four Congressional offices and Hermine Williams, Project Manager with the Office of Community Services in Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Division of Neighborhood Revitalization Programs. Part of a series of site visits to a number of agencies affiliated with the Maryland Community Action Partnership, the respective “open houses” were scheduled in May, during national Community Action Month, to highlight local anti-poverty efforts anchored by the federal Community Services Block Grant and leveraged by local funding and partnerships.
As Community Action's primary service site and one of our oldest programs, the visit took place at the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center in Long Branch, with 25 guests attending. Dr. James C. Bridgers, Jr., then the Acting Director of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, welcomed the group, acknowledging the critical importance of the agency’s accessible and culturally responsive services. Sharon Strauss, executive director of Community Action, provided an overview of all of the Agency’s programs and the DHHS integrated service model, which is unique among Maryland’s community action agencies in having the capacity to directly connect residents with the full range federal, state, and locally supported health and human programs.
Monica Goldberg and Maureen Larenas, pictured above with Ms. Johnson and Sharon Strauss, led the group in tours of the facility, introducing TESS and navigation staff, describing services and noting how “QLess” now supports intake at TESS and explained how staff utilize the County’s integrated data system (eICM) and the online application portal of the Maryland Department of Human Services to better assist residents. In a note of appreciation, reflecting on the agency's leadership in its navigation work to meet the needs of victims following emergencies, Hermine Williams commented, “Hearing from you all, about your partnering service providers and achievements was elating. The mind-blower for me is your shared real-time working spreadsheet, which helps with real-time service-coordination and no re-traumatization.”
 On May 17, Maria Quiroga and Victoria Hall accompanied ten seniors to attend the fashion show at the Long Branch Community Center, as part of the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center’s Senior Social Program.
The theme of the fashion show was “Secondhand is First.” Participant models were encouraged to wear clothing, jewelry or shoes that was borrowed, purchased from a thrift store, or a hand-me-down.
Participating TESS seniors enjoyed dressing up, modeling, and walking down the runway. Afterwards, they enjoyed a nice lunch provided by the HHS Senior Nutrition program. |
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The TESS team continues to promote and enhance the seniors’ participation in activities and programs available at the Long Branch Community Center, as part of keeping the community group united and active.
The Community Action Agency's TESS Center is a walk-in site serving Montgomery County residents. Services available at TESS include information and referrals, social service assistance, interpretation and translation, and legal advice from attorneys, provided through partnership with nonprofits, public agencies and community groups. For information on all the services provided at TESS, check out the website.
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