E-Newsletter: October 2023

Montgomery County
Community Action Agency

New Self-Sufficiency Standard Report Available  

Look for updates on rolling out the Self-Sufficiency Standard in future editions of the Community Action e-newsletter!

Advocacy Program in Full Swing

On October 7, the Community Action Board welcomed the eighth cohort of the Community Advocacy Institute (CAI), a free advocacy training program for lower-income County residents. The orientation session, held at the Gaithersburg Library, included an opportunity for participants to meet each other, board members, and CAI Ambassadors. The new participants learned about the program workshops and requirements and engaged in a special activity to select the advocacy issues that will be featured at the second workshop in December. The group will come together again on November 4 for the first workshop, Advocacy 101, featuring a panel discussion with elected officials, an overview of the County’s legislative and budget processes, and a panel discussion with CAI graduates.

The Board also hosted a well-attended virtual CAI alumni workshop on October 17. The session, pictured below, was facilitated by Board member Denise Fredericks and focused on services for seniors in our community. Featured presentations were provided by representatives of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Aging and Disability Services, the American Muslim Senior Society, the Jewish Council for the Aging, and the Montgomery County Volunteer Center.

Community Action Provides Assistance on Homeless Resource Day

On Thursday, October 19 at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg, Community Action staff participated in the Nadim Khan Memorial Homeless Resource Day. The event was coordinated by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Services to End and Prevent Homelessness, in partnership with the City of Gaithersburg. Seventy providers assisted over 350 individuals experiencing homelessness with services from housing programs to flu shots, employment assistance, and applications for identification from the Maryland Vehicle Administration. Also on site were barbers and manicurists providing free haircuts and manicures, and many giveaways, including winter coats for children and adults.

Community Action’s Navigation team provided assistance to over 100 unhoused residents applying for SNAP, Temporary Disability, Temporary Cash Assistance, Call and Ride, and more. Participating Navigators felt elated that they reached so many people in a very short amount of time. Navigators continue to receive referrals from the event and are working to connect people to services, demonstrating Community Action’s commitment to lifting people out of poverty. 

Community Action’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program also staffed a table on Homeless Resource Day, sharing information on free tax filing services, Earned Income Tax Credits, and Child Tax Credits. A Community Action staff member also volunteered as a guide for guests, who were very appreciative of the opportunities to learn about local resources.

Coat drive for Head Start and Pre-kindergarten Students

Cold weather is coming soon! Coats, gift cards, and donations by check may be dropped off at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141, Rockville, MD 20852. Coats can also be ordered online and delivered to the Rocking Horse Road Center. For more information, please see the above flier, which is also linked for enlarging or sharing. Thank you very much!

Community Action Board Advocates for Agency and Community Needs

Dr. Jeffery Johnson, Chair of the Community Action Board, testified at the annual County Council HHS Committee meeting with Boards, Committees, and Commissions on October 12. The Board’s testimony focused on key priorities for the year ahead: staffing needs at the Community Action Agency and restoring the Working Families Income Supplement to a 100% match of the state Earned Income Tax Credit. Pictured above: Dr. Johnson with County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, a former Board member, and Pamala Luckett, the Board’s County Council representative and a Council staff member.

TESS Seniors Learn Energy Saving Tips, Celebrate Fall

On Friday October 20, the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center hosted more than forty seniors to celebrate the season of Fall at the Long Branch Library. This particular Senior Social event combined two groups of seniors who are native speakers of Spanish and Amharic. The diverse staff of the TESS Community Action Center hosts the two groups monthly from spring through autumn to provide social support and connect participating seniors to community resources. The Amharic-speaking group is hosted in partnership with the Ethiopian Community Center. At the October 20 gathering, participants enjoyed snacks, goodies, and each other’s company, and two special guests joined the fun.

A special thank you to Larissa Johnson, Residential Energy Savings Program Manager, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. Ms. Johnson informed participating seniors about energy savings plans and the Lightbulb Exchange program. The participants asked many questions and received incentives, including several free gadgets for conserving energy at home. For more information about saving energy to lower home utility bills and conserve resources, visit Montgomery Energy Connection.

Participating seniors also enjoyed singing and dancing thanks to a very special TESS client who is also a famous entertainer. Mr. Torcuato Zamora, an award-winning artist, plays classic Spanish guitar and flamenco music. Mr. Zamora’s celebratory music was a terrific ending for the season.

TESS staff will be staying in contact with participating seniors over the winter. The Senior Social groups will resume in person gatherings in the spring. For information on TESS Community Action Center services, please visit the TESS website.  

Torcuato Zamora played guitar at the October 20 event.

TESS at the Maple Avenue Community Picnic

On October 21, Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center staff members Birtucan Assres and Ameha Dessie participated in the Maple Avenue Community Picnic at Opal Daniels Park. The community celebration and outreach event for residents of the Maple Avenue area of Takoma Park was coordinated by the TESS Community Action Center in partnership with the City of Takoma Park, Community Health and Empowerment through Education & Research (CHEER), the Takoma Foundation, and the Maple Tree Group. Participants enjoyed music, free food and many games and activities, including an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony, as well as learning information about community resources. TESS staff spoke with over 50 people, sharing valuable information and resources. 

Community Action at the MCAP Retreat

Earlier this month, Community Action's Program Managers Aizat Oladapo and Monica Rivera-Goldberg had the wonderful opportunity to attend the 2023 Maryland Community Action Partnership (MCAP) Board Retreat. They were joined by Managers and Executive Directors from Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia to connect and bond over their work for their respective local Community Action Agencies.  Retreat participants toured the Garrett County Community Action Committee, Inc., to learn from GCCAC’s extraordinary efforts including housing projects, waterpark, Head Start, and Transit Program. Participants also met with a facilitator, Barbara Low, SPHR, RODC from Wipfli, to discuss their work environments, defining and building office culture, employee engagement, succession planning, and employee health and wellness at Community Action Agencies.

Montgomery County 
Community Action Agency
1401 Rockville Pike, 3rd Floor
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: 240-777-1697 

• Website
• Facebook
• Contact 

Spaces Available in Head Start

If your child was four (4) years old on or before September 1, 2023, it’s not too late to apply for this school year for free pre-kindergarten and Head Start programs in the public schools for low-income families who qualify. Call 240-740-4530 or go to Go to www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org and search Head Start for more details.

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. – 4:00 p.m.

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

Beware of Fake Charities: IRS Tips and a Tool

The following is an excerpt from IR-2023-196.

The Internal Revenue Service warns taxpayers to be wary of criminals soliciting donations and falsely posing as legitimate charities. When fake charities scam unsuspecting donors, the proceeds don’t go to those who need the help and those contributing to these fake charities can’t deduct their donations on their tax return.

The Tax-Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) tool on IRS.gov helps potential donors find or verify qualified, legitimate charities. With the TEOS, people can verify the legitimacy of a charity; check its eligibility to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions; and search for information about an organization's tax-exempt status and filings.

In addition, the IRS urges anyone encountering a fake or suspicious charity to see the FBI’s resources on Charity and Disaster Fraud. Use TEOS to avoid giving money and personal information that may lead to identity theft. Fake charity promoters may use emails, fake websites, or alter or "spoof" their caller ID to make it look like a real charity is calling to solicit donations. Criminals often target seniors and groups with limited English proficiency.

Use TEOS to verify if an organization is a legitimate tax-exempt charity. Scammers often pressure people into making an immediate payment. In contrast, legitimate charities are happy to get a donation at any time. Donors should not feel rushed, and should not give more than needed. Treat personal information like cash and protect it wisely. Never work with charities that ask for donations by giving numbers from a gift card or by wiring money. That's a scam. It's safest to pay by credit card or check — and only after verifying the charity is real.

Taxpayers who give money or goods to a charity can claim a deduction if they itemize deductions, but these donations only count if they go to a qualified tax-exempt organization recognized by the IRS.

VITA is Seeking Volunteers 

Community Action’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is now recruiting volunteers for the upcoming tax season (mid-January through mid-April). Volunteers serve in numerous roles, including IRS-certified tax preparers, schedulers, greeters, interpreters, quality reviewers and site coordinators. VITA volunteers receive free training and volunteer opportunities are available in Rockville, Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, and Wheaton. The program will host two virtual information sessions for prospective volunteers on November 8 from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 6 – 7 p.m. Register online to volunteer this tax season and to attend one of the information sessions.

County Phasing Out Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

Did you know that running a gas-powered leaf blower for an hour uses as much gas as driving from Maryland to Louisiana? Gas-powered leaf blowers are loud and the fumes are harmful to people using them and the environment. The Montgomery County Council has passed legislation to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers, which cannot be sold in Montgomery County by July 1, 2024, or used after July 1, 2025. Please find out more information on this website, https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DEP/contact/leaf-blowers.html. A survey for landscapers (in English and Spanish) who use electric leaf blowers is on the website. Thank you for sharing this information.

Resources:

Help Is Within Reach – The attached flier shows where to call for help. For a mental health crisis and listening support, call 988. The Montgomery County Crisis Center is available for call in, walk in, mobile outreach, community referrals, and substance use assessment and referrals (240-777-4000). 311 provides weekday assistance, 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., for health and human services, housing, transportation, and food assistance (311 for local numbers, or 240-777-0311). For medical emergencies, fires, reporting crimes, disaster response, and life-saving situations, call 911.

Office of Community Affairs, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services:

Community Action Agency’s combined FY20 and FY21 annual report

Past editions of Community Action’s monthly e-newsletter are available on the Community Action website (montgomerycountymd.gov/communityaction).

African American Health Program

Asian American Health Initiative

Latino Health Initiative

Health:

COVID-19 vaccines to address the current variants are distributed through pharmacies and primary care providers. https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/. Hotline in English: 240-777-1755, and in Spanish: 301-270-8432.

DHHS sexual health services: Testing for sexually transmitted infections in Silver Spring and Germantown. https://montgomerycountymd.gov/hiv/testing.html/.

Non-citizen pregnant Marylanders who would otherwise be eligible for Medicaid but for their immigration status may now be eligible for coverage, including those who are undocumented or are on visas that would otherwise not allow them to apply for Medicaid. For more information, please visit health.maryland.gov/healthybabies .

Resource Directories:

Get Help page, Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center, Montgomery County, MD  https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/gilchrist/get-help/

WorkSource Montgomery’s Community Assets Map.

Housing – Repairs, eviction prevention, evictions:

For low-income households, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development has home repair loans that can assist with paying for radon abatement and other repairs: https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Residents/Pages/SpecialLoans.aspx.

Rebuilding Together Montgomery County – repairs, aging in place modifications to homes: https://rebuildingtogethermc.org/

Landlord-Tenant Affairs, Department of Housing and Community Affairs: https://montgomerycountymd.gov/DHCA/housing/landlordtenant/evictions.html

Sheriff’s Office, Evictions office: 240-777-7130 https://montgomerycountymd.gov/sheriff/sections/eviction-section.html

Montgomery County Renters Alliance – advocacy, education on tenants’ rights: https://www.rentersalliance.org/

Safety and Emergency Preparedness:

Use the following QR code to sign up for Alert Montgomery! Sign up to receive accurate and immediate notifications about emergencies that may affect your home, workplace, child's school, or any other Montgomery County locations. Alerts can be sent via text, email, or voice message. 

Montgomery County flooding website: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/flooding/. Information on frequently flooded roads, steps residents can take to prepare for potential flooding, and the availability of Flood Insurance available to all properties in the County and a survey on flooding in your neighborhood.

The Maryland Insurance Administration also has a flood insurance information page.

OEMHS website: Tips on preparing for severe storms. 

The Montgomery County Family Justice Center helps people in domestic violence situations. https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/fjc/

To report suspected child abuse or neglect, please call Child Welfare Services at 240-777-4417 or send email to childprotection@montgomerycountymd.gov.

To report suspected elder abuse, please call Adult Protective Services at 240-777-3000.

Montgomery County Family Violence Awareness and Prevention 

The Montgomery County Crisis Center specializes in serving people with behavioral health (mental health) crises. Information about the Crisis Center and other crisis intervention services: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/hhs/programindex/crisisservicesindex.html

Food and Household items:

If you are a victim of SNAP fraud/EBT skimming, go to: https://mocofoodcouncil.org/snapoutreach/.

How to protect SNAP benefits from fraud: Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Fraud - Maryland Department of Human Services

Information the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: https://dhs.maryland.gov/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program/

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

Food Assistance Resource Map - https://mocofoodcouncil.org/map/

Diaper distribution

Financial empowerment:

What does it cost to live in Maryland? 2023 Maryland Self-Sufficiency Standard

Office of Consumer Protection – A – Z Consumer Advice

My Green Montgomery: How to lower your energy costs and much more! https://mygreenmontgomery.org/projects/energy/

CASHBACK – VITA Services and tax credit information

Free Financial Counseling: Financial Empowerment Center at WorkSource Montgomery and in Gaithersburg: https://montgomerycountymd.gov/Cashback/fin_education.html.

Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund: Assistance with mortgage payments or other housing costs due to COVID-19 related financial hardships. MHAF application assistance: Latino Economic Development Corporation and 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.

CFPB Your Money, Your Goals

CFPB Financial Education Tools in Multiple Languages

Protecting Immigrant Families: 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.

Transportation: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation Ride On Reimagined Study is a full-scale re-assessment of how the Montgomery County public transit network including Ride On, Metro Bus and rail and the future Purple Line, will operate in Montgomery County, with the goal of creating a future-focused public transportation system. 

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