E-Newsletter: February 2024

Montgomery County
Community Action Agency

Executive Director's Letter to the Community

To Community Members and Partners of the Montgomery County Community Action Agency, I want to start off by expressing how humbling it truly is to get this opportunity to support the work of such seasoned and dedicated staff, contractors and volunteers. I am new to Montgomery County as well as Maryland, by way of Colorado, to be closer to family. I am excited as I transition into this new role--the result of my journey of over 15 years of experience in education and my last role of close to 5 years in housing work. As I look back throughout my career, I have been passionate about supporting anti-poverty policy and implementing anti-poverty strategies. I began my career working with runaway youth in unhoused situations, then moved into a role as a Head Start Child Family Educator doing classroom intervention and family case management, only years later to become a Head Start parent. My education career culminated as a McKinney-Vento Liaison for one of the largest school districts in Colorado, serving students grades K-12 and their families who found themselves in unhoused situations. In housing, my work work of the last 5 years was building a department to provide supports for people in low-income and affordable housing to stay housed, while also opening access to housing for more people. Not only is this new role an honor, but it is also deeply personal to me. I have survived through the deep impacts of systemic economic marginalization (systemic poverty) and have even experienced being unhoused and in unstable housing throughout my life while still serving people in similar situations. I take pride in what I have overcome to be in the position I am in now, and can say that I have had many helpers, mentors, and a whole village of people supporting me along the way. Ultimately, that is what I truly believe: that we only achieve what we do with appropriate and adequate support. No one succeeds on their own. My biggest hope is  to dismantle the shame and blame society has placed on those impacted by poverty. I have close friends who will always say to me “Juntos, somos fuertes,” which means “Together, we are strong.” I truly believe this. I look forward to working with as many as possible to continue to build bridges towards access and equity. Everyone deserves to have what they need. It is a privilege to serve. In the Name of Community,

Shantá Johnson Executive Director Montgomery County Community Action Agency

Advocacy Updates from the Community Action Board

The Community Action Board continues its extensive advocacy efforts during the Maryland Legislative Session, supporting bills that address numerous issues impacting lower-income residents. The board’s Advocacy Committee meets weekly to review legislation that the board is tracking and finalize testimony that Committee members draft. To date, the board has submitted testimony supporting the following bills:

• HB608 - Earned Income Tax Credit - Individuals Without Qualifying Children – Eligibility
• HB451 - Tax Assistance for Low-Income Marylanders – Funding
• SB213 - Summer SNAP for Children Act
• HB696/SB579 - Primary and Secondary Education - Breakfast and Lunch Programs - Universal Expansion
• HB 0823 - Melanie Nicholle Diaz Fire Safety Act
• SB705 - Access to Care Act
• HB860 - Housing and Community Development - Community Action Boards
• HB694/SB482 - ENOUGH Act of 2024

The ENOUGH Act, Governor Moore’s new bill, which aims to reduce child poverty in Maryland, by issuing grants to organizations implementing place-based strategies, is a key priority for the Community Action Board and our state association, the Maryland Community Action Partnership (MCAP). At the House Appropriations Committee hearing on February 28^th, Community Action VITA client, Summer Cook, testified in support of the bill, along with MCAP’s Executive Director, Angela Martin. Pictured above (left to right) are Leah Goldfine, Community Action Program Manager and liaison to the Board, Angela Martin, and Summer Cook.

Community Action Agencies (CAAs) are advocating for an amendment to the bill that would allocate half of the funding to CAAs, which have been working to reduce poverty for nearly 60 years. On March 1^st, Community Action Board Chair Dr. Jeffery Johnson, will join CAA advocates from across Maryland to testify in support of the Senate bill.

VITA Tax Season Is Open

The Community Action Agency's VITA program is currently scheduling appointments for 2023 tax returns through April 11. Appointments are available for Montgomery County residents with a combined household income of $64,000 or less. VITA outreach fliers are available for download in English, Spanish, French, Amharic, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. Please check this website for the most up-to-date information, including appointment locations and the documents to bring with you: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cashback/.

Head Start: Registration for 2024 – 2025 Starts March 1!

For children who will be four (4) years old on or before September 1, 2024, in low-income families who qualify, registration will begin on March 1 for free pre-kindergarten and Head Start programs in the public schools. Go to www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org and search “Head Start” for more details. Head Start/Pre-K registration fliers are available in: 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. The office phone number is 240-740-4530. List of the documents needed to complete a Head Start application Also, families may apply in person at many community locations. Please see the list of locations, dates and times: Map of registration locations. Do you have questions about Head Start? Check out the Common Questions online.

Community Action Partner Spotlight: Just Neighbors Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Community Action was pleased to attend the recent ribbon-cutting event for Just Neighbors at Hughes United Methodist Church, which serves as the Mid-county Food Distribution Hub (https://www.hughesumc.org/mid-county-hub). Just Neighbors receives a County Community Grant to provide quality immigration legal services to low-income immigrants. The overall mission of Just Neighbors is "to provide high-quality immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, asylees and refugees in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia; and, to build community among clients, staff, volunteers and the larger society through education, advocacy, and volunteerism."

Erin McKenney, Executive Director of Just Neighbors, cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of Just Neighbors services from Hughes UMC on Georgia Avenue. Above, Ms. McKenney is pictured at left with Pastor Diana Wingeier-Rayo of Hughes United Methodist Church (center) and Nancy González, Just Neighbors Boardmember (right).

Community Action has collaborated closely with Just Neighbors workers to host a "Know Your Rights" panel to ensure undocumented workers in the county understood their legal rights to work. This collaboration underscores Community Action’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that all Montgomery County residents have access to services and resources that promote self-sufficiency.

Congratulations to Just Neighbors on your new location at Hughes UMC. We look forward to future collaborations as we continue our efforts to support and uplift our community together!

Pictured at left: Monica Goldberg, CAA Navigation Team leader; Stephanie Barnes, Chief Operating Officer of Just Neighbors; Trica Young, CAA Navigator; and Aizat Oladapo, CAA Contracts and Grants Program Manager.

MCAP Spotlight on Maureen Larenas

The Maryland Community Action Partnership recently shined a spotlight on Maureen Larenas, manager of the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center. MCAP is the Federal- and state-designated authority on poverty across Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Delaware and convenes nineteen Community Action Agencies serving the people of these jurisdictions.

Maureen has worked at TESS for over thirty years serving the Long Branch community of Silver Spring. Located along the border with the City of Takoma Park, Long Branch has been home to generations of new immigrants settling in Montgomery County.

The MCAP spotlight features Community Action staff who have been nominated by their peers and managers for their commitment to their communities. Thank you, Maureen, for showing leadership at TESS Community Action Center, managing with compassion, kindness and an equity lens.

Volunteers' Donations to TESS Make a Difference

This past December, members of the Church of the Ascension and neighbors in the Sligo Park Hills Community generously donated "TESS Toys" to children of families served by the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center. Staff distributed the donated brand-new toys to 33 families with a combined total of 37 children, who did not receive toys from other public and private donation drives. Priority was given to the families who are working with the TESS Opportunity Coach on strategic, multi-generation ("2-Gen") goals towards self-sufficiency.

For over 20 years, families served by TESS have been fortunate to receive holiday donations of new toys. As stated by a mother of two, “I really appreciate the gifts for my children. It means a lot to me, makes us feel like we belong here.”

And just two weeks ago, Ms. Sarah Day and her students at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Germantown, once again made beautiful Valentine's Day cards for TESS seniors!

For several years, Ms. Day, the Middle Years Programme Coordinator, has gathered Valentine's cards and messages created by her students for the seniors who participate in the TESS Community Action Center's senior social program in Long Branch. The seniors receive emotional support through social gatherings to reduce isolation, as well as information and connections to social services as needed. 

This year, TESS staff received over 60 cards and notes created by the students in English, Spanish, and Greek. Staff bundled the messages and quickly sent them to seniors to brighten their Valentine's Day.

Thank you again to Ms. Day, all participating students, and the communities of the Church of the Ascension and Sligo Park Hills!

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

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VITA's Monthly Tax Tip: Before Completing a Tax Return...

The following is an excerpt from IR-2024-45.

Before completing a tax return, the IRS advises carefully reviewing all your documents for errors or missing information. If  you use an ITIN, make sure your identification number hasn't expired. 

Be aware that standard deductions have increased for Tax Year 2023. The amounts are:

• Single or married filing separately — $13,850.
• Head of household — $20,800.
• Married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse — $27,700.

Child tax credits have also increased (Form 8812).

And there is a new tax credit for electric vehicles. 

For more information, including more tax tips, read the full bulletin: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-time-guide-2024-what-to-know-before-completing-a-tax-return.

Green Tip: What to Know about Floods

A useful tool as we head towards Spring is the Montgomery County Flooding website:

https://montgomerycountymd.gov/flooding/.

From preparing your home for heavy rains, checking your commute route for flooded roads, or shopping for flood insurance, the website has many tips and resources. There's even a link to report flooded roads and clogged storm drains, so keep the link handy! 

Resources:

NEW - Do you know about Montgomery County’s new Mobile Health Clinic? The mission of the DHHS Mobile Health Clinic is to alleviate health disparities and increase access to care by traveling around Montgomery County providing integrated medical, dental, behavioral health, and human services to underserved and vulnerable populations and communities. Residents of Montgomery County, with and without health insurance, are eligible. Visit the DHHS Mobile Health Clinic webpage for more information, including Frequenting Asked Questions.

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:

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:

Montgomery County is partnering with Access HEARS, Inc. to distribute free over-the-counter hearing aids for County residents who are ages 60 (+), have moderate to severe hearing loss, and incomes below 250% of the FPL. Find out more about how to access free hearing aids.

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/.

Pregnant women who meet the other Medicaid enrollment requirements except for citizenship may be eligible for full Medicaid 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. 

Tips on preparing for severe storms. Four steps for Emergency Preparedness: 1) Stay informed. 2) Make a plan. 3) Make a kit. 4) Get involved. Check out the OEMHS website for emergency preparation guides, including special considerations for people with access and functional needs.

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.

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

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)

Montgomery County Food Council – Food Assistance Resource Map - https://mocofoodcouncil.org/map/

Greater DC Diaper Bank: Diaper distribution

Financial empowerment:

Affordable Connectivity Program – For information about a $30/month on Internet connections go to https://montgomerycountymd.gov/obp/affordable-connectivity-program.html or click on the fliers in English and Spanish. You can also call 301-908-4510 or toll-free 1-866-206-8467.

Gaithersburg Financial Empowerment Center: http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/fec. Phone: 240-454-5199. 

WorkSource Montgomery: https://worksourcemontgomery.com/. Service locations in Wheaton and Germantown.

Self-Sufficiency Standard Report: What does it cost to live in Montgomery County, Maryland? The 2023 report is available for download on the Community Action Agency website and access the new Interactive Self-Sufficiency Standard. Another helpful tool is the Maryland Self-Sufficiency Standard Calculator, which was developed by the Maryland Community Action Partnership and the University of Washington. This interactive tool allows users to determine the Standard for different family compositions throughout the state.

Montgomery County 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, tax credit information, and financial education resources.

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.