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Community Action Agency e-newsletter - March 2024

Montgomery County Maryland sent this bulletin at 03/29/2024 01:30 PM EDT

E-Newsletter: March 2024

Montgomery County
Community Action Agency

Community Action Board Celebrates Four Longtime Members

This month, the Community Action Board (CAB) honored four incredible board members who have reached the end of their terms. Pictured above, clockwise from the top left, are departing board members Lisette Orellana Engel, Valerie Chatfield-Smith, Myriam Paul, and Zelda Wafer-Jones.

Ms. Orellana Engel has served on the board since 2017, including two years as Vice Chair. She testified for the board in support of important issues such as pay equity and access to menstrual products. Ms. Orellana Engel is an active member of the Community Advocacy Institute (CAI) Planning Committee, leading workshops, mentoring participants, and providing Spanish interpretation and translation. She has also participated in EITC Awareness Day, the Maryland Community Advocacy Partnership (MCAP) Advocacy Day, and presented the Self-Sufficiency Standard (SSS) to Gaithersburg’s annual meeting for school principals and counselors.

Ms. Chatfield-Smith has served on the board since 2017. She has volunteered her time to serve on several ad hoc committees, has participated in the Commission for Women’s Legislative Briefing every year, and is actively engaged in the CAI, attending workshops, interviewing applicants, and developing strong connections with many CAI participants.

Ms. Paul was appointed to the board in 2018, served as Secretary for many years, and is on the Advocacy Committee. She volunteers with the CAI, interviewing applicants, facilitating workshops, and mentoring participants, providing feedback on their testimony. This year, Ms. Paul represented the board on the planning committee for the Women’s Legislative Briefing.

Ms. Wafer-Jones was appointed to the CAB in 2017. She served on the Executive Committee for many years, including as Vice Chair. As a representative of the Head Start Parent Policy Council, Ms. Wafer-Jones has enhanced collaboration between the board and the Policy Council. She is a strong advocate for parents and has testified for the board on several occasions. Ms. Wafer-Jones presented on the SSS at the Healthcare Initiative Foundation's Community Summit and at a briefing for County Councilmembers and the County Executive. She is a dedicated member of the CAI Planning Committee, facilitating workshops and mentoring participants. Ms. Wafer-Jones led a presentation about the CAI at the National Community Action Partnership conference in New York City.

Thank you for your service!

Advocacy Program Participants Share Original Testimony

On March 2^nd and March 23^rd, the Community Action Board hosted two testimony practice sessions for Community Advocacy Institute (CAI) participants. During these sessions, which were held in a County Council hearing room, participants shared their original testimony and received helpful feedback from board members, CAI Ambassadors, and Community Action staff who served on a panel as the “mock County Council.” The testimony practice sessions are designed to follow a similar format to actual Council hearings. Participants are called to the front of the hearing room in small groups and receive just three minutes to read their testimony. With advocacy topics covering a wide range of issues, including mental health, affordable housing, services for children with disabilities, and climate change, several participants will later testify at County Council budget hearings, while others will submit written testimony.

Pictured above, in the front row are several CAI participants, and in the back row, several current and former Community Action Board members are pictured with Community Action Agency Executive Director Shantá Johnson (second from right).

Board’s Advocacy Efforts Continue in Annapolis

Throughout the Maryland Legislative Session, the Community Action Board has tracked and submitted testimony for numerous bills addressing important community issues, including food security, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and access to healthcare. Board Chair Dr. Jeffery Johnson testified in Annapolis on March 1^st in support of Governor Wes Moore’s ENOUGH Act, which is aimed at reducing child poverty. The board will continue to track this bill, along with many others, until the session ends on April 8^th. Dr. Johnson is pictured, at left, with Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development Jake Day and Community Assistance Network Director Mitchell Posner.

Introducing Community School Navigators

Community Action is excited to announce the expansion of the Service Navigation program to include MCPS Community School Navigators. In collaboration with Montgomery County's Ending Childhood Hunger Initiative, the Navigation Program received funding to support MCPS community schools reach the goal of ending childhood hunger in Montgomery County. This program will provide MCPS families and support staff with a direct connection to DHHS staff members who specialize in providing access to wrap-around services aimed at assisting families reach self-sufficiency and closing the food insecurity gap.

Our two new wonderful staff members are from diverse backgrounds that mirror our community. Aster Teffera has worked with Montgomery County Programs for the past four years and is fluent in Amharic and English. Lucila Castiglioni comes to us from the District of Columbia’s school system and is fluent in Spanish and English. Both navigators will work to reach families who have not been able to access County services and provide holistic, Whole Family services. We look forward to sharing our journey as the new Navigators bridge between families and MCPS personnel.

Final Stretch of VITA Tax Season

The Community Action Agency's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program appointments are currently full for 2023 tax returns. There is an appointment waitlist. The last day for VITA appointments this season is April 11. People seeking appointments are encouraged to check the website https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cashback/, and look for cancelations on the Appointment Plus calendar. Or call 240-777-1123.

VITA is a free tax filing service for households with incomes under $64,000. VITA outreach fliers are available for download in English, Spanish, French, Amharic, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

VITA and Head Start Featured on Telemundo

Telemundo Channel 4 recently aired two news stories about Community Action programs. On March 1, Community Action’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program was highlighted. The story noted the cost savings of free tax preparation services and the accessibility of multiple locations and interpretation services. Featured in the news story were CASH Fellow Felix Solano Mendez, pictured above with a customer, and Program Specialist Eduardo Mendes.

Community Action has been fortunate to partner with the CASH Campaign of Maryland for several years. Fellows from CASH—Creating Assets, Savings and Hope—are students interested in gaining experience in community service and change. Felix Solano Mendez has been an asset to Community Action’s VITA team this tax season and we are grateful for his contributions.

To view the full story (in Spanish), visit: https://www.telemundowashingtondc.com/noticias/local/conoce-los-recursos-gratuitos-para-presentar-tus-impuestos/2250301/. To learn more about the CASH Campaign of Maryland, visit: https://cashmd.org/.

Head Start’s Roberto Flores, Parent, Family and Community Engagement Specialist, was also recently featured on Telemundo, on a “Bebé Tips” segment. Head Start Program Manager Charlene Muhammad shared her enthusiasm for the news coverage on how and where to sign up eligible children for Head Start or Pre-kindergarten. “Kudos, Roberto!!! Thank you for representing PreK/Head Start in this special way. It's a great piece overall. So wonderful to see your clear and effective communication style on display and reaching a broad audience!”

The full news story is accessible (in Spanish) through the following link: https://www.telemundowashingtondc.com/noticias/local/bebe-tips-condado-montgomery-comienza-periodo-de-inscripcion-para-head-start/2252425/

2024 - 2025 Head Start Registration is Open

For children who will be four (4) years old on or before September 1, 2024, in low-income families who qualify, registration has begun for free pre-kindergarten and Head Start programs in the public schools. Go to www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org and search “Head Start” for more details.

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.

Applications can also be submitted in-person in Germantown, April 2 - 19 only, at the Up County Regional Services Center, 12900 Middlebrook Road, 3^rd Floor, Germantown, MD 20874.

List of the documents needed to complete a Head Start application

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

TESS Provides Assistance at Ethiopian Seniors' Day

On March 19, staff from the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center joined with the Ethiopian Community Center of Silver Spring at the Ethiopian Seniors’ Day Event and Coffee Ceremony. TESS staff Birtucan Assres and Ameha Dessie (pictured above on the right) provided information on TESS services. Participating seniors also enjoyed the opportunities to receive: foot baths by teenage volunteers to celebrate their cultural heritage (as pictured below); on-site vision screening, free eyeglasses, and referrals to vision care at Shepherd’s Table; hearing evaluations; information on food programs from Manna Food Center; and referrals to dental care. Participants also learned about nutrition and the courses offered by Montgomery College, and received lunch. The Seniors’ Day also featured a poetry reading by children and a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony.

Mr. Dessie and Ms. Assres are following up with over fifteen people that they connected with at the Seniors’ Day Event. They were also pleased to connect with other community organizations, including the Prevention of Blindness Society – Low Vision Resource Center in Bethesda and the Black Physicians & Healthcare Network of Montgomery County.

TESS is grateful to partners at the Ethiopian Community Center, including Mr. Anteneh, who made the Seniors' Day event a success.

Staff Recognized for Women's History Month

Melissa E Ferguson - MCG Women's History Month

In celebration of Women's History Month, Montgomery County government featured several female employees on its social media accounts. The above photo features Melissa E. Ferguson, one of Community Action's contract and grant monitors. Ms. Ferguson has been with Community Action for over eleven years and also serves on the Office of Community Affairs Climate Action Team.

Cheers to the women in Community Action, the Board, and the Community Advocacy Institute who work hard to address the needs of Montgomery County's low-income families!

To follow Montgomery County Government's Facebook page, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/montgomerycountyinfo.

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

Spotlight on Partners: Food Partner in the White House

Manna Food Center, a long-time contract partner with Community Action, was recently recognized by the White House. for two programs, Farm to Food Bank and the Small Business Vouchers program. The recognition event is part of the Biden Administration’s Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities. The Feb. 27 event featured Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Bethesda Chef José Andrés.

Manna’s recognition will bolster support for programs monitored in the Montgomery County Office of Food System Resilience. The White House committed to support Manna Food Center’s programs that “partner with local farms, small business owners, and residents to increase healthy food access and affordability through a two-pronged approach to procuring and sharing.”

“Accepting the White House Challenge propels Manna and our partners to advance a vision of Food for All. We believe in a community where everyone can lead fulfilling lives and contribute to making our community a place where all live in dignity,” said Jackie DeCarlo, Chief Executive Officer of Manna.

For more information on Manna Food Center’s award-winning programs, follow the link to their press release: https://www.mannafood.org/press-release-manna-food-center-programs-included-in-national-anti-hunger-and-health-strategy/.

VITA's Monthly Tax Tips: IRS Payments; Be Alert for Scams

IRS Tips on What To Do if You Can't Pay Your Tax Bill:

The IRS has released a video regarding what to do if you can't pay your federal tax bill by April 15. The video is available in several languages.

To subscribe to IRS YouTube channels for videos on various tax-related topics, use the following links.

Be Alert for Tax Season Scams:

Adapted from the Montgomery County Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions.

Millions of people in the U.S. are filing and paying their taxes this time of the year, and cyber criminals are hoping to get paid, too. They’re taking advantage of the tax season by trying to trick you into opening an email and downloading a malicious PDF attachment. The email they send looks like a government form and includes a link to download the PDF attachment. The scammers even include helpful instructions for pasting the web page URL into your browser if the link isn’t working. Clicking the link will redirect you to a fake webpage and initiate a file download. Malware is installed on your computer once the file is downloaded. Remember, cyber criminals don’t only want your money; they also want to steal your user credentials and other personal data.

Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to a tax scam:

The latest software versions for devices often contain security updates. Make sure that your devices are running the latest software updates.
Be skeptical of unsolicited emails from the government or other financial entities. Always double-check with the organization that sent the form. If you have doubts, contact them directly on their website or by calling their published telephone number.

Always share information with care and caution. Treat your personal information and company data with care. Like money, VALUE IT. PROTECT IT. USE IT WISELY.

Green Tip: DEP Property Care Site

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection has a new website for Property Care. This site makes it easy to find answers to your questions about how to maintain a more sustainable home. There are links to information on indoor air, energy, noise, trash and recycling, as well as links to information on outdoor tips from car washing to lawn care and pet waste tips. The RainScapes link will help you manage rainwater and Tree Montgomery has tips on how to care for shade trees, or even request a free tree!

If you can’t access the above links, type into your Internet browser: https://montgomerycountymd.gov/DEP/property-care/index.html .

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:

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’s 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.

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:

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.

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