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Community Action Agency e-news - June 2024

Montgomery County Maryland sent this bulletin at 06/28/2024 11:12 AM EDT

E-Newsletter: June 2024

Montgomery County
Community Action Agency

TESS Community Action Center’s Updated Hours

Please note the following schedule changes for in-person services at the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center, located at 8703 Flower Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20901. While staff will continue to provide services to the public Monday through Friday during regular business hours, since June 24th the office has implemented the following changes to in-person appointments and walk-ins:

Monday: Center closed. Staff telework and can be reached via email, phone, and virtual platforms.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: Center is open for brief, walk-in services from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and closed for lunch from 12 to 1 p.m. Scheduled appointments are available from 1 to 4 p.m.
Friday: Center is open for brief, walk-in services from 9 - 11:30 a.m. and will close at 12 p.m. Staff telework in the afternoon and can be reached via email, phone, and virtual platforms.

For additional information, please call 240-773-8260 or contact Maureen Larenas, Manager of the TESS Center, at Maureen.Larenas@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Fliers announcing the changes in in-person appointments and walk-ins are available in English, Spanish, and Amharic.

Head Start: Registration for 2024 – 2025 is Open!

For children who will be four (4) years old on or before September 1, 2024, in low-income families who qualify, registration is ongoing 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.

List of the documents needed to complete a Head Start application

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

Celebrating a Successful Head Start Party in the Park!

On Saturday, June 1st, the Head Start program (above) and the Housing opportunities Commission (HOC) Fatherhood Initiative (below) hosted over 1,000 attendees at Wheaton Regional Park!

The party and resource fair included opportunities for families to register for Head Start and Pre-kindergarten and learn

about many community resources, including the WorkSource Montgomery Mobile Job Center (left), emergency preparedness (below right), household energy savings, and Rebuilding Together Montgomery County.

The African American Health Program was also on hand to provide health screenings.

Attendees also enjoyed many fun activities, such as face painting, Zumba and environmental tips from the Latino Health Initiative (below), free lunch from California Tortilla, and even free haircuts.

In addition to representatives from HOC and the Department of Health and Human Services, the event included the

Department of Parks, the Department of Recreation (at right), and many non-profits.

Congratulations to all who contributed to the success of this event!

Community Action Board Welcomes New Members and Wraps Up a Busy Year

The end of the County's fiscal year has been a busy time for the Community Action Board. Dr. Jeffery Johnson, Board Chair (at left), testified on behalf of the Board on June 18^th in support of County Council Bill 5-24, which would create a Child Investment Fund. Often called “baby bonds,” this innovative approach sets aside funding for children when they are born. The funds grow over time, and are later accessed when the child becomes an adult. The goal of the Child Investment Fund is to help provide more opportunities for lower-income community members and reduce wealth disparities within Montgomery County.

On June 25^th, the 2024 - 2025 Executive Committee members of the Community Action Board were installed at the Board's monthly meeting. Members of the Executive Committee (EC) serve for one year. This year's board leadership includes:

Chair: Dr. Jeffery Johnson
Vice Chair: Claudia Simmons
Secretary: Elaine Carballo
At-Large EC Members: Erika Conner, Denise Fredericks, Evelyn Okutu, Timothy Robinson, and Mike Subin.

The Board’s work will continue over the summer months with the annual Board retreat and recruitment for the Community Advocacy Institute (CAI). Community members interested in applying to the CAI program should keep an eye out for an announcement in mid-July when the application opens.

Finally, the Board recently welcomed five new members and provided an orientation session for the new members. Below, please find brief bios for the Board’s newest members.

Rachel Bonas is serving in the low-income sector of the Board representing the Rockville area. She was elected to serve on the Community Action Board (CAB) by the Head Start Parent Policy Council. Rachel has a background in information technology and consulting and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Computer Science at Bowie State University. She has been actively involved in the Policy Council, taking on leadership roles over the years.

Summer Cook is serving in the low-income sector of the Board also representing the Rockville area. She works in property management and has a background in resident services. Summer was elected to serve by the Community Action Agency’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clients using a new election process that involved an online survey. Summer recently testified in Annapolis and spoke at Community Action's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day event.

Luz Cuenca is serving in the low-income sector of the Board representing the Olney area. She was elected to serve on the CAB by the Rolling Terrace Elementary School PTA. Luz works as a paraeducator at Rolling Terrace and previously worked as a bus operator for Montgomery County Public Schools. Luz is a longtime County resident and is active in the Takoma Park community where Rolling Terrace is located.

DaVida Rowley-Blackman is serving in the public sector of the CAB as the Board's new Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) representative. DaVida is the Vice President of Resident Services at the HOC and previously worked for the New York City Housing Authority. She has extensive experience in public housing and human services.

Helen Winder is serving in the low-income sector of the CAB representing the Aspen Hill area. She was elected to serve on the Board by the Wheaton Woods Elementary School PTA. Helen currently works at Wheaton Woods as a secretary, following several roles at the school over the years. She is heavily involved in the community and has supported numerous efforts to assist local families.

Welcome new members, and congratulations to the Community Action Board for all you have accomplished this year!

Free Tax Help for Income-Eligible County Residents

The Community Action Agency's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, the County’s only year-round VITA program, is offering free tax help for prior year, amended, and current year returns. Virtual and in-person appointments are available now through October 24th and are for Montgomery County residents with combined household incomes of $64,000 or less.

Virtual appointments are available on Mondays, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. In-person appointments are available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., at the Community Action Agency office located at 1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 320.

To schedule an in-person appointment, please call 240-777-1123 or schedule online through the CASHBACK website. Virtual appointments may only be scheduled by phone.

Residents are reminded that all VITA sites serve taxpayers filing their taxes with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN). Community Action’s VITA program can also assist those who need help with ITIN applications and renewals. Appointments for ITIN applications and renewals are available on Wednesdays.

In addition to free tax help, VITA tax preparers link residents with valuable tax credits that can provide critical support to households. These include federal and state Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC), Child Tax Credits, and the County’s Working Families Income Supplement (WFIS).

Information about post-season appointments is available on the CASHBACK website. Outreach flyers are available for download in English, Spanish, Amharic, Chinese, French, Korean, and Vietnamese.

TESS Joins Clifton Park Health Fair

On June 8th, Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center staff members Ameha Dessie and Victoria Hall joined in Clifton Park Baptist Church Community Day. Participating organizations at the health fair included IMPACT Silver Spring, the African American Health Program, Black Physicians & Healthcare Network, and Global Community Health.

Over 300 community members attended the event, where they accessed healthcare screenings and received information on preventing diabetes and high cholesterol. At the TESS information table, at least 45 people sought out information about services at TESS. Mr. Dessie and Ms. Hall (pictured above on the left) provided information and fliers in English, Amharic, and Spanish.

Congratulations to Clifton Park Baptist Church and all organizations that participated in a successful Community Day!

From the Desk of the Climate Change Officer: Tips to Beat the Heat

The following letter from Montgomery County's Climate Change Officer, Sarah Kogel-Smucker, originally appeared in the June Climate Newsletter.

It’s getting hot around here! From grilling in a neighbor’s backyard, to swimming in the County’s awesome public pools, warm weather fun is here. But, as climate change brings us more excessive heat days, it’s important to treat excessive heat with caution.

To protect yourself and your family from excessive heat, first, please sign up for Alert Montgomery here. The Alert Montgomery System provides accurate and immediate emergency notifications, including weather alerts, from Montgomery County via text, email, or voice message. Next, check out these tips to stay safe in excessive heat. Tips include drinking plenty of water, visiting air-conditioned buildings if your home is not air conditioned, and wearing proper sun protection.

If you work outdoors or employ outdoor workers, check out this important advice on preventing heat illness at work. Precautions include acclimating to the heat and watching for signs of heat illness like nausea or slurred speech.

Trees are also vulnerable to excessive heat. If you have trees on your property or under your care, sign up for watering reminder emails via Reforest Montgomery. These occasional emails let you know when to water trees during periods of heat, drought, or low rainfall. I water our young and old trees whenever I get one of these email alerts and it makes summer tree care much simpler.

Putting these precautions in place allows us to weather this summer’s heat and enjoy this special season in Montgomery County! I look forward to a fun, safe summer of climate action.

Warm regards,

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/climate/news-info.html

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

Next Edition Will Combine July & August News

The next edition of the Community Action Agency's e-newsletter will be published in late August and include news from July.

Past editions of the e-news are available on the CAA website.

Community Action Partner Reminders

This is a friendly reminder that nonprofit organizations that have contracts with or grants from Montgomery County need to keep their contact information up to date in the Central Vendor Registration System (CVRS).

If your organization has moved, or leadership, phone numbers or other contract information has changed, please update the organization's profile in the CVRS:

https://mcipcc.net/

A friendly reminder as well that final program reports for cost reimbursement contracts with July – June terms are due by July 15.

Organizations with Community Grants have until August 1 to submit their Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 report to their DHHS monitor.

Thank you for your attention to these important matters.

VITA's Monthly Tax Tip: Summer Activities that Affect Taxes

The following is an excerpt from: Tax Tip 2024-53.

Below are a few summertime activities and tips on how taxpayers should consider this summer's activities for the next tax filing season.

Marriage Wedding season is upon us, and newlyweds can make their tax filing easier by taking two simple steps now:

First, report any name change to the Social Security Administration.
Next, notify the United States Postal Service, employers and the IRS of any address change. To officially change their mailing address with the IRS, taxpayers must compete and submit Form 8822, Change of Address. See page 2 of the form for detailed instructions.

Summer camp If a taxpayer is sending a child to summer camp, the cost may count toward the Child and Dependent Care Credit.

Business travel Tax deductions are available for certain people who travel away from their home or main place of work for business reasons. It’s important for them to remember the tax rules related to business travel.

Part-time work While summertime and part-time workers may not earn enough to owe federal income tax, they should file a tax return to get any refund they may be owed. Part-time and seasonal workers can visit IRS.gov to learn more about who should file a tax return.

Some taxpayers earn summer income with a side hustle or doing gig work. They can visit the Gig Economy Tax Center at IRS.gov to learn how participating in the gig economy can affect their taxes. If taxpayers are paid through payment apps for goods and services during the year, they may receive an IRS Form 1099-K for those transactions. For more information, go to IRS.gov/1099k.

Home improvements The IRS has information to help taxpayers take advantage of potential tax benefits for home improvements. If taxpayers make qualified energy efficient improvements to their home after Jan. 1, 2023, they may qualify for a tax credit up to $3,200. They can claim the credit for improvements made through 2032.

These types of improvements include Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credits for things like water heaters, exterior windows and doors and heating and air conditioning installations. Residential Clean Energy Credits are available for taxpayers who install solar water heaters, fuel cells and battery storage or solar, wind and geothermal power generation. Taxpayers can visit the Home Energy Tax Credits page on IRS.gov to learn more.

For the full announcement, visit: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/summer-activities-that-could-affect-peoples-tax-returns-next-year.

Resources

NEW: The Maryland Office of the Attorney General has a new Hate Crimes reporting hotline and online reporting tool. While active incidents should be immediately reported to 911, Marylanders are also encouraged to call the Hate Crimes Hotline: 1-866-481-8361. For more information, go to: https://nohomeforhate.md.gov/.

NEW: Mental health support resources for people who are LGBTQ+, from the National Council for Mental Health Well-Being.

Help Is Within Reach:

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.

African American Health Program

Asian American Health Initiative

Latino Health Initiative

Health:

The DHHS Mobile Health Clinic travels 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.

Access HEARS, Inc. distributes 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 Federal Poverty Level. Find out more about how to access free hearing aids.

DHHS testing for sexually transmitted infections in Silver Spring and Germantown.

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 on visas. Contact the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Resource Directories:

Get Help page, Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center, Montgomery County, MD.

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.

Rebuilding Together Montgomery County – repairs, aging in place modifications to homes.

Landlord-Tenant Affairs, Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Evictions office: 240-777-7130

Montgomery County Renters Alliance – advocacy, education on tenants’ rights.

Safety and Emergency Preparedness:

Sign up for Alert Montgomery 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. Use above link or below QR code.

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: Information on frequently flooded roads, steps residents can take to prepare for potential flooding, and the availability of Flood Insurance. 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.

Montgomery County Family Violence Awareness and Prevention

The Montgomery County Crisis Center specializes in serving people with behavioral health (mental health) crises.

Food and Household items:

Montgomery County Food Council: Food Assistance Resource Map.

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

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

Greater DC Diaper Bank: Diaper distribution

Financial empowerment:

CASHBACK– VITA Services, tax credit information, and financial education resources.

Affordable Connectivity Program – For information about a $30/month on Internet connections 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.

What does it cost to live in Montgomery County, Maryland? The 2023 Self-Sufficiency Standard report is available and the Interactive Self-Sufficiency Standard. Another helpful tool is the Maryland Self-Sufficiency Standard Calculator 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/

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.

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.

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

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