E-Newsletter: April 2025

Montgomery County
Community Action Agency

Community Advocacy Institute Participants Complete Projects

This year, twenty-seven participants are on track to graduate from the Community Advocacy Institute -- the largest cohort to date! Throughout April, Community Advocacy Institute (CAI) participants are completing their advocacy projects, which is a graduation requirement. Participants testified before County Council and the Board of Education, submitted written testimonies, and met with elected officials.

The participants’ testimonies addressed a wide range of community issues, including food security, immigration legal services, rent stabilization, climate change, and service navigation. Later this month, the final workshop of the CAI will focus on next steps for the participants’ advocacy efforts.

The workshop will include representatives from Action in Montgomery, Chispa, IMPACT Silver Spring, the NAACP Parents Council, and the Collaboration Council. Participants will learn about these organizations and opportunities to get involved in their work.

The Community Action Board congratulates the CAI class of 2025 on all their accomplishments. Next month, look for the CAI graduation!

The above photos are from CAI testimony days before the County Council. From the top, left to right: CAI participant Shelia Jenkins-Diaz; Council Vice President Will Jawando with CAI participant Brittney Davis; CAI participant Julia Guevara; and CAI participants Wendy Escobar, Jose Lopez, and Linda Flores.

Above, CAI participants Arileidy Ledesma and Tatiana Pineda de Henriquez, with Community Action Board member Erika Conner.

Community Action Board Advocates for Economically Disadvantaged Families

Erika Conner, a member of the Community Action Board’s Executive Committee, testified on behalf of the Board at the County Council budget hearing on April 8th. The Board’s testimony focused on historic Community Action Board (CAB) priorities, but also addressed the unique challenges many of the residents served by the Community Action Agency are facing right now. Read the Board’s full testimony online. Also during this budget season, the Board led a sign-on letter to the County Council requesting full funding for the Working Families Income Supplement (WFIS) so that it will return to a 100% match of the Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit. Sixteen local and state-level organizations joined the letter, expressing their support for the WFIS.

Head Start: Free Pre-kindergarten for Low-income Families Who Qualify

Registration is open for Prekindergarten/Head Start in the 2025 - 2026 school year for children who will be four (4) years old on or before September 1, 2025, in low-income families who qualify. Free pre-kindergarten and Head Start programs are held in Montgomery County Public Schools. 

Go to www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org and search “Head Start” for more details. 

Fliers direct families to one link if they are new to MCPS, and another if they already have a child attending MCPS. Fliers in English, Spanish, French, Amharic, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and Vietnamese are posted on: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS-Program/OCA/CommunityAction/HeadStart.html.

Applications are accepted:

• Online via www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org
• In-person at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and
• On Saturday, April 26, registration will be open from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. in-person at Rocking Horse Road Center.

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.

Save the Date! Head Start Party in the Park

In collaboration with the Housing Opportunities Commission's Fatherhood Initiative, the annual Head Start Party in the Park is returning to Wheaton Regional Park on June 7th. Mark your calendars for a wealth of information about County services, registration for Head Start and Pre-kindergarten, and a lot of family fun!

TESS Welcomes Back Seniors' Coffee Chat; Openings for Opportunity Coaching, and More!

The Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center serves Montgomery County residents from 8703 Flower Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20901, in the Long Branch area of Silver Spring and Takoma Park. On-site services include:

• Walk-in Pro Bono Legal Advice Clinic by the Montgomery County Maryland Bar Foundation on the 1^st & 3^rd Wednesdays, registration 6 - 6:30 p.m.
• Standby Guardianship services. Call TESS, 240-773-8260, for an appointment or visit www.standbyguardian.org

Standby Guardianship is a way for parents and guardians to designate a temporary guardian for their children in emergency situations. This designation allows for children to stay with someone they know and trust in the interim until a formal court hearing can be held. 

After an extended office renovation period, this month TESS staff welcomed Senior Social Group back to the office for a coffee chat (above pictured). TESS supports Long Branch neighborhood seniors through outreach, social opportunities, and sharing information on public services.

Currently, TESS also has a few openings for Opportunity Coaching, a 2-Gen/Whole Family Approach program that includes assistance with employment, housing, linkages to child care, family support calls, and more. For more information, contact Opportunity Coach Gabriela Salazar at 240-777-1866.

For more information on TESS services and hours, please see this flier.

Tax Tips: Did You Miss the April 15th Deadline?

The following is an excerpt from IRS Tax Tip 2025-27. Did you miss the April 15th deadline for filing your income tax return? If yes, you should submit your tax return as soon as possible. Remember, requesting an extension allows for additional time to file the return, but if taxes are owed, they start to accrue interest and penalties until the balance is paid in full. Taxpayers who still need to file for the 2024 tax year are encouraged to take advantage of electronic filing options such as IRS Free File, which is available on IRS.gov through Oct. 20, or IRS Direct File, available to qualified taxpayers in 25 states. Even if a taxpayer can't afford to pay immediately the full amount of taxes owed, they should still file a tax return and pay as much as possible. The IRS offers options for taxpayers who need help paying their tax bill. For more information, visit the Penalties page on IRS.gov. Taxpayers may qualify for penalty relief if they have filed and paid timely for the past three years and meet other important requirements. See the Administrative penalty relief page on IRS.gov. Online payment options Individuals can pay taxes owed securely through IRS Online Account, IRS Direct Pay, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System or by debit or credit card or digital wallet. Taxpayers may also apply online for a payment plan, including installment agreements. Those who pay electronically get immediate confirmation after submitting payment. Direct Pay and the EFTPS allow taxpayers to receive payment email notifications. Find additional payment information at the Make a payment page on IRS.gov. Is a Refund Due to You? There's no penalty for filing after the April 15 deadline if the IRS owes you a tax refund. Be sure you're not delaying in receiving a refund due to potential refundable tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. Taxpayers can track their refund using the Where's My Refund? tool on IRS.gov, on the IRS2Go mobile app or by calling the automated refund hotline at 800-829-1954.  Choose a trusted tax professional The IRS provides resources for taxpayers who need someone to prepare a tax return. The Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications can help taxpayers find tax return preparers with professional certifications recognized by the IRS or who have completed the IRS requirements for the Annual Filing Season Program.

Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

On Sunday, May 4, celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! The Asian American Health Initiative and the Office of Community Partnerships are hosting the 4th Annual Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Celebration at Seneca Valley High School in Germantown from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature cultural performances, resources in the AAPI community, a health fair, kid-friendly activities. Montgomery County is home to over 160,000 Asian American and Pacific Islanders—over fifteen percent of our population—with heritage from Indian, China, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, and many other cultures from Asia and the Pacific Islands. Come explore the rich cultures of our diverse community!  For more information and details about the celebration, please read the press release. To learn about the work of the Asian American Health Initiative, check out the Blueprint for 2020 – 2030.

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

• Website
• Facebook
• Contact 

GreenFest on April 26 and 'Green Tips'!

Happy Earth Month! Learn about how you can care for our environment and live sustainably at GreenFest on Saturday, April 26, at Marian Fryer Plaza, 2424 Reedie Drive in Wheaton with the Department of Environmental Protection and its partners.

Coming soon to homes served by Montgomery County waste and recycling collection services, curbside pick-up of batteries and electronics for recycling. From April through December 2025, this program will be phased in by neighborhood. Recycling batteries and electronics keeps harmful chemicals prevents fires and pollution of our waterways.  

And on May 10, visit the Healthy Homes Fair in DC at Catholic University’s campus.

Want to do more for our Earth? Watch this video on taking the Climate Smart pledge.

For more tips on how to live more sustainably, check out My Green Montgomery. 

April 28: Discussion on Investing in Early  Care & Education

On Monday, April 28, from 6 - 8 p.m., the Children's Opportunity Alliance will host a panel discussion about the critical importance of early care and education (ECE). Dan Wuori, author of The Daycare Myth, will be in conversation with Dr. Thomas Taylor, Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools; Tiffany Jones, Owner/Educator, Precious Moments Family Childcare; parent Danielle Edmonson; and Jennifer Arnaiz, Senior Administrator for Early Childhood Services in the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.

The event will be held at the White Oak Community Center, 1700 April Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20904. For more information, please see event flier and registration link.

Seeking Native Speakers for Testing County Technology

Montgomery County is seeking a total of twenty native speakers of Chinese Mandarin, Amharic, Korean, Vietnamese, French and Spanish to review a technology system for design and functionality. For two and a half hours to test the system, each participant will receive a $100 Visa card. 

Interested? Check out the flier and registration link for additional details.

Staff Profile: Paola Lopez

This month we're featuring Paola Lopez.

Question: What is your role in the Community Action Agency, and how long have you worked here?

Answer: I have been a Community Services Aide III/Navigator for just over 2 years.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love being a part of an integrative health program. My favorite part about my job is the wide range of areas in public health in which I get to work on and how they vary on a day-to-day basis. A lot of my caseload has food security and housing needs, but it generally varies across all areas of the social determinants of health. Through this job, I have also gained experience in emergency management and mass care; this has become a new public health interest of mine and I look forward to continue gaining experience in this area.

Q: In the community, where is your favorite place to be?

A: My favorite place to be in the community is the local businesses. More recently I have enjoyed the restaurants in Takoma Park like San Pancho and Cielo Rojo, the bookstore called the People's Book is also a favorite of mine. The small businesses of Montgomery County have such unique offerings and feel homey, I'm always looking for new places to explore.

Resources

NEW: Toilet leaks are the most common cause of unexpected water bill increases. From WSSC, learn how to spot a leak and reduce your water bill!

NEW: Office of Consumer Protection podcast on Financial Tips for Uncertain Times.

REMINDER: Resources for federal workers and United in Service and Support Online Informational Series.

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

Resource Directories:

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

WorkSource Montgomery’s Community Assets Map.

Help Is Within Reach:
For a mental health crisis and listening support, call 988.

The Montgomery County Crisis Center: Call in, walk in, mobile outreach, community referrals, and substance use assessment and referrals (240-777-4000).

311: Weekday assistance, 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., for health and human services, housing, transportation, and food assistance. Dial 311 from local phone numbers, or 240-777-0311.

Medical emergencies, fires, reporting crimes, disaster response, and life-saving situations: Call 911.

For non-emergencies, Montgomery County has a hate bias incident reporting tool. Or incidents can be called to 311 from local phone numbers, or 240-777-0311.

Maryland Office of the Attorney General's Hate Crimes Hotline: 1-866-481-8361 and online: https://nohomeforhate.md.gov/. Active incidents should be immediately reported to 911.

Health:

DHHS Mobile Health Clinic: 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 for services.

Access HEARS, Inc.  Free over-the-counter hearing aids for County residents who are ages 60 (+) and have moderate to severe hearing loss and incomes below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. 

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. Contact the Healthy Babies: Pregnancy and Postpartum Care program of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Never Use Alone, Overdose Prevention Lifeline: 877-696-1996. Peer operators are available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. https://neverusealone.com/

Housing – Repairs, eviction prevention, evictions:

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development  home repair loans for assistance with paying for radon abatement and other repairs.

Rebuilding Together Montgomery County: Repairs and modifications to homes for aging in place.

Landlord-Tenant Affairs - Evictions information from the Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

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

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

Limit on rent increases in Montgomery County.

Safety and Emergency Preparedness:

Sign up for Alert Montgomery notifications about emergencies in Montgomery County. Alerts can be sent via text, email, or voice message.

Standby Guardianship: https://www.peoples-law.org/standby-guardianship. Children’s guardianship protection, in case a parent/guardian is unable to care for their children.

The Montgomery County Family Justice Center helps people in domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse situations.

Montgomery County Family Violence Awareness and Prevention.

Food and Household items:

Department of Health and Human Services Food Resources website (available in English, Spanish, Amharic, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean).

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

Greater DC Area Diaper Bank Nursery Project provides strollers, car seats, and a cloth diaper service.

Diaper distribution at Montgomery County hubs and other partners.

Financial empowerment:

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

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

WorkSource Montgomery locations in Wheaton, Germantown, and a Mobile Jobs Center.

Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection – A – Z Consumer Advice.

Montgomery County Commission for Women seminars on financial planning, intimate partner violence, separation and divorce, human trafficking, and more.

My Green Montgomery: How to lower your energy costs and much more!

Office of Home Energy Programs: Utilities assistance.

WSSC fliers in English and Spanish: QR codes to all WSSC assistance programs; Customer Assistance Program for water bill assistance; and a loan program for help with water or sewer pipe repairs or replacement.

Ban the Box : The Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Law assists in reintegration of people with criminal records into the workforce.

Unemployment Insurance.

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