E-Newsletter: November 2025

Montgomery County
Community Action Agency

Board Advocates for State-Level Priorities

On November 17th, Community Action Board Vice Chair Timothy Robinson testified on behalf of the board at the annual Joint Delegation Hearing. This virtual hearing provides an opportunity for groups and community members to share their priorities for the upcoming Maryland legislative session with all members of the Montgomery County State Delegation.

The Board’s priorities include expansion of the Community Action Fund for state-level Community Action Programs, legislation to protect members of the immigrant community, expansions of the Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, and supports for local programs and services in the face of federal budget cuts. Read the Board’s full testimony.

Volunteer with the Community Action Agency’s VITA Program

The Community Action Agency’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free tax help to eligible County residents. VITA is recruiting volunteers for the upcoming tax season, which runs from January through mid-April. Volunteers serve as IRS-certified VITA tax preparers, schedulers, greeters, quality reviewers, and interpreters. All VITA volunteers receive free training and can serve in Rockville, Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, or Wheaton. 

Questions? Call 240-777-1123 or send email to VITA@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Community Advocacy Institute in Full Swing           

On November 1st, the Montgomery County Community Action Board’s Community Advocacy Institute (CAI) hosted the first formal workshop for the 2025-2026 program,  "Advocacy 101," facilitated by Board member Erika Conner (pictured above, below right). Panelists discussed best practices for working with elected officials, featuring Maryland Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins (above left), County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles (below left), and Gaithersburg City Council Vice President Yamil Hernández (above right). County Council Legislative Attorney Ludeen McCartney-Green shared a presentation about the Council’s legislative process and budget process.

The workshop also included a CAI alumni panel with graduates Mayra Alvarado, Datrina Davis, and Marie Sloan, all of whom spoke about their experiences in the CAI and how they have used their advocacy skills. 

Also in November, a CAI alumni workshop about nutrition and wellness was held for graduates and current CAI participants. Cynthia Padilla Correa from Manna Food Center led the workshop. The Board is planning another CAI alumni workshop next month about programs and services at Montgomery College.

Agency Partners Gather in Rockville

On November 13th, thirty people representing nineteen  nonprofits gathered with staff from Community Action Agency (CAA) and the Office of Grants Management in Rockville. Currently, fourteen contracts and twenty-one grants are monitored by CAA staff. The programs supported by contracts and grants provide a wide range of services that assist low-income Montgomery County residents in rising out of poverty, including legal and anti-trafficking assistance, case management for survivors of domestic violence and torture, employment readiness, assistance with basic needs such as food, clothing, and rent, and more. The annual Fall gathering provides County updates on contracts and grants as well as important networking time.  

This year, a special feature was extended time for partners to meet-and-greet with CAA staff representing the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center and the Navigation program, as well as Board members. Above left, Meron Hailu of African Communities Together meets with Birtucan Assres of the TESS Community Action Center.

Above, staff from the International Rescue Committee, Leadership Montgomery, and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington get to know each other. 

Below, Riham Awad-Ibrahim of Torture Abolition and Survivors' Support Coalition and Pam Somasundaram of  Sheppard Pratt are pictured, followed by Supriya Mordecai Hemed of Interfaith Works, Debbie Craven of the Montgomery County Maryland Bar Foundation, and Maria Quiroga of the TESS Community Action Center.

Many thanks to all who came together to share information and build resilience in networking.

List of the nonprofits working with the Community Action Agency.

Head Start Expansion to Birth through Age Three; Registration & Coat Drive

Montgomery County has been awarded a comprehensive Head Start and Early Head Start grant, bringing $6.125 million in new annual resources. This partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will expand services to include infants and toddlers (birth to age three) and deliver programming directly in community-based child care settings, as well as in schools. Previously, Head Start programming in Montgomery County only reached families with four and five-year-old children.

For more information about the new Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Montgomery County, visit the Community Action Agency website.

Registration continues for Prekindergarten/Head Start in the 2025 - 2026 school year for children who turned 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.

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.

The Pre-kindergarten and Head Start Programs request donations of new coats for students in need. Hats, gloves and boots for young children are also welcome. Donations for boys’ and girls’ coats in sizes 4, 5, and 6 are most needed. Suggested items may be found on the Head Start/Pre-K Amazon wish list.  Items can be dropped off at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141, Rockville, Md., 20852. You may drop off items in person from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday –Friday, or you can order online and have items delivered directly to Rocking Horse Road Center. For questions, contact Lisa Conlon at Lisa_W_Conlon@mcpsmd.org or 240-550-2615.

Gaithersburg Free Legacy Planning

The Community Action Agency's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program shares that the City of Gaithersburg is offering free legacy planning.

From the press release, the City of Gaithersburg, in partnership with the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund), announced free legacy planning services for City residents through the Gaithersburg Financial Empowerment Center (FEC). The new legacy planning program offers one-on-one financial counseling to help Gaithersburg residents organize and protect their financial assets for the future. Appointments can be made through the above link to the FEC. 

Nearly 70 percent of Americans do not have a will or a broader legacy or estate plan. With this new legacy planning program, City residents will have free access to information like adding beneficiaries to accounts and creating essential documents, such as wills and powers of attorney.

Montgomery County 
Community Action Agency
1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 320
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: 240-777-1697

• Website
• Facebook
• Contact 

Tax Tips: IRS Direct File Closes; Deductions for Seniors

The IRS has closed the online Direct File software. The free, government software opened in 2024. The announcement is online.  

The IRS shares tips regarding the higher tax deductions for seniors (ages 65 and older) and for people with disabilities under the age of 65. The IRS also provides a full guide of tax options for seniors, including tips regarding retirement income distributions, home sales, dependent care credits, and more. More tips for seniors filing their taxes.  

Green Tip: Leave the Leaves

Sharing from the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.

More people are "leaving the leaves" on their lawns these days. Ever wonder why?

Leaving leaves on your property is great for the environment and your yard!

Leaves are critical habitat for butterfly and firefly eggs. Birds and other small wildlife also feed on larvae and insects nesting in leaves, while chipmunks, toads, and salamanders rest under leaves for warmth and moisture.

Decomposing leaves create free, natural fertilizer that enriches the soil by providing nutrients and carbon, leading to a healthier yard and garden. Trees need carbon and nutrients from leaves to grow big and strong and fight disease.

You can make your own mulch, compost leaves, or mow leaves into smaller pieces. Be sure to keep storm drains clear and leaves out of the streets.

For more in-depth information and photos, go to: Leave the Leaves, Organic Lawns, Montgomery County, MD Government. 

For more sustainable living tips for home or work, please visit My Green Montgomery: https://mygreenmontgomery.org/.

Resources

HIGHLIGHTS:

Montgomery County Food Council: Food Assistance Resource Map (available in English, Spanish, Amharic, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean).

Do you need assistance with pet food? The Montgomery County Animal Services & Adoption Center may be able to help you with pet food so you can keep your pet at home, and out of the over-crowded shelter: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/animalservices/. 

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

Past editions of Community Action’s monthly e-newsletter.

Montgomery County Minority Health Initiatives and Programs:

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. Non-emergency Montgomery County hate bias incident reporting tool.

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.

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

Health Care and Resources:

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 up 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.

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

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.

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/

Food and Household items:

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.

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

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.

Unemployment Insurance.

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.

Utilities:

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: Customer Assistance Program for water bill assistance, and a loan program for help with water or sewer pipe repairs or replacement. Learn how to spot a toilet leak and reduce your water bill!

Happy Thanksgiving

The Community Action Agency will be closed on Thursday, November 27. CAA wishes all who celebrate a happy Thanksgiving and peace to everyone. 

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