Español /አማርኛ 

Dear Friends,

Happy Holiday Season! 

This is a time for reflection and gratitude, and I am as always so appreciative to represent the residents of District 4 on the County Council.

With our last Council session of 2025 last week, we had some exciting items! A huge congratulations to Shebra Evans, our newly appointed Councilmember At-Large. I look forward to working with her over this next year as we continue to serve the residents of Montgomery County. Our new Council President Natali Fani-González and the full Council introduced Expedited Bill 35-25, Promoting Community Trust – Immigrant Protections Act, which you can read more about below. During these times when our federal government is targeting residents in our community, it is essential that we do all we can here in Montgomery County to protect and build trust with members of our community and our county government.

While no longer the Council President, I am continuing my newsletter’s Mental Health Corner to highlight resources and organizations in Montgomery County. Especially as we enter the holiday season, we know that there can be added stresses. Read more below about tools for taking care of yourself and loved ones.

Happy holidays and best wishes for peace and joy in the New Year!

As always, feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or need assistance.

Best,

Kate Stewart

Councilmember

(she, her)

Introducing the Trust Act

Thank you to Council President Natali Fani-González for announcing Expedited Bill 35-25, Promoting Community Trust – Immigrant Protections Act, and introducing it during last week’s Council session. A couple of weeks ago, I stood in support of this bill alongside my colleagues and community leaders. This legislation will codify protections for our immigrant communities and promote trust in county services and resources. Thank you to all those present, including CASA, Students FAIR, and MoCo-IRC for your advocacy and for lifting up the voices of those impacted.

Receiving the 2025 Scull Award for Public Service

I am honored to receive the 2025 Elizabeth and David Scull Metropolitan Public Service Award from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). The Scull Award is COG's highest award for public service presented in honor of former Montgomery County Councilmembers Elizabeth and David Scull. This award was given in recognition of my contributions to regional collaboration, the wellbeing of the region, and my dedicated public service.

Visiting UMD’s Institute for Health Computing

I had the pleasure of visiting the University of Maryland’s Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC) in North Bethesda. UM–IHC is a partnership of three entities, Maryland, and Montgomery County – the University of Maryland, the University of Maryland Baltimore, and the University of Maryland Medical Systems. As we continue to build up our life sciences sector in Montgomery County, UM-IHC is a key partner as they use advanced computing to improve well-being and quality of life, diminish disease and enhance outcomes for all people across Maryland and beyond. 

BYOB Panel with the Sierra Club

Back in February, the Council passed Bill 24-24, the Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) Bill, which I introduced. I am excited to share that the BYOB law goes into effect beginning January 1, and the City of Rockville also recently opted into the law. Montgomery County’s Sierra Club recently invited me to discuss the Bring Your Own Bag law and view the documentary “Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics.” The documentary reinforced the need for the BYOB law and highlighted the necessity to do more in Montgomery County to protect our own health and the environment.

Housing Updates: Bracken Square & Grosvenor/Strathmore Square

We’ve had some exciting housing news in District 4 over the past couple of weeks! 

In Silver Spring, we celebrated the grand opening of the Bracken Square project – 98 units at different levels of affordability. I am grateful to TM Associates Development Inc., Greentree Housing, and Victory Housing for their collaborative work on this project.

In the Grosvenor area, we celebrated the groundbreaking of Phase 2 of the Strathmore Square project at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro. This senior housing at transit with easy access to the arts, an intergenerational community, and a community green that replaced asphalt is an example of Transit-Oriented Development and a strong collaboration with WMATA. I’m looking forward to returning for the ribbon cutting for this housing to enable more residents to remain in the county close to family when they retire.

Mental Health Corner

The holidays often bring joy and connection, and they can also carry the stress of hosting and navigating family dynamics and feelings of loneliness. In these moments, it helps to pause, take a deep breath, and remind yourself that self-care is not selfish, but essential. Whether it’s stepping outside for a quiet moment, practicing gratitude for small joys, or simply allowing yourself to rest, these gentle acts can help restore balance. For strategies on coping with stress, check out these tips from Mental Health First Aid.

If you or a loved one need mental health support, or simply a listening ear, please call, chat, or text 9-8-8. Help is available in multiple languages.

Helpful resources:

• Montgomery County Crisis Center
• Mobile Health Clinic - for upcoming locations, click here
• The Trevor Project
• Black Physicians Healthcare Network
• Asian American Health Initiative
• EveryMind

2D Coffee with a Cop

Come out to Java Nation on Connecticut Avenue on December 19 from 9 - 10:30 AM for the last 2D Coffee with a Cop of the year!

Chamber of Mothers - Call for Stories

The Maryland Chapter of Chamber of Mothers is collecting stories from Maryland moms about their experiences with child care. Chamber of Mothers is a non-partisan, non-profit organization advocating for the maternal rights and well-being of mothers.

If you're a parent in Maryland with a story to tell about child care, or you know or work with other parents, please share the link below.

This effort is designed to capture the personal impact of Maryland's child care infrastructure directly on Maryland moms and families and to identify tangible changes mothers want to see. The goal is to use these authentic stories in reports, legislative testimony, and advocacy efforts to drive meaningful policy changes on child care. It should take about 5-10 minutes for respondents to complete.

The link to submit your story is: https://forms.gle/z5iRHaSatFuJMKpS7. If you have questions or would like more information, reach out to the Maryland Chapter at MarylandChapter@ChamberofMothers.com.

For more community resources, check out Councilmember Kate Stewart's website.