E-Newsletter: December 2025

Montgomery County
Community Action Agency

Community Action Agency Transition & Welcome to the Cluster Projects

Within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), this month marked the Community Action Agency's formal transition from the Office of Community Affairs to the Division of Children, Youth and Family Services. This change is part of the department's realignment process, which aims to group together programs with similar areas of focus.

As part of this realignment, the Cluster Projects have joined the CAA family! In partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools, the DHHS Cluster Projects serve families with students at specific schools in the Kennedy, Paint Branch-Springbrook, and Watkins Mill clusters.

The DHHS Cluster Projects began as the Kennedy Cluster Project in 2009 to improve school performance by reducing barriers to services, reduce educational and social disparities, and address the effects of poverty on students and their families. When families need additional support, Cluster Projects staff work to identify and address factors both inside and outside the classroom that may affect students’ ability to succeed. Cluster Projects staff coordinate access to public and private sector benefits, services, and resources; collaborate with community partners to provide family support and advocate for families as needed; and equip families with the necessary tools to reach self-sufficiency.

Families choose to meet with Cluster Projects staff at home, school, or in the community; virtually; or by phone. Examples of benefits a family may receive include: health insurance, health care services, family services, employment-seeking support, and legal support. Participating families can self-refer or be referred to the Cluster Projects by school personnel or outside service providers. Families must have a child enrolled in a school within the Cluster Projects listed below to participate. Complementary programs serving families in additional schools include Linkages to Learning, Wellness Centers, and Bridge to Wellness.

Serving families in participating Kennedy Cluster Schools, Program Manager II Jenny Santos supervises Hari Antonioli, Human Service Specialist; Lucero Mendez, Community Service Aide III; Nohemi Macias, Community Service Aide III; and Ada Guillen, Office Services Coordinator.

For families in participating Paint Branch-Springbrook Cluster Schools, Program Manager II Danielle Alvarado-Davis supervises Manuella Fox, Human Service Specialist; Loetitia Megnikpa, Community Service Aide III; Kevin Cua, Community Service Aide III; and Hugo Castaneda, Executive Administrative Associate.

Serving families in participating Watkins Mill Cluster Schools, Program Manager II Tarcila Lopes-Burkhardt supervises Ana Schmitz, Human Service Specialist; Lucy Perassi, Community Service Aide III; Jacky Andriamalala, Community Service Aide III; and Nancy Reyes, Office Services Coordinator.

Pictured above from Cluster Projects outreach events are (top) Watkins Mill Cluster Project staff Lucy Perasi and Tarcila Lopes-Burkhardt, and Kennedy Cluster Project staff Nohemi Macias and Hari Antonioli.

On December 3rd, the Community Action Agency’s Executive Director and managers shared presentations on CAA programs and services to MCPS Community Schools staff. Above, left to right, are presenters: Monica Goldberg, Program Manager for the Navigation Team and the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center; Jenny Santos; Tarcila Lopes-Burkhardt; Executive Director Shantá Johnson; Danielle Alvarado-Davis; Leah Goldfine, Program Manager and Liaison to the Board; and Melissa E. Ferguson, Acting Program Manager/Contracts & Grants Monitor. 

Public Invited to Attend Free EITC Awareness Day Event on January 30th

The Community Action Agency, in partnership with the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), the Equity Center, and Montgomery County Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, invites community members to the County's EITC Awareness Day/VITA Kick-Off event on January 30th from 11 AM – 1 PM at USG. The event celebrates the substantial impact of the EITC, which is often considered the most effective anti-poverty tool available. The program will also highlight VITA free tax fling programs in the County. A formal program at 12 PM will include remarks from elected officials and County leaders. RSVP for the event.

The resource fair from 11 AM - 1 PM will include local non-profits, VITA programs, and County services. Organizations interested in requesting a resource table are asked to complete this form by January 16th.

Head Start Registration & Coat Drive

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.

Registration for Fall 2026 for Prekindergarten and Head Start will begin on March 2, 2026. Stay tuned for more details in January.

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

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.

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

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.

Advocacy Program Hosts Informational Workshops

The Board’s Community Advocacy Institute (CAI) program hosted the second formal workshop for this year’s cohort on December 13th. This session, Exploring the Issues, which was facilitated by former Board member Lisette Orellana Engel, featured a panel discussion with issue experts discussing topics selected by the participants at their orientation session. Panelists included Board member Denise Fredericks from Mercy Health Clinic and Sean Gibson from DHHS Office of Eligibility and Support Services speaking about access to healthcare; Tamara Castro Marquez from CASA speaking about immigration legal issues; Jennifer Grinnell from EveryMind speaking about mental health; and Board Chair DaVida Rowley and Ken Silverman from the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) speaking about affordable housing. Melissa Rock from the Maryland Family Network led a presentation about state-level advocacy and how to lead an effective advocacy campaign. The workshop wrapped up with small group discussions led by CAI Ambassadors Mayra Alvarado, Liliana Bernal Caceres, Datrina Davis, Samira Hussein, Arileidy Ledesma, and Jamil Miller.

Also in December, Board member Beverly Coleman, Director of the TRiO Educational Opportunity Center at Montgomery College, led a well-attended CAI alumni workshop about services and programs at the College. Beverly’s presentation highlighted financial aid opportunities, credit and non-credit courses, English classes, and more.

Generous Community Members Donate to TESS Families

This month has seen abundant generosity for clients of the Takoma-East Silver Spring (TESS) Community Action Center. 

Senior Social: Bilingual Holiday greetings (in English and Spanish) were sent to seniors who participate in Senior Social events. Seniors also received wrapped gifts of gloves, hats & scarves.

Grace Helping Hands provided special bags filled with items to help with the cold weather, including gloves and socks, in addition to the continued monthly in-kind donation of 100 toiletry bags for women, including essential hygiene products and personally handwritten uplifting messages. These items are provided to women who are unhoused community members. 

Holiday Giving: For over 25 years TESS has received holiday donations from “Good Samaritans” in the community, including neighbors in Sligo Hills, pictured above with TESS staff Diana Preston and Gabriela Salazar. Through these donations, staff have been able to coordinate holiday assistance for individuals and families that they are working with. These in-house programs are separate from the County’s and other public and non-profit programs. Staff share general  household information such as the number and ages of family members and their clothing sizes. On occasion, families request a particular “wish list item.”  TESS staff receives, sorts, packages and coordinates clients’ pick up. 

TESS Toys: Two different community groups’ donations assist at least 25 families with an average of two to three children each. Donations include a variety of toys and games, ranging from cars, dolls, Foosball, Legos, science, arts & crafts sets, books and more. Separately, the donors have been known to bring in new or gently used clothing and baby items such as strollers, portable play pens, and other items.  

Holiday Clothing donation: TESS does not usually give out clothing. However, staff collected and set up a clothing distribution to coincide with the toy distribution. A special shout-out to Gabriela Salazar and Diana Preston for their vision and efforts in creating the pop-up clothing distribution! To date, 25 families and over 40 children have received clothes from this event.

A large amount of the clothing came from former clients who were so inspired by the Navigation and TESS team’s work and assistance that they wanted a way to give back. Donating clothes was their way of paying forward the help they received. 

Many thanks to all the donors who shared warmth and joy this cold winter season!

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

• Website
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• Contact 

Bill Addressing Evictions Signed into County Law

On December 15th, Timothy Robinson, Vice Chair of the Community Action Board, joined joined County Councilmember Kristin Mink, County Councilmember Will Jawando, and numerous advocates at a ceremony where County Executive March Elrich signed County Council Expedited Bill 31-25, Landlord-Tenant Relations –Landlord Notice Requirements –Evictions into law..

This new law requires landlords to notify tenants 14 days prior to a scheduled eviction. The Board submitted testimony in support of this bill, which aligns with the Board’s historic priorities of renters’ rights and affordable housing. Timothy Robinson is third from the left in the above picture.

VITA Appointments Open January 5th; Seeking VITA Volunteers

The Community Action Agency’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free tax help to eligible County residents. Appointment scheduling for the upcoming tax season begins on January 5th. The appointment schedule is posted on CASHBACK.

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.

Tax Tip: Getting Ready for 2026 Tax Filing Season

The IRS shares tips to get ready for filing personal income taxes in 2026. Below is an excerpt of Tax Tip 2025-70, issued earlier this month.    

Access or login to IRS online account to view recent tax records; make, schedule, and view payments; obtain an Identity Protection PIN; view and edit communication preferences, including large print or Braille, and more.

Organize tax records and gather all income documents, including unemployment compensation, income from the gig economy, and digital assets.

Green Tip: Winter Salt Management; Recycling Christmas Trees

Tips from the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.

Salting roads and sidewalks is a common way to reduce the slippery impacts of snow and ice. Do you know that a little salt goes a long way? Excess salt damages waterways, wildlife, and plants. Reduce the use of winter salt by shoveling right away, using 12 oz. for 10 sidewalk squares, sweeping it up, & reusing it. For videos and more tips, visit the Department of Environmental Protection's website on winter salt management.

Do you decorate your home with a live or artificial tree for the holidays? Live trees are recyclable! Be sure to remove all decorations and carefully check for metal or plastic before setting a tree out for recycling pick up by Montgomery County trash collection services. For artificial trees, call 311 or place an online request for a bulk trash pick up. Reusable artificial trees can also be donated. For tips specific by home type--from single family homes to apartments--visit the DEP website on recycling/disposing of Christmas trees. 

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

Resources

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

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.

Montgomery County Minority Health Initiatives and Programs:

African American Health Program

Asian American Health Initiative

Latino Health Initiative

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:

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

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.

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/. 

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.

Resources for federal workers.

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!

Wishing All a Safe & Peaceful New Year

The Community Action Agency wishes all who celebrate peaceful holidays, and for everyone to have a safe and healthy New Year.

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