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Have you seen the Volunteer's Center's website lately?
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The Volunteer Center website, www.MontgomeryServes.org, lists hundreds of opportunities to serve with local nonprofits. More than 20,000 referrals were made in the first 6 months of this year! Check out the website and find ways to make a difference. If you are already volunteering and want to inspire others to get involved, follow the links to post a Spotlight or Toolkit on our website. Spotlights are simply a photo with a brief description celebrating a volunteer and their work. Toolkits are examples of group projects with details that others could follow to replicate or design a similar project. We also need nonprofits and community groups to start planning now for projects on or around Community Service Day, October 26. Check the website for up to date information or contact us directly at volunteer@montgomerycountymd.gov or 240-777-2600. Volunteers help make Montgomery County a wonderful community! |
The Gilchrist Center has partnered with CENAES to offer adult Spanish literacy courses at the Long Branch Library. With this initiative, we are expanding the offerings of this much needed service to the Long Branch neighborhood, and bringing CENAES, a renowned organization that is already operating at 6 different sites in Washington, DC and Prince George's County, to Montgomery County. With this alliance we will begin to offer a 6 month pilot program at Long Branch Library in which both a level 1 literacy course and a level 2 literacy course are offered. In 10 years (2003 - 2013), CENAES has seen 520 graduates from its program. 75% of them have successfully changed their lives: studying ESL, taking computer classes, getting a better job, helping their children, and some are getting ready or have already obtained their GED. Please help us spread the word about this program. We are getting ready to start taking registrations at the end of the summer, to start classes in early September. For more information, please feel free to contact Dolores Ustrell at Dolores. Ustrell@montgomerycountymd.gov or Mario Gambio at Mario@Cenaes.org. |
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The Gilchrist Center hosted the Salvadoran Consulate on July 28th. 131 people renewed their Temporary Protective Status (TPS) and received information about county resources.
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African and Caribbean Communities
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County Executive Isiah Leggett, Co-Chair of the Ethiopian Soccer Tournament, welcomed thousands of soccer fans at the University of Maryland, Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. The tournament had over 100,000 people in attendance from June 30th through July 6th and many businesses in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties benefited from the over 30,000 Ethiopians who came from all over America to celebrate the Ethiopian Sport Federation in North America's 30th anniversary. For more pictures visit - http://www.esfna.net/ |
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95th Birthday Celebration
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On Thursday, July 18th, the US Congressional leaders packed the great Emancipation Hall to celebrate the 95th birthday, life, and legacy of former South African President, Nelson Mandela. Majority Leader, Harry Reid, Speaker of the House, John Boehner, and many other congressmen and women took to the podium and quoted President Mandela from his days during the struggle for equal right and justice for all South Africans to his famous words of forgiveness and reconciliation to those who kept him in prison from 1964 to 1990. Many countries celebrate Nelson Mandela Day and for more information and pictures, visit - http://www.mandeladay.com |
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President Obama and First Lady Travel to Africa
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President Obama and the First Lady traveled to Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania to meet with leaders from government, business, and civil society, and to reinforce U.S. commitment to expanding economic growth, investment, and trade; strengthening democratic institutions; and investing in the next generation of African leaders. For more information and pictures, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/africa-trip-2013 |
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Caribbean American Heritage Month
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County Executive Mr. Ike Leggett participated in a special celebration for Caribbean American Heritage Month on Thursday, June 13th at the Silver Spring Civic Building. Mr. Ike Leggett presented a proclamation designating June as Caribbean American Heritage Month and after was a reception featuring Caribbean-themed music and food. This year's theme was "Accessing Montgomery County Services & Resources: Health, Education & Housing." A panel discussion featuring Housing Opportunities Commission; Montgomery County Public Schools Office of Engagement and Partnership; and Department of Health and Human Services disused ways County Residents can access services. Members of the community asked several questions and some shared struggles they were having with access.
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Embassy of Barbados Needs Volunteers
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The embassy of Barbados is seeking volunteers for the Taste of Barbados 2013 event on Saturday, August 17th. For more information please contact: Embassy of Barbados Email: washingtoninfo@foreign.gov.bb or 202.939.9200 |
If Asian-Latino intersections frequently emerge in urban spaces, street art is often the lasting visual record of these connections - as well as a way of reimagining the shapes and boundaries of cultures and cities alike. The shows will be staged in Veterans Plaza in downtown Silver Spring on an urban landscape fundamentally shaped by immigration and cultural diversity, we open up a new set of conversations about the place of art and the visual stories we tell together. The shows are Aug 6 and 7 between 8-10pm and will feature work and curation by a range of celebrated artists exploring Asian-Latino intersections. \. For more information, please visit the Smithsonian website at http://apa.si.edu/asianlatino/art.html |
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Montgomery County Muslim Foundation, along with Montgomery County Muslim Council and the Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett through the Office of Community Partnerships, hosted the annual Iftar Celebration where more than 320 came to the celebration. This public event during the month Ramadan was held on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Executive Office Building Auditorium, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar when Muslims fast and observe other restraints during daylight hours. It is also a time of worship and contemplation when Muslims concentrate on their faith. The Muslim Calendar follows the lunar cycle and this year's month of Ramadan began on July 9/10 and will end on or about August 9. The diversity of the more than one billion Muslims worldwide can be seen here in Montgomery County as virtually every Muslim country is represented here in Montgomery County.
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Feed the Homeless in Ramadan
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Montgomery County Muslim Foundation (MCMF), in partnership with Interfairth Works conducted its Annual Feed the Homeless program as part of it "fighting hunger" campaign. This year they once again participated in our week-long feeding the homeless program during the week of July 21, 2013 to July 27, 2013. Feed the homeless in Ramadan, is irrespective of any religious beliefs or racial background at a local shelter has been an ongoing success story. This year we provided Breakfast and lunch, and also served warm dinner to 35 Homeless women at the Community Based Shelter in Rockville.
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Iftar Dinner to Break the Fast
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Ground Breaking Ceremony in Germantown
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The Islamic Society of Germantown is proud to announce their ground breaking ceremony on August 7th at 10 a.m. at 19825 Blunt Road, Germantown 20876. The ceremonial shovel turning, will be held with community supporters, religious leasers, Government representatives and Civic officials. All are invited to attend as we witness this historical moment of the start of the first Masjid to be built in UpCounty! For more information visit our website at www.IsgTown.orgCelebrating Eid al-Fitr |
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Becoming America's Most Welcoming Community
County Executive Ike Leggett isn't mincing words about this. He wants Montgomery County to be "America's most welcoming community." I love it when he says that. Karla Silvestre and our colleagues in the Office of Community Partnerships are working on this every day. While we know that government alone can't make this happen, we know that our Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity sits at the intersection of County agencies, community organizations, and businesses that can make it happen. We are building a network of public and private immigrant serving agencies and organizations.
As a preliminary step toward developing a comprehensive immigrant integration plan for the County, we convened a group of more than three dozen community and government staffers on July 25 to talk about what Montgomery County needs to do now to be prepared for federal immigration reform. We understand that reform might not come this year. The great thing about working on this is that Montgomery County will be ahead of the curve if the legislation passes. But even if it doesn't, we will have made important progress. All the key actions we need to take to prepare for federal reform are things we should be doing to build America's most welcoming community -- helping people learn English, assisting residents in complying with tax laws, preparing people for good jobs, spreading the word about available services, and warning people on how best to avoid fraud.
If you want to lend your time and talent to help us develop a comprehensive county policy to promote immigrant integration, please let me know by sending me your ideas: bruce.adams@montgomerycountymd.gov
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 Don't miss the opportunity to promote your products and services to thousands of local boomers and seniors who will be attending this year's 50+Expo events in Maryland and N.Va. Join more than 100 businesses, government agencies and nonprofit organizations that will be exhibiting at these free events, which also feature expert speakers, health screenings, live entertainment and door prizes. This year's 50+Expo, presented by the Beacon and co-sponsored by Montgomery County Government, will be held on Sunday, October 13 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Center at Veterans Plaza. (A similar event takes place the prior Sunday, October 6, at Ballston Common Mall in Arlington, Va.) To exhibit or sponsor, or for more information, call Alan Spiegel at 301-949-9766 or e-mail alan@theBeaconNewspapers.com. |
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10th Annual Silver Spring Jazz Festival
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 Grammy™ Award-winning saxophonist and Tony® Award-nominee Branford Marsalis will headline the 10th Annual Silver Spring Jazz Festival on Saturday, September 7, from at 4:30 to 10 p.m., in Downtown Silver Spring on Veterans Plaza at Fenton Street and Ellsworth Drive. The Branford Marsalis Quartet will join the ranks of celebrated headliners that the Silver Spring Jazz Festival has featured over the past decade, including Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Sergio Mendes and Aaron Neville. Having gained initial acclaim through his work with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and his brother Wynton's quintet in the early 1980s, Marsalis also performed and recorded with jazz giants including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and Sonny Rollins. He has also collaborated with diverse artists such as Sting, the Grateful Dead and Bruce Hornsby. His varied interests are further reflected in his explorations in film, radio and television, including his role as the musical director of "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno for two years in the early 1990s. In 2011, the National Endowment for the Arts conferred the prestigious Jazz Masters Fellowship on the Marsalis Family, a celebration and acknowledgement of a family described by "The New York Times" as "jazz's most storied living dynasty, who has made an indelible mark, collectively and individually, on the history and the future of jazz, America's art form." The festival is presented by Montgomery County Government, the Celebrate Downtown Silver Spring Foundation, Montgomery County Recreation and the Silver Spring Urban District. Corporate sponsors include Live Nation; Home Properties, Inc.; WUSA-TV; Comcast; the Silver Spring Courtyard by Marriott; AFI Silver; and the Gazette. For more information, call Montgomery County Recreation at 240-777-6821. |
| 2013 National Night Out Events |
 Please join the Olney Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, August 6, as we host our 20th annual National Night Out celebration. National Night Out is a time when our nation draws attention to crime prevention through community involvement in anti-crime efforts. The Olney Chamber of Commerce takes this commitment seriously, as demonstrated by our co-sponsorship of the event with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, the Longwood Recreation Department, the Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department, and the Montgomery County Police Department. The event kick-off will include a police-escorted motorcade through the center of town to the event site, the Fair Hill Shopping Center. The motorcade will start at Firehouse Station #40 located at 16911 Georgia Ave. If you would like to participate in the motorcade, please arrive at 4:30PM as the motorcade will leave the station at 4:45. Please see the attached sheet for more information on the motorcade. Once at the event site, local Boy Scouts will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Dignitaries will be introduced to the crowd and given an opportunity to say their hellos. After the introductions visitors are encouraged to walk around and take a look at the police, fire, and business displays, and visit with the community. 2013 marks the 30th anniversary of this nationwide Police-Fire-Community Partnership event. Each year, several thousand area residents learn ways to improve their well being and increase their understanding of emergency responder services. Many local businesses exhibit product and service information, and there are lots of activities for family enjoyment. For events in Montgomery County: http://www.mymcpnews.com/national-night-out-2013/National Night Out not only brings the community together for fun and safety lessons, it is also a successful fundraiser. Food is donated by local restaurants and sold by Olney Lions Club volunteers. Businesses donate items for our popular "Paper Bag Raffle." All money raised goes to our event partners, the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, Sandy Spring VFD, and the Olney Police Satellite Station. To date, over $50,000 has been passed along.
Please let us know if we can count on your participation in Olney's 20th National Night Out. Even if you are unable to stay for the full 3-hours, we invite you to participate in the motorcade and opening ceremonies. Contact: Olney Chamber of Commerce (301) 774-7117 |
QuickBooks Online
Thursday, August 22, 2013 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Learn to use QuickBooks Online to pay your bills and track the financial performance of your small business. Perfect for new users who want to get started right. Topics include: setting up QuickBooks, processing invoices and payments, working with bank accounts and running reports. Bring your laptop or borrow ours. Fee: $75
5 Steps to Super Profits
Tuesday, August 20, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
In this workshop, led by Jeff Miller of Action Coach, you will learn the fastest ways to massively increase your profits,strategies that have been tested and proven by working with thousands of businesses around the world!Learn our simple concept that will change the way you look at your business.Apply it and massively improve your results!Fee:$15
Wednesday, August 14, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
How often do you go to a conference or networking event and end up with a stack of business cards that you add to your pile? Meet with our networking experts to learn specific strategies you can utilize before, during and after a conference or networking event to get the most from your attendance, especially great for The Power Conference. Fee:$25
For more: www.MarylandWBC.org
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Salvadoran food, traditional crafts and live music by local and international artists will highlight the fourth Salvadoran American Day Festival that will be held on Sunday, August 4 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Wheaton Triangle.
The free festival commemorates Salvadoran American Day in the United States and celebrates Montgomery County's and the metro region's Salvadoran community. It is presented by Montgomery County, in partnership with the Salvadoran American Transnational Communities.
The event will take place in the parking lot at the Wheaton Triangle at the corner of Reedie Dr. and Grandview Ave., one block north of the Wheaton Metro Station. Attendees are encouraged to park in the Metro garages on Viers Mill Rd. and Reedie Dr. and Georgia Ave. and Reedie Dr. which are free on Sundays.
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The Latino Youth Collaborative Oversight Workgroup held its final meeting this month. The group was charged by the County Executive to oversee the implementation of the recommendations in the Latino Youth Collaborative report. A final report of the progress made on the recommendations will be published later this summer.
Pictured from left to right are Chief of Police Tom Manger, Latino Liaison to the County Executive Karla Silvestre, Identity, Inc. founder Candace Kattar, representing MCPS Lori-Christina Webb, Director of the Recreation Department Gabe Albornoz, Executive Director of the Collaboration Council Carol Walsh, Heath and Human Services Director Uma Ahluwalia, Director of the Office of Community Partnerships Bruce Adams, County Executive's Latin American Advisory Group member Henry Montes, Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers Director Luisa Montero-Diaz, and Assistant Chief David Anderson. Seated in the front are the Workgroup's co-chairs, Identity, Inc.'s Executive Director Diego Uriburu and Board of Education member Shirley Brandman.
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African American Community
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President Obama: Trayvon Martin Could Have Been Me
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