Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Tribute
January 19
General Admission - Free
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Committee will host the 21st annual MLK Celebration and Tribute. The event will take place on Monday, January 19, 2015 at 3:30 p.m.
Montgomery County, the City of Gaithersburg, the City of Takoma Park, the Town of Garrett Park and the Fund for Montgomery are jointly sponsoring this celebration. It will be held at Strathmore Music Center, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Maryland. The theme for the program is "Honoring the Legacy: Celebrate, Serve, Remember."
To obtain FREE tickets for the program, please contact the ticket office at www.strathmore.org or 301-581-5100 beginning January 5, 2015. The Music Center at Strathmore requires each person to have a ticket to enter. Tickets are valid until 15 minutes prior to the performance (3:15 p.m.) at which time all tickets become null and void and any remaining seats will be filled by guests in the stand-by line.
Stand-By Line: Stand-by line begins at 2:45 p.m., outside the Music Center entrance. No lines may form before the designated time. While Strathmore cannot guarantee that everyone in the stand-by line will get a ticket, the chances are likely that we will have available seating for those in the stand-by line.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Monday January 19, 2015
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RSVP Yarners knit and delivered 785 hats, sweaters, mittens, gloves, sweaters and blankets to help others stay warm this winter.
RSVP Yarners at the Original Pancake House with owner Jeff Bulman on December 18th. The homemade items were distributed on December 25th to people who are homeless, at a free breakfast hosted by the Original Pancake House.
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Gilchrist Center Volunteer AppreciationHonoring our volunteers: The Gilchrist Center hosted a volunteer appreciation event at the Rockville Memorial Library on Saturday December 6, 2014. The event highlighted the work and contributions of volunteers to the Gilchrist Center's work in 2014. County Council President George Leventhal and Councilmember Sydney Katz reflected on the experience of volunteering, thanked the volunteers and presented certificates to those present.
County Executive Ike Leggett recognized seventeen Gilchrist Center volunteers for their outstanding service to the County. Many of them contributed more than 100 hours of their time in 2014. An additional 89 volunteers received certificates of appreciation from the Gilchrist Center for dedicating more than 16 hours of service this year.
The contributions of 190 volunteers made the work of the Gilchrist Center possible in 2014. Together, they contributed a total of 6,039 hours of service as instructors, as event volunteers and as assistants with the Center's day-to-day operations. These volunteers dedicated their valuable time and talent to address the needs of Montgomery County residents.
On behalf of everyone at the Gilchrist Center, we would like to thank all of the wonderful volunteers who shared their priceless time and expertise, and contributed to the Center's success this year!
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Montgomery College Engagement Center Ribbon CuttingSave the Date!Date: Thursday, February 12, 2015
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Gaithersburg Library, Second Floor
18330 Montgomery Village Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD
Montgomery College has partnered with the Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity at the Gaithersburg library to serve upcounty residents with information and referral to services, workforce development classes, workshops, and one-on-one educational/career development consultations. Look for more information in the coming weeks.
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Interfaith Inaugural Prayer Service An Inaugural Interfaith Prayer Service, sponsored by the Faith Community Advisory Council, was held at Rockville United Church on December 1st. Leaders from eight world religions offered prayers, sought blessings and sang praises on behalf of the County Executive and County Council. Rev. Abhi Janamanchi offered a homily, "Walking Forward Together."
The service proved to be a celebration of our unity in the midst of divine diversity and a recognition that responsibility comes with the blessings of life in Montgomery County. Faith leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working with elected officials in creating a "more beloved community" where basic human rights and needs are met throughout the greater community.
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Every Life Matters Walk and Rally Faith leaders joined the "Every Life Matters Walk" on December 7th, seeking justice as a prerequisite to peace. The walk began at the Carver Educational Services Center and ended with a Rally at the Executive Office Building.The Opening Prayer was led by Rev. Mansfield Kaseman, Interfaith Community Liaison.
County Executive Isiah Leggett and County Council President George Leventhal and others addressed the pain of discrimination and the importance of working together to end discrimination and achieve "a more perfect union."
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Interfaith Vigil Commemorating the children killed in Peshawar, Pakistan
Rev. Mansfield Kaseman spoke on behalf of County Executive, Ike Leggett, at an Interfaith Vigil Commemorating the Children killed in Peshawar, Pakistan. Rev. Kaseman expressed that we grieve for the parents, families, communities; claim them as our children and recognize that we are one human family. In place of cursing the darkness, Rev. Kaseman encouraged all of us to light a candle and recommit ourselves to worship and work together as agents of reconciliation and peace.
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MCPS Calendar The County Executive's Faith Community Working Group has been focusing on building open communication between the Muslim community and the MCPS leadership regarding the MCPS calendar and the Eid holiday.
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Community Administrative Relief Education Sessions - CARES
On Tuesday, December 9, 2014, the Long Branch Community Center was the place to be. Over 250 community members attended the first Community Administrative Relief Education Session in Montgomery County, which was held by CASA. The information session addressed the new changes in Immigration or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans by the Obama Administration. These changes will benefit millions of immigrants around the country. The information sessions help people understand who is eligible and also to avoid any notary fraud. The event included the participation of the Office of Community Partnerships, Director of Recreation Gabriel Albornoz and Chief Tom Manger, MCPD. The event lasted more than two hours, as many community members had specific questions about their situations. The County, in partnership with CASA, will be having more sessions around the county in January 2015.
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County Executive meeting with Megamart
County Executive Ike Leggett met with the owners of Megamart, Gerson Lopez and Erick Velazquez. This was an introductory and informative meeting with the County Executive as Megamart currently has three locations in the county,in Gaithersburg, Rockville and Long Branch.
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County Executive meeting with Consul-General of Guatemala Dr. Sara Solis Casta�eda
County Executive Ike Leggett met with Consul-General of Guatemala Dr. Sara Solis Casta�eda to discuss issues of concern to Guatemalans living and working in Montgomery County.The introductory meeting was helpful and a follow-up meeting will be held with the Office of Community Partnerships to explore collaborations, projects and services to the Guatemalan community in the county.
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New Muslim Daycare in Germantown
Germantown Kids Academy at ISG opens for business in January. It will serve up to 54 kids for before- and after-school programs, as well as preschool classes.
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Montgomery County Muslim Foundation Holiday Gift Basket Distribution The Montgomery County Muslim Foundation held a Holiday Gift Basket Distribution on Saturday December 20th, 2014 at the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation in Gaithersburg. The group distributed 164 toys and 150 sweaters, overcoats and suits to area families, putting smiles on the faces of many County residents. In addition, the organization prepared and distributed 70 Turkey dinners and groceries to 289 members of the community. Each family was given dinner for 5-7 people, including turkey, stuffing, candied yam patties, corn, green beans and sweet potato pie. Many community members helped in making this a successful event.
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Building a World Class Community: How You Can Get Involved
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.
Recognizing the value of Montgomery County as a world class community, County Executive Leggett proposed eight years ago that we create a Sister City program to better connect our community to the world. Our Sister Cities program is designed to help expand our cultural competence as well as strengthen economic ties across the globe. Moraz�n, El Salvador became our first Sister City in 2011, followed by Gondar, Ethiopia in 2012, and Xi'an, China in 2014. County Executive Leggett signed our fourth Sister City agreement on November 14, 2014 with Hyderabad, India. In just six years, Montgomery Sister Cities, the community nonprofit established to partner with the county government to promote our Sister Cities initiative, has created a strong foundation with four superb Sister Cities. In Ethiopia and China, we have partnered with ancient capitals. In India, our Sister City has been a center of wealth and talent for centuries. And in El Salvador, we have paired up with the home of the number one country of origin of our immigrant population.
The challenge now is to make sure that we do the important follow-up work to strengthen these valuable international connections. There are great opportunities for cultural and educational exchanges as well as economic development deals with all four of our Sister Cities. If you are interested in strengthening your cultural competence and helping Montgomery County deepen our global connections, I hope you will join County Executive Leggett and the board members of Montgomery Sister Cities at our annual meeting on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the first floor conference room of the Rockville Memorial Library at 21 Maryland Avenue. I have pasted below an invitation to the January 13 annual meeting.
For background on Montgomery County's Sister Cities initiative, please click here to see the Sister Cities newsletter
Working together, let's all have a terrific 2015. I look forward to seeing you at the January 13 annual meeting of Montgomery Sister Cities and at the Martin Luther King events on January 19.
Bruce Adams Director, Office of Community Partnerships
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Montgomery Sister Cities board members Dianne Smith, Bruce Adams and Lorna Forde visiting Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India
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CALLING ALL GLOBAL CITIZENS! Join County Executive Ike Leggett and the Board Members of Montgomery Sister Cities at the Annual Meeting Connecting Our Community to the World Tuesday, January 13, 2015 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Rockville Memorial Library First Floor Conference Room 21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD
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County Executive Leggett seeks Applicants for Human Rights CommissionOpen to Montgomery County residents County Executive Isiah Leggett is seeking applicants to fill five vacancies on the Human Rights Commission. Three incumbent members are eligible to apply for reappointment. The 15-member commission promotes equal rights and opportunities for all persons. Commissioners are expected to serve on special or standing committees and participate in activities requiring involvement in the community. Commissioners serve on case review boards consisting of three individuals that consider and decide each complaint that the Director certifies to the Commission. Members serve three year terms without compensation, but are eligible for reimbursement for travel and dependent care for meetings attended. Regular meetings are held the fourth Monday evening of each month in Rockville. Appointed members are required to file a confidential financial disclosure statement within fifteen days of Council confirmation and annually thereafter. County Executive Isiah Leggett is committed to representation on all of the County's boards, committees, and commissions that is reflective of, and responsive to, our County's residents. Public participation contributes to the work of County government and provides an important service to the community when a variety of issues, concerns, and viewpoints are presented. Applicants of diverse backgrounds, professions, gender, geography, disability and ethnicity are encouraged to apply. The deadline for application is January 23, 2015. The application, consisting of a brief cover letter and resume, should indicate the position for which one is applying, as well as home and employment addresses, contact phone numbers and email addresses. The application should be sent by mail to County Executive Isiah Leggett, 101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor, Rockville, MD 20850, or by email to [email protected].
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Trawick Foundation TeamUp 2015 BriefingSupporting Middle Schools Save the Date!Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2015Time: 8:00am - 12:00pmLocation: The Mansion at Strathmore - Music Room Cost: FREE Registration ends: 4:00PM, January 7, 2015The Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation invites you to attend an informative half day briefing session where you will learn all you need to know to prepare a successful proposal for a 2015 TeamUp grant. The 2015 TeamUp grant award will have not only one, but possibly two awards of $150,000 each. A team is composed of four or more Montgomery County-based nonprofit organizations. Arts and Health & Human Services nonprofits will work together to develop a program with a holistic approach to serving middle-school youth. Attendance at this briefing session is required to be eligible to join a team. For more information and registration please click here. It is preferable to have two participants from each organization. However, each person must register individually.
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Spring Break Backpack Journalism AcademyOpen to 7th - 12th Grade StudentsDates: April 6 - 10, 2015 Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm Location: Cost: $300, includes snacks, training materials, hands-on experience & a DVD copy of the completed show. Backpack Journalism is a form of broadcast journalism where the individual is the reporter, camera operator, and editor! These individuals have the ability to get into their neighborhoods and communities to find stories that matter to them. These reporters are vital to getting the word out in Montgomery County! Here at Montgomery Community Media we are helping more and more backpack journalists to tell their stories. We strive to have a community atmosphere and backpack journalists are important to us. What to expect! This program is open to all 7th - 12th grade students in Montgomery County. Students will have five sessions each with 6 hours of instruction on the basics of Backpack Journalism. Students will learn to shoot and edit a short news package. Certification will be given upon completion of the project. Class topics will include story composition, shooting and editing. Students will be able to see their segments on MCM's Backpack Beat TV program and on mymcmedia.orgtraining/backpack-journalism-stories.
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