NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
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Independence Day Fireworks Displays!
Montgomery County will again host two fireworks displays on July 4 -- Germantown Glory at the Maryland SoccerPlex and Mid-County Sparkles at Einstein High School. Click here for more details.
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Avoiding Scams: Information for Recent Immigrants & Refugees
Unscrupulous merchants often prey on immigrants due to language barriers, lack of access to dependable legal advice, and inexperience with local and federal law. In fact, often-times the scammers are members of the immigrants' community. Unfortunately, these very communities also suffer from a lack of reporting due to language barriers, a distrust or fear of government agencies, or unfamiliarity with how an agency like the Office of Consumer Protection can assist them.
Click to learn more about Immigration Scams in this publication. For more information, please contact the Office of Consumer Protection at 240-777-3636
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Citizenship Workshop July 9 - 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
International Rescue Committee is hosting a one day opportunity to apply for citizenship at a big discount. Click here to see more information, what to bring and contact for questions.
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Free Performances July 6, 7 and 8 Germantown Campus of Montgomery College
Duke Ellington, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Ernest Hemingway will be in Germantown this summer! Join your fellow Marylanders and meet celebrated figures from our nation's past with the 22nd annual Chauquatua event that commemorates the centennial of the Pulitzer Prizes with three prize winners: Duke Ellington, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Ernest Hemingway. Taking its name from its origins in New York State, the Chautauqua (shuh-TAW-kwa) is a free humanities program that brings history to life through character monologues. Click here for more information.
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Farmer's Market Coupons for Low-Income Seniors
A limited number of free farmer's market coupon books worth $30 will be distributed by lottery to low-income seniors in Montgomery County on Thursday, July 7. Click here for more information.
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Community Use of Public Facilities' Facility Use Subsidy Program - Accepting Applications
This program subsidizes facility fees for use of school classrooms, all-purpose rooms/cafeterias, library meeting rooms, the Clarksburg Cottage meeting room, and the District 3 Police Station meeting room. The activity/program must be sponsored by a Maryland-based, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that primarily serves vulnerable youth or low-income residents receiving financial assistance. Applications for FY17 (July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017) are now being accepted. Click here for more information, including how to apply.
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Montgomery College Community Engagement Specialist Position
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Commission for Women Listening Tour
Monday July 18, 7-9 PM
Silver Spring Civic Building.
What are you concerned about? Economic Justice; Violence Against Women; Affordable Child Care; Affordable Housing; Neighborhood Safety; Access to Healthcare; Women & Poverty. Make your voice heard, free and open to the public. Questions? 240-777-8300 or email
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Career Path Scholarship Registration
The Career Path Scholarship registration for workforce development non-credit classes for the fall will open up on July 25th and close August 12th this year. See the Scholarship webpage for more information.
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A Warning About Phony Invoices
Invoice or bill scams are a classic form of fraud where a scammer sends out fake but real-looking bills or invoices in hopes that the victim will pay. Such scams usually target businesses and non-profit organizations. Every year businesses pay out millions of dollars to phony invoice schemes. These invoices may arrive by mail or by email.
To read more about these scams and how to avoid becoming a victim, read "Invoice Scams: A Warning to Business and Organizations" distributed by the Office of Consumer Protection ("OCP"). If you have questions about the contents of the Newsletter, please contact the OCP at (240) 777-3636. If you suspect that the invoice you received is fraudulent, file a complaint.
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Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board
County Executive Ike Leggett is seeking applicants to fill eight vacancies on the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board. The Board is composed of 18 residents and/or business persons of communities in the Silver Spring/Takoma Park area.
Get Involved: Join a Board or Commission
County Executive Ike Leggett seeks applicants of diverse backgrounds, professions, gender, geography, disability, and ethnicity to serve on the county's boards and commissions. Members of County boards, committees and commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time. Members of these boards are eligible for reimbursement for travel and dependent care for meetings attended. County Executive Leggett's appointments are generally subject to confirmation by the County Council. Applications of individuals selected for appointment are made public as part of the confirmation process.
Access complete list of vacancy announcements for boards, committees, and commissions here.
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Low Vision Center Celebrates its 37th Year of Service!
In the heart of Bethesda, Low Vision Center is a small nonprofit that helps individuals experiencing vision loss due to macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts or other conditions navigate services and find new aids, optical and non-optical, to assist in their daily life.
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Have News to Share?
To submit your news and events of interest to those in and serving Montgomery County's emerging communities and neighbors in need, email complete details and/or a press release to the OCP Newsletter
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Thirty-four New Citizens from Every Corner of the Globe
Welcoming New Citizens at the Gaithersburg Library
On June 1, I had the special honor of participating in a Naturalization Ceremony at the Gaithersburg Library. Thirty-four new citizens from 27 different countries from every corner of the globe took the oath of allegiance with family and friends cheering them on. What a great experience it was for everyone in the room.
The countries of origin of these new American citizens included: Albania; Algeria; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Democratic Republic of Congo; Denmark; El Salvador; Ethiopia; Guatemala; Haiti; Hong Kong; India; Iran; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Nepal; Nicaragua; Pakistan; Russia; South Africa; Senegal; Republic of Korea; Sri Lanka; and Venezuela.
I asked the wonderfully diverse staff of the Gilchrist Center, our immigrant welcoming center, what they would want me to say. In my talk, I shared two of the comments with our new citizens.
Cristina asked me to say: "The Gilchrist Center is an immigrant welcome center, available for YOU [she wrote "YOU" in capital letters]. Come and visit us. It will be our pleasure to serve you."
Graigni proposed: "Thank you so much to all of you for choosing this beautiful land. It has been a long journey from the day you left your country to this day. But the journey is not over yet. Here in Montgomery County, there are many people willing to help you out, especially the people from the Gilchrist Center. You can always count on them as your family."
We will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Gilchrist Center at the Eighth Annual World of Montgomery Festival. Come out and celebrate fifteen years of service to our immigrant population and meet the staff and volunteers who make this good work happen. Please mark Sunday October 16 from noon to 4 p.m. on your calendar. We'll be on the Rockville campus of Montgomery College with food, entertainment, and cultural displays from around the world as we celebrate the diversity and commitment to service that make Montgomery County special.
Bruce Adams
Director, Office of Community Partnerships
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Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for Unaccompanied Minors in Maryland Pro Bono Training
Would you like to offer your legal skills to protect Central American and other immigrant children fleeing abuse? This program will prepare practitioners to successfully obtain Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) for minors currently facing immigration proceedings without counsel. SIJS is available to immigrant minors who have suffered abuse, abandonment, or neglect by a parent. Practitioners will learn the steps for obtaining custody or guardianship, and SIJS findings of fact in family court, in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Experienced presenters will take attendees through the process in a practical and informative way. Once an immigrant child obtains SIJS finding of facts, an immigration practitioner can represent them before USCIS to apply for legal status in the United States.
When & Where: Wednesday, July 13, 2016, Noon to 2:30pm. Silver Spring Civic Center, The Ellsworth Room, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Training is presented by the Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services, HIAS and the Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships with the support of the Montgomery County Bar Pro Bono Program. RSVP by email at [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE: This Training is appropriate for attorneys. Trainees must be barred and in good standing in the State of Maryland. No particular expertise is required to participate. Training participants must agree to accept one pro bono referral from HIAS or Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services within twelve months after completing the training. Malpractice insurance will be provided for those who accept a pro bono case.
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Gilchrist Center Summer Offerings
The Gilchrist Center is offering many opportunities to continue learning this summer. In the East County, students can practice their English on Tuesday nights. Also on Tuesdays, the Center will offer a 5-week computer class focused on reviewing important skills such as keyboarding and file management - called "Intro to Computer Skills for the Workplace." The class will meet July 12 - August 9, from 6:30 - 8:30pm at the East County Regional Service Center on Briggs Chaney Road.
Are you looking for a job? Our Job Search Workshop for non-native English speakers will help you with your resume, interviewing skills, and more. It will begin on July 13. To apply, contact [email protected]. Also in Wheaton, Intermediate Conversation classes will meet all summer on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 1:30 - 3pm, and Advanced Conversation on Thursdays, 3:30 - 5pm. Drop in any day to practice your English! On Wednesdays and Thursdays, you can come at 11:30am to 1:30pm to use our computers during Open Computer Lab time with a volunteer instructor there to answer your questions. In addition Saturday English registration will take place on July 23 at 10am. Come prepared to stay 2 hours and take a placement test for this 8 week class. We plan to offer Levels Basic, 1, 2, and 3. Our Wheaton location is in the Mid-County Regional Services Center on Reedie Drive in Wheaton.
At the Gaithersburg Library, the English Conversation Club will continue to meet every Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning and Friday morning. Plus we are happy to announce a short-term Saturday morning conversation class, July 9 to August 13, 10:15am - 12:15pm. Like our other Conversation Clubs, this is a free, drop-in class.
The Center will be closed the week of July 4 and August 15.
For more information about our programs, please go to our website
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Juneteenth Celebration at BlackRock Center for the Arts
On June 17th, Montgomery County held its 20th Annual Juneteenth Celebration at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown. The 2016 African American Living Legend award went to Ms. Delores Lincoln-Willis of Silver Spring for her decades of mentoring, caring, showing up, encouraging, and leading by example. "Service is her living legacy". Several NAACP ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technical and Scientific Olympics) county winners performed their award winning pieces as well.
Juneteenth commemorates the events of June 19, 1865, the day Union Major General Gordon Granger, upon his arrival in Galveston, Texas, officially declared that the institution of slavery was dead. His announcement came after the official issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863.
Pleasant View Historic Association June Festival
The Pleasant View Historic Association of the Quince Orchard Community held its Annual June Festival on June 25th at the Pleasant View Historical Site on Darnestown Road. This Festival celebrated 148 years of the site's legacy, which can be found featured in the documentary "COMMUNITY CORNERSTONES" presented by Heritage Montgomery.
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Spotlight on a tremendous youth organization that serves Montgomery County's low-income Asian American Students
In a new video supporting the work of Asian American LEAD (AALEAD) produced by Montgomery County Media, Councilmember Craig Rice states that "there are lots of stereotypes that surround our Asian American community and assuming that all of our children don't have any struggles just because they're Asian American and that's not real." AALEAD is a 501c3 that supports low-income and underserved Asian Pacific American youth with educational empowerment, identity development, and leadership opportunities through after school, summer, and mentoring programs. To learn more about AALEAD, visit their website aalead.org.
2016 Washington Tai Chi Festival and Forum
 The Tai Chi Friends Club of Greater Washington (TFCGW), an affiliate of the Northwestern Chinese American Association of Greater Washington, and Wu Wei Tai Chi Club hosted the 5th annual Washington Tai Chi Festival and 4th Washington Tai Chi Forum at Cabin John Regional Park on Saturday, June 18th. The festival featured numerous workshops and performances highlighting the beauty and health benefits of tai chi throughout the day. TFCGW hosts regular tai chi sessions around the county. For more information and schedule, visit their website.
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10th National Caribbean American Heritage Month Community Picnic
On Saturday, June 18th, County Executive Isiah Leggett and Council President Nancy Floreen joined members of the Montgomery County Caribbean American Advisory Group (CAAG) at Wheaton Regional Park in celebration of the 10th National Caribbean American Heritage Month. Participating vendors displayed important community resources and spoke with residents about ways to access information. This year, Ms. Eugenia Charles brought together a group of Haitian artists to display their beautiful work of art collections.
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Venice Mundle-Harvey, Chair, CAAG
Exhibit organized by Fondasyon Mapou and 1804 Institute
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Ms. Venice Mundle-Harvey thanked both County Executive Leggett and Council President Floreen for their consistent leadership in showcasing Montgomery County's diverse populations. Ms. Mundle-Harvey thanked County Executive Leggett for keeping his promise and building a bigger policy table even though the county and the country were facing the great recession.
County Executive Leggett and Council President Floreen thanked members of the Advisory Group for their dedication and volunteerism. Council President Floreen encouraged members to attend the upcoming Council Hearing on the minimum wage and future Council hearings. For more information about the Advisory Group and becoming a member, please visit - www.montgomerycountymd.gov/caribbean
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CONTINENTAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY
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2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders
1000 outstanding young leaders from Africa arrived in Washington DC last week to develop their skills at U.S. higher educational institutions. 25 fellows from 20 different countries will spend a day in Montgomery County. The Fellows will gain knowledge and networks to support their professional development. Skills learned will help them develop community projects after they return to their home countries. Howard University, working with Montgomery County, will focus on leadership and skills development in the areas of Civic Leadership and Public Management. New in 2016 will be a pilot Institute focused on Energy and the County's waste management plant has been a highlight for many of the students since the Fellowship started in 2014. For more information, visit https://yali.state.gov/
East County Gilchrist Center Story
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Gilchrist Center Volunteer Teacher, Alimamy Bash
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On the last day of class, volunteer teacher Alimamy Bash told his story to the class. He came to the US two and a half years ago with a computer science degree. He did not know what to do with it because of the long US credentialing process of foreign degrees. His friend held his hands and brought him to Gilchrist Center in the East County Regional Services Center in order to practice and improve his communication skills. Through Gilchrist, he was introduced to the Montgomery College Engagement Center, where he took a four months' apartment maintenance class. After finishing, he was given two months paid internship paying $10 an hour. A year ago, he received his Montgomery College certificate and Apartment Maintenance license and started making $18 an hour at his job. Last week, a new management company offered him $22 an hour, and when he submitted his resignation letter, his current employer matched the offer and an option to make overtime. He said that he comes back every year to teach the Computer II classes at the Gilchrist Center because he owes Gilchrist Center a debt that he has to repay. He was told that he needed to be a Registered Nurse in order to make $20 an hour, so he was about to take a loan of $15,000 to go to school. He said that Gilchrist Center changed his life because he is now making more than $20 an hour and is debt free.
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Religious Literacy for Educators Course
 The partnership between the Faith Community Working Group's Education Committee and Montgomery County Public Schools produced another model for enhancing student learning and sense of well being. Thanks to a proposal sent to the Maryland Department of Education by Christopher Murray, a Montgomery Public School teacher who serves on the FCWG Education Committee, a new course entitled CPD 37: Religious Literacy for Educators was offered at the end of June.
The quota of 35 teachers was filled quickly and contributing co-sponsors included Wesley Theological Seminary, Kaur Foundation, White House Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, Jewish Community Relations Council, Georgetown University Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Diyanet Center of America, Montgomery County Public Schools and the Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships. You may review the schedule, locations and impressive list of speakers and co-sponsors by clinking here.
Neighbors In Need Working Group Hosted Orientation Meeting
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Naturalization Ceremony in Gaithersburg
The day started as a regular Wednesday at the Gilchrist Center in the Gaithersburg Library, but in the afternoon the large hall transformed into an important location filled with emotions and excitement as 34 people from 27 countries from around the world became newly naturalized citizens of the United States of America. The new citizens celebrated with their family members after the ceremony as it marked the beginning of a new journey and new opportunities as they registered to vote with the Montgomery County Board of Elections on-site at the event as part of their new civic duties. It was a great community with government, nonprofits, family and friends celebration!
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Montgomery County Representatives Celebrate the Muslim Holiday Ramadan at an Annual Breaking Fast Dinner
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett along with Montgomery County Councilmembers Nancy Floreen, Nancy Navarro, Roger Berliner, George Leventhal, Maryland State Delegate Eric Luedtke and commissioners from the County's Office of Human Rights attended the Muslim Community Center's (MCC) in Silver Spring MD annual Iftaar dinner on June 23rd, 2016.
Representatives from the Montgomery County Office of Partnership were present to support community members.
From Left to right, Brenda Wolfe, Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, Mimi Hassanein, Middle Eastern Liaison Office of Community Partnerships, and Loretta Garcia, Montgomery County Human Rights Office
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