Montgomery County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS), the Community Organization Active in Disaster (COAD), and Non-Profit Montgomery have partnered to put together an After Action Report (AAR) that captures the efforts of the non-profit sector during the pandemic and highlights the important role that non-profit organizations played in the COVID-19 response. Your responses - due by August 16 - will help inform the County and improve future emergency responses.

The survey consists of 21 questions and should take less than 15 minutes to complete. Your answers will not be attributed to you or your organization in the After Action Report unless you provide explicit consent for us to do so. Click here to complete the survey.

Online registration for the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center's free and low-cost online classes will begin soon. Learn basic computer skills, practice English, or prepare for the citizenship exam!

Registration for Fall 2021 classes will begin in late August and classes are likely to fill quickly! Please call 240-777-4940 if you would like to be notified in advance about new class registration dates.

Check out the website to register for classes. Don't delay - space is very limited. If we are unable to accommodate you in our classes, we will do our best to help you find an alternative.

The Gilchrist Center can also connect you with many other county resources related to health care, food assistance, and more - in any language. Please call 240-777-4940, Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

Find us on Facebook at GilchristImmigrantResourceCenter

Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center is not currently scheduling any in-person citizenship application workshops. However, APALRC has access to a safe and secure web platform, CitizenshipWorks, which applicants can use and get free help from an experienced attorney in reviewing and drafting their citizenship application. Click here for more information.

The Maryland Bar Foundation's Pro Bono Program provides free legal services to low-income county residents in civil cases. Click here for more information.

HIAS works with a network of pro bono attorneys to provide legal services to asylum seekers, asylees, and others who are seeking humanitarian relief. Click here for more information.

Just Neighbors provides immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, asylees and refugees in the DC Metropolitan area. Areas of service include victims of domestic violence (VAWA visa), victims of violent crimes (U-visa), victims of trafficking (T-visa), refugee and asylee adjustment, DACA and TPS, removal defense.

For more information, please visit https://www.justneighbors.org/ or call 703-979-1240.

Maryland Center for Legal Assistance deals with a wide range of civil legal matters, including landlord-tenant, consumer matters such as debt collection and credit card cases, child support, and criminal record expungements to remove barriers to obtaining housing, employment, and child custody. For more information, please visit https://www.mdcla.org/ or call the hotline number at 410-260-1392, Monday - Friday, 8:30AM-8:00PM. The hotline provides consultation on family law, foreclosure and all civil matters.

Montgomery College (MC) offers free citizenship preparation classes online via Zoom. In partnership, Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services offers help with the N-400 application for naturalization. For more details, please email

citizenshipprogram@montgomerycollege.edu or visit the website.

Quick Topics Training – Trauma Informed Approaches in Working with Children, August 18, 2021, 12:00 pm -1:00 pm (online)

Introductory Training - Representing Children in Immigration Matters,

August 19, 2021, 9:00 am -11:00 am (online)

FIRN Inc. a Department of Justice (DOJ) accredited non-profit organization located in Columbia, Maryland, is currently accepting intakes for individuals residing in Montgomery County who need representation in their removal proceedings. Click here for more information.

The Language Access Program at Ayuda provides professionally trained, trauma-informed interpreters at no cost. Please email interpreterbank@ayuda.com with "Maryland Victims" in the subject heading to learn more and to add your organization to the list of those that will receive services.

CASA, in partnership with Montgomery County, is offering financial assistance to those who are eligible to apply for citizenship but cannot afford the application fee. Click here for more information.

MCASA will host a virtual workshop presented by End Technology Enabled Abuse (EndTAB) on August 18 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The training, Digital Abuse and Safety, will help advocates define technology-enabled abuse and common forms of digital abuse. Click here for more information.

African Affairs Advisory Group will meet on August 12, 2021 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Topic: Small Businesses in the Montgomery County and Procurement. For details and virtual link please email Harrieta.Shangarai@montgomerycountymd.gov.

African American Advisory Group -- For more information, contact

Asian Pacific American Advisory Group will meet on August 24 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. If you would like to attend or have questions, please email Mr. Yi Shen at yi.shen@montgomerycountymd.gov.  

Caribbean American Advisory Group will meet on Tuesday, September 9, 2021. For more information, please email Rodrigue Vital, Caribbean American Liaison at rodrigue.vital@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Latin American Advisory Group will reconvene during the third week of August. For more information, please email Jessy Mejia Terry, Latino Liaison at jessy.mejiaterry@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Middle Eastern American Advisory Group will not meet in August. The next monthly meeting will be held in mid-September. Please contact OCP Middle Eastern Liaison Arwa.ElBoraei@montgomerycountymd.gov for updates.

Check out the FY 21 Impact Report describing the work of the Volunteer Center in the last fiscal year, July 2020 to June 2021. The report illustrates how the Volunteer Center worked to help build the capacity of local organizations to address community needs and connect volunteers to all the amazing opportunities to serve.

The 2021 Montgomery Serves Awards virtual ceremony is now available online. Watch it here and meet the remarkable individuals, businesses, and groups who have demonstrated remarkable commitment to service and volunteerism in our community.

The 12th annual Economic and Cultural Festival of Côte d’Ivoire will be held on Sunday August 8, 2021 from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm at Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, Maryland. The event is free and open to the public. This is one of the largest African festivals in the MD/DC/VA area with over 4,000 people expected to attend. Vendors are invited to submit applications. Click here for more information or contact Lily Hayford.

The African Women Unity Grand Opening will mark the launch of AWU. The event will feature music, dancing, refreshments, pictures, and open discussions concerning women in an effort to foster love and unity among Black women. Click here for more information.

The church has partnered with the NAACP and the United Negro College Fund to establish a $1 million scholarship donation per year for three years for young Black students in the United States. Click here for more information.

Middle Eastern American artist Ahmed Alkarkhi exhibited his work at the Prince George’s County Arts and Humanities Council’s Arts’tination at National Harbor on July 18. Mr. Alkarkhi also participated in MEAAG’s art exhibition at Brookside Gardens Visitor Center/Wheaton Regional Park this spring. Pictured from left to right are Sahar Fahmy, Elham Hamato, Heba Al-Koudsy, and Ahmed Alkarkhi.

On July 20th MEAAG launched a monthly e-newsletter. Contributions from community-based organizations and NGOs are welcome.

MEAAG member Sara Abdel has launched Thrivers On The Move, a free 12-week program to help combat soaring under-employment and unemployment among women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications are due August 25.

The weWomen Plus Research Study at Johns Hopkins University is evaluating the impact of adaptive technology-based interventions on safety, mental health and empowerment of immigrant women. Visit here to learn if you are eligible to participate and earn up to $160 for completing four surveys over the next year.

Click here for an extensive list of pandemic-related resources in Arabic and English.

The Washington, DC Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints sets reopening date and public open house. Read more here.

Follow the Faith Community Advisory Council on Facebook and Twitter.

To submit your news and events of interest to those serving Montgomery County's emerging communities and neighbors in need, email complete details and/or a news release to the OCP Newsletter.