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June 10, 2021 - Issue 155
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NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
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COVID Vaccinations
See information on COVID-19 vaccinations, and a link to pre-register on the county's website:
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Free COVID Tests
Do you need a COVID-19 test? Visit the County's website for information about upcoming testing clinics and to make an appointment. Click here.
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Job Openings
The Office of Community Partnerships is looking for talented and experienced language experts in Spanish, French, Chinese (traditional), Amharic, Korean and Vietnamese to fill the newly created Translation Specialist positions. The recruitment will close on June 15. Please click here for job description.
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The Maryland Center for Legal Assistance (MCLA) is hiring for its new, upcoming office in Rockville. MCLA operates District Court Help Resource Centers throughout the state of Maryland. The Help Centers deal 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. Employment opportunities for its upcoming Rockville office include: Administrative Assistant and Staff Attorney. Visit the MCLA website for a list of openings across all locations.
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Safety Net Foster Program for Pets
Montgomery County Office of Animal Services recently launched its Safety Net Fostering program to help pet owners in Montgomery County who need assistance and temporary care for their pets, including when they are facing eviction, domestic violence, hospitalization, or loss of housing. More information as well as the link to apply for the program can be found here.
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Book Talk at the Market
Book Talk at The Market is a series that gives local authors a platform to discuss their work, present a book reading, and sign books in the community. Are you a local author who would like to participate in Book Talk at the Market? For more information please click here.
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Lifelong Learning Courses
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Vietnamese American Services
VAS annual report is available here.
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Artist Vibe
Artist Vibe is a monthly online show with a live audience, featuring one local performing artist and one local visual artist/artisan. Sponsored by FAsMarketplace, its mission is "to create tangible opportunities for ordinary citizens to improve their lives through entrepreneurship, education, the arts, sports and other means." Click here for viewing information.
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LEDC Small Business Directory
It's now easier than ever to shop from LEDC-supported small, minority-owned businesses in DC, MD, and NoVA. Check it out here.
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Maryland Community Needs Survey
Ensure your local community needs are included in the Maryland State Service Plan by taking this 11-minute survey. Click here.
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Senior Planet Montgomery
Senior Planet Montgomery offers virtual programs to help seniors learn new skills, save money, get in shape and make new friends. Visit their website or call 240-753-0676.
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Stay Home and Learn
Nonprofit Learning Lab is offering daily online trainings as a resource for nonprofits who are responding to the evolving changes and needs in their community and within their organizations as a result of COVID. Click here for more information.
Empowered Women International and LEDC present free webinars in English and Spanish. Click here for information.
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COVID-19 VACCINATION PROGRAM CONTINUES
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Daytime, Evening, and Weekend Vaccination Clinics
To meet the needs of working families and members of the community who have not found it convenient to get vaccinated, Montgomery County has increased the number of smaller in-community vaccination clinics with evening or weekend hours.
Daytime, evening, and weekend vaccinations are available this week in Silver Spring and Briggs Chaney. Vaccinations are free.
Evening and weekend COVID-19 vaccinations will be available through Sunday, June 13 at the Silver Spring Civic Center, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Tuesday-Friday from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturday-Sunday from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
In East County, free daytime, evening, and weekend vaccinations are available at the Briggs Chaney Park & Ride Lot, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904. Walk-up vaccinations are available now through Sunday, June 13, Monday-Friday from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
Both sites will offer doses of the Moderna vaccine, available to those age 18 and older.
In the Rockville/Twinbrook area, appointments are now available for free vaccinations at the Interfaith Works Clothing Center, 751 Twinbrook Pkwy # 8, Rockville, MD 20851. The site will offer vaccinations on Tuesday, June 15, 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and walk-ups will be accepted. The vaccine offered will be Pfizer, and individuals aged 12 and older are eligible. Free parking is available. To make your appointment, please visit www.marylandvax.org/appointment/en/reg/1322994605
Progress in Vaccination Rates
As of Tuesday, June 8th, 54.8% of county residents had received their two required doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or their one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. According to CDC data, in counties with a population of more than 300,000, Montgomery County leads the nation in the percentage of residents 12 and older who have been vaccinated. Since the Pfizer vaccine was approved for adolescents ages 12 to 15-years in May, more than 28,000 youth have received their first dose.
Montgomery County's seven-day average COVID-19 case rate reached its lowest point on Sunday since the early days of the pandemic in March 2020.
Click here to view the vaccine distribution dashboard. 
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GILCHRIST IMMIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER
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Addressing Literacy Needs
As counties across the United States push to minimize digital divides and promote basic English literacy, the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center continues to address these critical issues by offering much needed basic computer, financial literacy and ESOL classes to county residents. Registration for online spring classes is now closed, but Online English Conversation Classes are free, and no registration is required!
The Gilchrist Center's Info & Referral Service (240-777-4940) continues to assist people in finding resources for various needs. Read the story below to learn how the Center helped a single mom and her friend overcome an imminent eviction.
Tenacity and a Helping Hand
After more than a year of struggle to keep up with financial needs through COVID, job loss, and reduced work hours, two friends who live together and share their expenses received a court summons because they were behind on their rent. They made every effort to catch up, including using the full amount of their federal stimulus checks to pay the rent, but it was not enough. But giving up was not in their plans.
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Workshops and Info Sessions
> Free Citizenship Application Consultations by APALRC
Due to concerns about the coronavirus, the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center is not scheduling any citizenship application workshops currently. However, APALRC has access to a safe and secure web platform, CitizenshipWorks, that applicants can use and get free help from an experienced attorney in reviewing and drafting their citizenship application. The website exists in three languages: English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese. The website allows applicants to start and stop their application at any time and saves their work each step of the way. Please note, CitizenshipWorks is not connected to USCIS or the US government, it is a private website. This is not the same as filing online through the USCIS website. To start drafting your application today, please go to http://www.citizenshipworks.org/Portal/APALRCFor more information, please contact APALRC at info@apalrc.org or 202-393-3572.
> Free Legal Service provided by the Pro Bono Program
The Pro Bono Program provides FREE LEGAL SERVICES to low-income county residents in civil cases. Although in-person clinics remain closed, ome-on-one consultations with attorneys are available. For more information, call the Pro Bono Program at 301-424-7651. Click here for flyer.
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> Free immigration consultations by HIAS by phone
HIAS works with a network of pro bono attorneys to provide legal services to asylum seekers, asylees, and others who are seeking humanitarian relief. At the current time, HIAS has suspended all in-person client meetings and all non-essential travel, including pro bono legal delegations to the border. However, they are now providing free telephonic immigration consultations for Montgomery County residents. If interested in receiving a consultation, please email generallaw@hias.org or call 240-668-4053 and leave a message. You must note in your email or your voicemail that you are a Montgomery County resident to get a callback. For all other Maryland residents, please call HIAS' intake line the first Friday of every month at 301-844-7248 to receive a free immigration consultation.
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> Free Citizenship Preparation Classes and Naturalization Application Assistance
Are you a legal, permanent resident preparing for the U.S. citizenship test and interview? Montgomery College (MC) provides 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.
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> Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) Baltimore
June training sessions:
- Quick Topics Training -
How to Prepare for Your First Master Calendar Hearing
June 9, 2021, 12:00 pm -1:00 pm (online)
- Introductory Training - Representing Children in Immigration Matters, June 17, 2021, 9:00 am - 11:00 am (online)
Click here for more information.
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> FIRN
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. All immigration services are provided either low-cost or pro bono and FIRN's staff speak English and Spanish. Any Montgomery County resident interested in completing an intake should contact Alexis Downs De Colocho, adowns@firnonline.org or call 410-992-1923. For more information about FIRN please visit www.firnonline.org. |
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> Sexual Assault Advocacy Training
The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault offers free online training for advocates who work directly with sexual assault survivors in Maryland. Live webinars will be presented from June 7 - June 17. Participants also may receive recordings of webinars to complete through the end of the month if they are unable to attend live sessions. CEU credits are available. Click here for the registration link. Register by June 17th to receive access to all training recordings and self-paced training modules. Please email info@mcasa.org with any questions. |
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Language Services and Financial Assistance
> Language Access Services by Ayuda Do you provide services to Maryland victims of crime? Do you ever need a spoken or sign interpreter to communicate with the victims whom you serve? The Language Access Program at Ayuda can provide you with 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. |
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> Financial Assistance for Citizenship Application Fees offered by CASA
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. Residents of Montgomery County who earn less than 300% of the federal poverty guideline may qualify for a scholarship of $150 or $300 to help pay the application filing fee. Interested applicants should call (240) 560-2272 for more information. Flyers are available in English and Spanish. Note: Low-income individuals seeking to apply for citizenship may also be eligible for a fee waiver or reduced fee through USCIS. |
Upcoming Meetings of County Executive's Ethnic & Faith Advisory Groups
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All ethnic advisory groups are currently meeting virtually. For more information or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the liaisons listed below:
African Affairs Advisory Group will meet on June 10, 2021, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. For more details and virtual link please email harrieta.shangarai@montgomerycountymd.gov.
African American Advisory Group will meet on June 30 at 5:00 pm. For more information, contact
julian.norment@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Asian Pacific American Advisory Group will meet on June 22 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 August 2. For more information, contact
Latin American Advisory Group will reconvene for its next meeting in the third week of August 2021. More details will be provided in the August newsletter. For more information, please email Jessy Mejia Terry, Latino Liaison at
jessy.mejiaterry@montgomerycountymd.gov
Middle Eastern American Advisory Group will meet on Wednesday, June 16th from 5:00 pm to 6a;00 pm. All are welcome! Contact OCP Middle Eastern Liaison Arwa.ElBoraei@montgomerycountymd.gov to receive the Zoom link. MEAAG will continue strategic planning for future programs, including community conversations on a variety of topics as well as library and literacy programs. Please contact Ms. ElBoraei with any ideas or requests. |
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AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
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Montgomery County's 24th Juneteenth Celebration will be held at the BlackRock Center for the Arts located at 12901 Town Commons Drive in Germantown from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm on Saturday, June 19.
County Executive Marc Elrich will host the African American Living Legend Awards to honor distinguished individuals who are living legends in Montgomery County and have helped shape the cultural heritage of the African American community.
In addition, the county will be inviting members of the Caribbean community who are celebrating Caribbean Heritage Month, as well as the entire African Diaspora. This special program will recognize extraordinary contributions of African American and Diaspora Men and Women whose efforts have led to the advancement of the Montgomery County African American community and will include expressions of art, music, food and entertainment.
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On May 1, County Executive Marc Elrich participated in the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Kickoff at Cabin John Regional Park. Elected officials, community leaders and MCPS students all met to commemorate the occasion.
During Heritage Month, Montgomery County Public Schools distributed Asian Essential Understanding documents to high school students. The documents can be found here.
The Office of Community Partnerships uploaded one historical fact about Asian Americans daily to its social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
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CARIBBEAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
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Montgomery County celebrates Caribbean Heritage Month in June. The Office of Community Partnerships Caribbean American Advisory Group held a virtual Caribbean American Proclamation Day on June 8th. For more information, please email Rodrigue Vital, Caribbean American Liaison at rodrigue.vital@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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Mid-County Covid Community Committee
Every Wednesday evening from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, the MC-CCC meets virtually to share updates on the county's vaccine efforts and brainstorm, plan, and engage in outreach activities in the Mid-County region to encourage neighbors to register and get their Covid vaccines. Since dose availability is outpacing demand, the committee is working to complement the county's efforts by building on the efforts of food hubs and other events and locations.
So far, this committee has held three pre-registration events (and are planning a fourth), registering over 300 Mid-County neighbors, before pivoting to complementing pop-up clinics.
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MIDDLE EASTERN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
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Upcoming Events
On June 15, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the Middle Eastern and South Asian American Meet-the-Authors program will be held in partnership with MCPL. The program will feature Susan Muaddi Darraj, who will discuss her prize-winning book, A Curious Land: Stories from Home. For a description of the book and to register for this virtual event, please click here. To view the event flyer, please click here.
On June 27, the American Muslim Senior Society is holding a virtual town hall meeting focusing on the challenges that senior residents of color may encounter following COVID-19. Participants include members of county Islamic centers, interfaith leaders, AMSS Ambassadors, other stakeholders, and county government representatives. Register here.
Recent Events
At the May 19th MEAAG meeting, community member Nadia Abouraya presented "Living Your Best Life," her capstone project for the Arc of Maryland Partners in Policymaking, a nine-month program to build advocacy skills. View her video here.
Also on May 19th, the Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee partnered with the Enoch Pratt Free Library to present "A Novelist's Journey Across 20th Century Egypt: An Afternoon with Ambassador Tawfik."
On April 25th, the Sister City Committee and MEAAG partnered on a "Virtual Conversation with Rana el Kaliouby: Can Our Devices Show Empathy?" (The answer is yes!) Recordings for both events are available here. MEAAG and Sister City Committee member Karen Leggett Abouraya coordinated these events.
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The Faith Community on Social Media
Read their latest newsletter here.
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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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