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July-August 2025

Wrap up your summer with Student Service Learning hours

Take advantage of the last days of summer and earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours. There are so many great opportunities—check these out!

—From the Volunteer Center Staff

Volunteer Language Network Needs You

Use Your Language Skills to Make a World of Difference!

Do you speak more than one language? Use your skills to support our diverse community! Multilingual volunteers play a key role in improving access to resources for community members with limited English.

Your ability to speak two or more languages can make a difference. You can help patients communicate with healthcare providers. You can also assemble and deliver beds to children who need them. Additionally, you can help families access food, baby essentials and English classes for non-English speakers. Tutoring school-aged children with their homework is another way to contribute. Every effort counts!

Visit our website to explore opportunities to use your language skills to help your community and neighbors.

Bring Joy. Spark Learning. Make a Lasting Connection

Volunteer with Empowering the Ages and help a 4-year-old and their family get off to a great start in school! Adults 50+ are matched with a child and caregiver for weekly sessions full of reading, playing and chatting—plus support from a warm volunteer community. Just 1–2 hours per week—flexible schedule and primarily online—training and materials provided. Spanish speakers are encouraged to sign up! Ready to make a difference? Sign up here and email volunteer@empoweringtheages.org to learn more!

Congratulations and Many Thanks to Our 2025 Montgomery Serves Awards Honorees

Other honorees recognized:

• Christine Clark received the Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Award for her contributions to the integration of Montgomery County’s public spaces in the 50s and 60s. She later spent 28 years in county government, advancing education and minority outreach.

• Henry Hailstock received the Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Award for his commitment to economic opportunity and racial equity. He has served as chapter president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and minority affairs manager at Giant Food and the Food Marketing Institute. Elbridge James (left) accepted the award on Hailstock's behalf.

• J. Michael Zeigler was awarded the Inez Zeigler McAbee and William Harvey Zeigler Humanitarian Award for his humanitarian service as a former Maryland State Police commander, longtime Damascus Volunteer Fire Department leader and his work responding to the humanitarian crisis following Hurricane Katrina. Kamonte McCray accepted the award on Zeigler's behalf.

Make a Difference

July: Career Catchers and the Caribbean Community

In the July Make a Difference episode, host Florence Jewell spotlights the inspiring work of CareerCatchers' co-founder, Mariana A. McNeil, whose Silver Spring nonprofit empowers and uplifts the lives of underserved individuals through job training and career guidance, transforming potential into opportunity. 

In the second half of the show, Florence continues the conversation of diversity and empowerment with the Montgomery County Caribbean community liaison, Rodrigue Vital, whose outreach is amplifying cultural voices and strengthening connections across Montgomery County.

Watch the full July episode on YouTube.

August: Corporate Volunteerism

In the August Make a Difference episode, Florence Jewell spotlights the incredible impact of corporate volunteerism. Corporate volunteerism brings a host of benefits to the company, its employees, nonprofits and communities, sometimes in ways we do not even see.  

Join Florence as she speaks with leaders from Hughes, an EchoStar Company, about how their organization encourages employees to volunteer.

Enjoy the full August episode on YouTube soon, and check out the series on County Cable Montgomery.

R3 Volunteer Management Training Graduation

The first cohort of the new training series offered by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center graduated in July! This group of local leaders met monthly as they gained volunteer management skills, including recruitment, retention and volunteer recognition. The collaborative training model allows participants to build relationships with other volunteer leaders.

The next series will begin in September. Participants are expected to attend all three sessions on September 17, October 15 and November 19.

Register here and visit MontgomeryServes.org for more information.

Space is limited to 24 participants total, not more than two from an organization. Registration will be open until August 31 or when all places are filled.

Stay Tuned

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