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OFFICE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS NEWSLETTER
"A More Equitable and Inclusive Montgomery County"
County Executive Marc Elrich
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Ethiopian Nurses Celebrate National Nurses Week | |
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Ethiopian Nurses Association of Northern America (ENANA) celebrated National Nurses Week in May. ENANA honored the Nursing Profession by highlighting the hard work, dedication, and contributions of nurses around the world, while providing opportunities for education, inspiring the next generation, and opening doors to support students who are interested in a nursing carrier. To learn more about ENANA please visit Ethiopian Nurses Association in North America | Facebook.
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Elite Soccer Youth Development Academy (ESYDA) Ends Season | |
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The Elite Soccer Youth Development Academy (ESYDA) marked the conclusion of the 2023 Spring Soccer Season on Saturday, June 1. This event brought together youth and families for a full day of fun, food, and friends. ESYDA offers soccer training, college preparation, skills and workforce development programs, and social and economic programs
For more details about ESYDA's programs visit https://www.esyda.org/
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Asian Pacific American Community
County Releases Health Care Providers' Handbook on Hindu Patients
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Coinciding with the celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, The Health Care Providers’ Handbook on Hindu Patients was released in May, marking a major initiative by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich’s Office of Community Partnerships Asian Pacific American Advisory Group (APAAG) This is the first handbook in the nation providing detailed information specifically for Hindu and Jain patients.
The County Executive's Asian Pacific American Advisory Group is working to release a Sikh handbook and a Muslim handbook later in the year. The APAAG plans to distribute the handbook to healthcare providers in Montgomery County. For more information, please click here.
Health Care Providers’ Handbook on Hindu Patients is available online for download here.
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Healthy Communities Fund Grant Program | Montgomery County’s Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI), which is part of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, is now accepting applications for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Healthy Communities Fund grant program. The grant program offers $1.5 million in funding to support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations in providing linguistically and culturally responsive services to the diverse community in Montgomery County. Find more information here. | |
AAPI Heritage Month Celebrations | |
AAPI Heritage Month Celebration on May 21 at Seneca Valley High School. More than 1,000 community members attended. | |
Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC) Art Gallery hosted an art exhibit titled “Across Land, Across Water,” featuring six Vietnamese American artists.
Right: Celebration at the Kid Museum
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Above: AAPI Heritage Month Celebration and Mother's Day Celebration held by the Taiwanese Benevolent Association of Greater Washington D.C. and the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women, Greater Washington, DC Chapter | | |
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Caribbean American Community
Caribbean Heritage Festival Draws Thousands
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To celebrate Caribbean American heritage, several events and activities were held during June that showcased Caribbean cultures and individuals. On Sunday June 11, more than three thousand people assembled at Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring to participate in the Caribbean American Festival, which is becoming a major summer attraction in the County. County Executive Marc Elrich attended the festival for the first time. OCP Director Diane Vu, Communication and Outreach Manager Shawn Ellis, and the Caribbean American Liaison were present to engage with the community and provide information about Covid 19 and the dangers of fentanyl.
| Councilmember Sayles Hosts Celebration | |
On June 13, Councilmember Laurie Anne Sayles, the first Caribbean American elected to the Montgomery County Council, hosted a luncheon and proclamation to recognize Caribbean American Heritage Month.
Later that day, the County Executive’s Caribbean American Advisory Group, in collaboration with OCP’s Caribbean Liaison, presented a show at the Executive Office Building cafeteria that entertained over one hundred guests, including County Councilmembers, Caribbean born Maryland Delegate Gabriel Acevedo, representatives of City of Rockville Police Department, and former Caribbean diplomats.
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Latin American Community
June Meeting on Homelessness Prevention
The Latin American Advisory Group met in June to focus on homelessness prevention and programs and resources available for those who may find themselves without a home or are imminently close to homelessness. The conversation was led by Ilana Branda, Acting Chief for the Office of Homelessness Prevention at HHS. The topics covered included the eviction process, services available related to different aspects of eviction or homelessness, the process of going to court, and the County’s goals to preserve affordable housing. For more details, please contact Jessy.MejiaTerry@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Bienvenidos Resource Fair
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On Saturday, June 10, the Department of Health and Human Service’s Bienvenidos Initiative, which assists newcomer families settle in the County, held the Bienvenidos Resource Fair at White Oak Middle School from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The fair included over 30 resource tables representing different County agencies, MCPS, and the network of community organizations that serve this population. Over 100 people attended.
The next Bienvenidos Resource Fair will take place on Saturday, September 9 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring. A special presentation for Hispanic Heritage Month will be included, and elected and regional leaders will be invited. For more details, please reach out to Jessy.MejiaTerry@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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Middle Eastern American Community
MEAAG June Meeting
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MEAAG held its monthly public meeting on June 14 at the Rockville Memorial Library,. Participants reviewed and evaluated the Middle Eastern and Arab American Heritage Month celebrations held on March 11 and April 30 and discussed MEAAG’s upcoming community engagement activities.
Mental Health Summit Report
The American Muslim Senior Society’s 2022-2023 Mental Health Summit Report is now available. The report, “Addressing the Mental Health Crisis Within Communities of Color: Raising Up Seniors and their Families,” is the result of three years of Countywide community dialogues, webinars, and townhall meetings with seniors and their families, ethnically and economically diverse community groups, service providers, County and community agencies, interfaith and community leaders, and policymakers. The report underscores the urgent need for a robust mental health action plan for the county’s diverse, older residents and their caregiving families and is the basis for a second, soon-to-be-announced, “Call to Action” summit in 2023.
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July Holidays and Days of Interest
Tirgan, 7/1| Guru Purnima, 7/3 | Dharma Day, 7/3 | Independence Day, 7/4 | Martyrdom of the Báb, 7/10 | Islamic New Year, 7/18-7/19 | Ashura, 7/27-7/28
Upcoming Events
July 26 - The Religious Land Use Working Group will meet at at 2:00 pm. For more information please email interfaith@montgomerycountymd.gov.
July 26 - The Resettlement Working Group will meet at 7:00 pm. For more information please email interfaith@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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Above: Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended Solidarity in Response to Gun Violence Shootings hosted at People’s Community Baptist Church on June 1.
Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended a meeting on affordable housing and the faith community hosted by Silver Spring United Methodist Church on June 8.
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Above: County Executive Marc Elrich and Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended an Eid Al Fitr celebration at the Muslim Community Center on June 28.
Faith Liaison Kate Chance attended an event on racial justice hosted by the Greater Washington Community Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington on June 29.
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Sister Cities International (SCI) US-Africa Summit | |
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County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles led the Montgomery Sister Cities (MSC) delegation as they traveled to the Sister Cities International (SCI) US-Africa Summit, Transforming SCI Africa: Honoring Traditions, Creating New Partnerships, in Cape Town, South Africa, February 19-25, 2023. The delegation included staff from Montgomery College, Sister City members, and community members at large. The group participated in plenary meetings, met with the United States Consul General/U.S. Embassy, Cape Town elected officials, business participants, councilmembers from other U.S based Sister City memberships, and experienced outreach opportunities in support of the "500 in 5" initiative to establish 500 sister cities in Africa over the next five years. View highlights from the trip in a video produced by Montgomery College Television.
MSC presents Picnic and Game Night with Big Train Baseball
Montgomery Sisters Cities was featured at Shirley Povich Field on July 1 for Big Train Baseball. Participants enjoyed a picnic and watched an exciting performances representing Montgomery Sister City, the Taiji Friends Club of Greater Washington, and the Qipao (Cheongsam) Club of Northern Virginia.
Morazan Sister City
The Morazan Sister City Committee met in late June to begin planning its annual fundraising gala, to be held on Friday, September 22 from 6:30 pm to midnight at the Silver Spring Civic Center. The gala will be held during Hispanic Heritage month, and special guests will include County officials. Promotion will begin next month. For more details, please contact Jessy.MejiaTerry@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Want to learn more about Montgomery Sister Cities? Please don’t hesitate to contact Montgomerysistercities@gmail.com or learn more at https://www.montgomerysistercities.org/
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