Nonprofits, Prepare Your Testimony For Community Development Block Grants

At their meeting on Monday the 26th, Rockville’s Mayor and Council will here proposals from nonprofits interested in applying for funding from the city’s community development block grant program. This is a Federally-funded program designed to help moderate- to low-income residents.

Here’s the press release from the city:

The Rockville Mayor and Council will receive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) proposals to be funded for Fiscal Year 2011 at a public hearing Monday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. Any nonprofit organization interested in presenting a proposal at the public hearing should call the City Clerk’s Office at 240-314-8280 by 4 p.m. Oct. 26.

The Community Development Block Grant is a federal grant for housing and community development programs. Federal grant funds are awarded to the City and distributed to local programs. Rockville expects to receive up to $300,000 for FY11.

To be eligible for funding, all projects must principally benefit low and moderate-income people. Projects must serve Rockville residents.

Block grant funds can be used for the following:

• Buying property for public uses (recreation, public facilities, historic preservation, neighborhood conservation);
• Building public facilities (roads, curbs, sidewalks, parks, neighborhood facilities, sewerage collection systems, water distribution systems, flood and drainage systems);
• Providing public services;
• Removing architectural barriers for people with disabilities and the elderly (widen doors, install wheelchair ramps);
• Providing loans and grants to rehabilitate houses and apartments;
• Implementing economic development activities (training programs, energy conservation programs, commercial revitalization); and
• Paying for planning and administrative costs (studies, staff salaries).

Applications for grants are available at the Department of Community Planning and Development Services at City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave. Applications for FY11 funds are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2.

For further information regarding proposals, contact the Department of Community Planning and Development Services at 240-314-8200.

VisArts Goes Vroom

Although the pavement was wet and the morning overcast, VisArts held the First Annual Ride for the Arts last Saturday. Due to the unfavorable weather conditions only 35 riders participated. Unfortunately, my husband’s motorcycle needed to go back to the shop and I didn’t want to ride alone with the wet weather, so I wasn’t one of them. VisArts will hold another run in September or October.

Even though I missed the ride, I didn’t want to miss the afternoon festivities in Town Square. The Crimestoppers rocked the stage with the sun shining, too little too late. The VisArts studio artists decorated the donated motorcycle which was on display and will eventually be raffled. The paint now prevents it from running! An artist was sketching people and gave us a drawing of each of my sons. Bikes lined Gibbs Street, but not the kind for the stands on the sidewalks.

Upstairs in the Gallery several antique Harley Davidson motorcycles circled the room with historic descriptions. Down at the other end of the hall, Ram Cycles displayed racing bikes with an Xtreme video playing on the screen.

As always, I enjoyed talking with the artists in their studios and planned a design for a necklace with Mimi Harris. Last week, she moved to a larger studio. When she creates my necklace, I’ll be sure to share it.

If you have a motorcycle, please let me know. Hopefully we can ride together from Rockville Central this Fall and support our local art center.

Event Feature: Shelter Walk ‘n Roll

As I’ve mentioned, last year I joined the staff of the Montgomery County Coaltion for the Homeless. I want to let you all know that we are having our Shelter Walk ‘n Roll in Rockville Town Square on Sunday, May 3, 2009 from 1 PM to 3 PM. Since I’m always into Rockville events, I’m excited the walkathon will be in our very own City.

I would love it if you all come out to support our work to help those experiencing homelessness in our community. Registering is as easy as signing up at the tables in Rockville Town Square betweet 1 PM and 2PM. Jack Worthington and Denise D’Amico will start playing on the stage at 1 PM and we’ll have kid activities like face painting, coloring, and games.

The 1-mile walk around the Rockville Town Center will commence at 2 p.m. The walk will go past the Old Courthouse and the park in memory of those from Montgomery County who perished on September 11th. After the walk, the music and activities will continue until we pick the winners of the door prizes at 2:45 PM. The City Staff will be turning on the Town Square interactive fountain when we are done, so the kids can run through the water when the event is over. Let’s hope for spectacular weather!

Registration is
$25 for adults (includes t-shirt)
15 for Children under 18 and students with a college i.d. (includes t-shirt)
Free for children under 5.
Checks only please.

We do have early registration online if you visit http://www.mcch.net/. Click on donate tab, fill out the online donation form and in the “Gift Designation” section, please indicate Shelter Walk ‘n Roll 2009 and list the names of each walker.

Please join my family for a fun afternoon and help raise awareness about homelessness in Montgomery County. If you have any questions, let me know: Cindy Cotte Griffiths.

Nonprofits: Get On Austin Grill’s "First Mondays" Schedule!

Our good friends at the Austin Grill in Rockville Town Square have let us know that, after a brief hiatus, they’ve been able to reinstate their incredible “First Mondays” program for area nonprofits. The deal, in a nutshell, is simple: Austin Grill donates 20% of the night’s revenue to your organization. It’s up to you to fill the room and make it a party. These events can be huge, and they are scheduled a few months out so it helps to be organized.

The band I play with, The West End, served as entertainment for one in support of Beall Elementary School’s PTA last year, and we were able to raise enough to support the school’s annual anthology of student writing.

As you might imagine, there are some hoops to jump through and some applications to fill out — but it is worth your time. Here are the forms you need.

Invitation from MCCH and CMR

UPDATE: We are very sorry to report that the Open House must be postponed due to the construction in the parking lot as pictured here. Our local weather report has rain coming in before and during the event as well, so we are going to have to wait!

Last year I took a position with the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH). We are having an Open House to celebrate the newly-completed Gude Drive Complex and I would like to invite all of our readers to stop by for a visit this Thursday, April 2, 2009 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at 600 East Gude Drive, Rockville, MD 20850.

The Gude Drive Complex, owned and developed by Montgomery County, houses MCCH’s Home Builders Care Assessment Center, MCCH’s Adrianne’s Safe Havens and offices, and Community Ministries of Rockville’s Chase Partnership House. The Open House is a rare and special opportunity to see all of the facility (and my office!).

The Home Builders Care Assessment Center (HBCAC) provides 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week shelter and services for men experiencing homelessness. Approximately 900 men are served over the course of a year. The addition was added onto the original 8-year-old building. Demand for shelter and comprehensive services for homeless individuals has increased dramatically. The capacity of the existing building was 100 men. An additional 35 men were served by an on-site trailer, which has been closed. There are now 35 new beds in the HBCAC building. The addition will primarily be used to provide a range of new services including new laundry, bathroom and shower facilities, two medical exam rooms, and a meeting space and computer lab for educational and vocational activities to be conducted.

A shared-facilities building has also been built for Adrianne’s Safe Havens, Community Ministries of Rockville’s Chase Partnership House, and offices for MCCH services and staff. Prior to the new construction, housing and services for both programs were delivered in substandard buildings on site. In addition to providing transitional shelter for 51 men, the new building will feature offices for staff, two dining rooms, two life skills kitchens, two computer labs, laundry and bathroom facilities, conference rooms, and lounges.

Keep an eye out for parking instructions to adjacent properties. We don’t have much parking on site. We hope you can attend!

CMR’s Having A Health Fair and Yard Sale

Are you doing any spring cleaning? Community Ministries of Rockville (CMR) is collecting items for their upcoming Yard Sale on Saturday, March 21, 2009. If you have something worth selling to raise funds for CMR’s programs, simply drop them at their office at 1010 Grandin Avenue, Suite A-1. You’ll also be helping to cut down on garbage and landfills by allowing someone else to re-use your possessions.

Put the date on your calendar because the event is not just a yardsale but also a Health Fair offering screenings for weight, blood pressure, and diabetes. Apppoinments can also be made for free mammograms and low-cost medical checkups. Information on cancer prevention, nutrition, tobacco cessation, and health insurance will also be available

This all is happening at:
Crusader Lutheran Church
1605 Viers Mill Road, Rockville
Saturday, March 21, 2009
12 Noon until 4 PM

CMR rocks by combining the efforts of congregations to provide services to the homeless, assist the elderly in their homes, give emergency assistance, teach basic English, and offer health services to the uninsured and under-insured.

Prepare For The Weekend Of Service

Most Rockville Central readers know that there is a big push going on to make this Inauguration Weekend one that highlights a call to service.

Montgomery County has established “Yes Montgomery Can” as a way for people to connect to service opportunities this weekend. (Warning: that link has irritating sound you can’t turn off.)

In particular, we encourage readers to donate food to Manna Food Center, the largest food bank in the county and located right here in Our Fair City. Just take your food items to the Giant on Rockville Pike (next to Flagship Car Wash) between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm on Saturday or Sunday.

(Here’s the food most needed: peanut butter, tuna fish, canned fruit, baby formula, baby food,shelf-stable milk, cereal and oatmeal, rice, canned and dried beans, tomato sauce, pasta, macaroni and cheese, and canned soup.)

In addition, please consider volunteering to help out. You can sign up easily here. (No sound at this link.) Many of our neighbors will be going door to door, canvassing to raise funds to match an anonymous gift.

Community Organizations: Attend Tonight’s Grantseeking Session

If you are affiliated with a community organization that is interested in seeking grant funds from Our Fair City, get ready to attend this afternoon’s technical assistance session at 4:00 pm in the Blue Crab Room at City Hall.

At tonight’s session you will learn all you need to know about filling out these applications. It’s important to attend so you can put your best foot forward! But, it is not required — you can still submit an application.

The deadline is January 15.

"A Line In The Sand" Educates

I don’t know what I was expecting. What I found was strength and hope in the faces of those who have worked tirelessly to help the women and children of domestic violence.

A traveling photographic exhibit entitled A Line in the Sand is at the Circuit Court building until tomorrow, October 30, 2008. This is late notice for a Rockville viewing of this exhibit created by House of Ruth Maryland, but it will continue around our state until summer 2009. Having this exhibit in our courthouse has been an appropriate reminder of the women who file for protective orders each day.

At first, the photos were simply large portraits. I wondered why former Governor Donald Schaefer’s picture greeted me. Until you read the words tightly tied to each, you don’t understand. The explanations build until a full awareness of all the work undertaken since the early 1970’s overtakes you. Back then, there was no recognition of domestic violence. Maryland passed its first Protective Order legislation in 1980 but didn’t extend the duration from 15 days to 12 months until 1997. People like Mr. Schaefer worked to change attitudes and laws.

One placard describes the volunteers as angels. Judge Robert M. Bell claims only to be doing his job, yet he increased the number of interpreters in the courtroom. Drs. Jackie Campbell and Barbara Parker are developing protocols to help caregivers support children who survive uxoricide, which is more common among children than leukemia. Lisa Spicknall carried on after her children were killed to insure that our laws were changed when they allowed her husband to purchase a gun even though there was a protective order against him.

Altogether over thirty people are featured for their involvement, including legislators, mothers, philanthropists, and nurses. Some were personally touched by the pain of this abuse, but many went beyond writing a check to dedicate their time to this cause without firsthand knowledge of a tragedy. As I gazed into each of their faces, I felt like I was meeting them, which is a great testament to the sixteen fine art photographers who were given free reign to portray these determined individuals.

If you don’t make it to one of the exhibitions, you can buy the book and make a contribution.

Photograph from House of Ruth Maryland.

Workshop Will Provide Mortgage Advice

Did you know that in 2007, there were 117 foreclosures within the city limits of Rockville? So far in the first two quarters of 2008, there have already been 122. People from all income levels throughout the City have been struggling with housing burdens beyond their capabilities. It’s important to seek help as soon as you realize you are heading for trouble.

The City, State, and HomeFree USA are holding a free workshop for homeowners who are having difficulty paying the mortgage. The Foreclosure Workshop will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2008 at the Lincoln Park Community Center, from 10 AM to 3 PM.

The program will begin with a one-hour general information session about foreclosures from the panel of sponsors. The rest of the day will be individual sessions with counselors and attorneys. HomeFree USA is an organization that helps homeowners by discussing housing issues and providing confidential counseling.

Registration is required. Call Tanya Hines at the City of Rockville 240-314-8113 or email her at thines@rockvillemd.gov to attend and request the individual counseling. Sign and foreign language translation are available. Refreshments will be provided.

If you fall behind in payments or are facing a change in your interest rate, an important first step is to contact your lender and meet with a nonprofit housing counselor. Mortgages can be renegotiated three times, but never sign anything you don’t understand. This workshop is a good start.

As we talked about on Rockville Central Radio, people have a tendency to bury their heads in the sand when faced with financial problems. If you think you are having trouble, you should find out your options in order to make a sound decision for your future.