1. family and parenting
2. children

NEWS
A Newsletter of the Family Services, Inc., an affiliate of Sheppard & Enoch Pratt Foundation
Spring 2010
County and Community Partners Kickoff Free Tax
Services for Low-Income Montgomery County Residents
The City of Gaithersburg joined the Montgomery
County Community Action Board, local banks and
community groups on January 29, 2010 to launch the
4th Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site at
Family Services, Inc. (FSI). Gaithersburg’s Mayor
Sidney Katz, Council Vice- President Cathy Drzyzgula,
Councilmember’s Michael Sesma and Ryan Spiegel
were there to celebrate the kickoff. Also in attendance
were members from Montgomery County Department of
Health and Human Services, Community Action Agency,
area banks, nonprofit partners and community residents.
The focus of the event was to help residents learn
about free tax preparation services, the expanded Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC) program and opportunities
to increase financial security through the Gaithersburg
BankOn initiative. The EITC program helps people with
low to moderate incomes by supplementing their wages
and encouraging work. For example, in 2006, according
to the IRS data analyzed by the Brookings Institute, the
EITC brought $4,889,243 back to the 20877 Gaithersburg
zip code, helping to boost the local economy by an average
of $1,878 per household. “Congress approved temporary
increases to the EITC to protect low and moderate wage
Inside this issue:
Free Tax Services
Woodworking for Charity
Around the World
5K Challenge
HSC Foundation Awards
Book Festival
Family Services, Inc. NEWS
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earners, as these are vulnerable groups in recession,” said
Betty Lam, Chief of Community Affairs for Montgomery
County Department of Health and Human Services.
“Although EITC is a powerful tool to lift families out
of poverty, 20-25% of eligible families don’t apply.
Strengthening volunteer-supported services was greatly
needed, as VITA grew to serve 1,200 residents last year,”
said Lam.
In conjunction with the free tax preparation services,
the City of Gaithersburg launched their BankOn initiative,
which offered residents the opportunity to open free
checking and savings accounts, regardless of their level
See EITC, page 3
(Left to Right) Thom Harr, Council Vice-President Cathy
Drzyzgula, Mayor Sidney Katz, Councilmember Ryan Spiegel,
Councilmember Michael Sesma, and Chief of Community Affairs
Betty Lam
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www.fs-inc.org
Woodworkers Make Toys for Children
them directly to the children. Since its inception in
1997, WCC had donated over 16,000 toys to over 100
organizations serving at-risk children in the Washington
metropolitan area. Each month they produce around 150
toys, all made by volunteers. WCC provides all materials,
plans, and instructions free of charge, to volunteers who
are willing to use their skills to craft the wooden toys.
In 2001, WCC was selected by the Minwax Corporation
as its Grand Prize Winner in the national competition for
its “Community Craftsman” Award.
Children from FSI programs such as Healthy Families
Montgomery (HFM), Early Head Start (EHS) and Watch
Me Grow Child Development Center (WMG) have all
been recipients of this generous toy donation, and we
sincerely thank Woodworkers for Children Charity for
their continued support.
For more information about WCC, please visit their
website at www.woodentoy.org or contact Frank Ierardi
at (301) 253-3666.
Provide any child wooden toys and just sit back and
watch them. You’ll marvel at their imagination and
originality. Isn’t it amazing how many hours of fun they
have in the process, all the while playing independently.
Each year, Family Services is fortunate to receive
handmade wooden toys from Woodworkers for Children
Charity, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation dedicated
to providing children with the wooden toys they create.
From tractors, to airplanes, to monster trucks, wooden toys
are best to play with during the early stages of a child’s
development. These types of toys have an advantage
to electronic toys, they do not move by themselves, are
durable and do not resemble most toys seen on television.
This allows children to use their own imagination and
discover unique playful activities that stimulate their
motor and social skills.
The toys that are made and donated by WCC bring joy
and excitement to the hearts of every child; experiencing
this is an added bonus for the volunteers who distribute
Above: Frank Ierardi hands out homemade toys from Woodworks for Children Charity to children at Watch Me Grow.
Family Services, Inc. NEWS
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www.fs-inc.org
Summer Program Will Take Children on a Trip
Around the World!
Parents, get your children’s passports ready. How exciting would it be to start your
kids on a worldwide adventure, where they could learn about different countries, people
and customs? Beginning Monday, June 28th the staff at Family Services’ Watch Me
Grow Child Development Center in Clarksburg, MD will be taking children on a
journey around the world as part of their 2010 summer program.
Each week children will visit a different continent, from South America to Antarctica,
making special stops in India and many different islands. Curriculum will be based
on the visiting continent, giving children the opportunity to discover the beauty and
differences of other places around the world.
“During our journey around the world, we will play with a purpose by exploring
the different cultures, foods, crafts, language and environment of each continent,” said
Nicole Queen, Educational Director for Watch Me Grow. “At Watch Me Grow we
are a very diverse population, from our students to our staff, and making this journey
around the world will help us to get to know each other better. “
While on their adventurous travels, children will see quite a few interesting animals,
including presentations from “Animals of Kung Foo”, “Beat the Heat” (desert animals)
from Echoes of Nature, and “Waddle & Wiggle” from the Baltimore Zoo Mobile.
“Planning the summer program was so much fun,” said Sandra Smith, Administrative
Director for Watch Me Grow. “I am excited to see the children’s smiling faces as they Above: Children enjoying one
of many summer adventures at
participate in all of our summer festivities.”
Watch Me Grow
So, parents spread the word and don’t wait any longer to reserve space for your
children. New adventures await Watch Me Grow’s little international travelers, and the
stories they will be able to share will be priceless.
For more information about enrolling your child in Watch Me Grow’s summer program, or to find out more about
the center please contact Sandra Smith at 240-686-0572 or email [email protected]
EITC
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of income or credit history. Participates include Chevy
Chase Bank, PNC Bank, Sovereign Bank, and MidAtlantic Credit Union. “The community-oriented nature
of BankOn Gaithersburg has been a natural fit for our
partnering banks and credit unions,” said Cindy Hines,
Olde Towne Revitalization Coordinator in the City’s
Office of Economic Development. “The ability to work
with such reputable financial institutions and their expert
staff has greatly enhanced the program and its offerings
making banking a reality for everyone. “
“It’s so important to raise the awareness of these
volunteer income tax assistance sites,” concluded Mayor
Katz. “Too many families are taken advantage of by high
cost tax preparation firms, and by uncertified preparers. “
Family Services, Inc. NEWS
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Chief of Community Affairs for Montgomery County DHHS Betty
Lam makes opening remarks
www.fs-inc.org
“Chic” Runners Race for Health
On Sunday, March 28, 2010 Chic-to-Chic
Consignment Boutique, a local upscale consignment
store located in Gaithersburg, MD, called Chic
ladies and men to make a commitment to improve
their health and well being. Over 75 area residents
participated in the Great Chic 5K and 1K Challenge,
held around the lake at The Washingtonian/Rio
Center in Gaithersburg. Mrs. Maryland Terrianne
Lord Small, America’s Miss Teen 2009 Brittany
Sullivan, and Miss Teen Maryland International
Jessica Simpson joined the race, encouraging the
importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Proceeds
generated from the challenge went to benefit
Family Services, Inc. and GaithersburgHelp (www.
gaithersburghelp.org). For more pictures of the
race, visit us on Facebook.
Above: Family Services CFO Ron Stehlin crosses the finish
line with Mrs. Maryland, Terrianne Lord Small and America’s
Miss Teen 2009, Brittany Sullivan
HSC Foundation Awards Grant for Youth
Transitions Initiative
Family Services, Inc. (FSI) is proud to receive a
grant for $11,000 from The HSC Foundation for the
Life Enrichment Awards Program (LEAP).
The purpose of LEAP is to enrich the lives of
youth and young adults (ages 14-26) living with
disabilities, chronic illnesses or other circumstances
that present unique needs. LEAP provides goods and
services that are directly linked to youth transition
planning and implementation but are not covered
by insurance.
The aim is for the initiative is to become a central
resource for filling gaps for these young people
as they transition from school to the workplace,
college, training programs or other services. People
with disabilities meet barriers of all types. These
awards are able to pay for many things, from
basic laptops to specialized adaptive and assistive
Family Services, Inc. NEWS
equipment, which can support them as they
move forward in the development of their skillsets.
The goal is to provide the necessary tools that will
enhance the individual’s ability to succeed to their
full potential.
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www.fs-inc.org
Regional Book Festival Comes to
Gaithersburg
Reading is fun, but it’s even better when you
read with a buddy. Come and join Family Services,
Inc. (FSI) on Saturday, May 15th to celebrate the
1st Annual Gaithersburg Book Festival and create a
reading buddy with your children.
“Create a Reading Buddy with Family Services”
is designed to motivate even the littlest of readers
in your house to keep on reading. This creative art
project allows children of all ages to create their
own reading buddy to read to, share books with, as
well as listen to stories they tell.
The book festival will take place outdoors on
the grounds of City Hall in historic Olde Town
Gaithersburg from 10:00am – 6:00pm. The festival
is modeled after the National Book Festival and is
designed to become the region’s premier literacy
event.
Vi s i t o r s
will
find
over 30 authors of both national and local acclaim in attendance, including Marfe Delano, Alice McDermott,
Keith Donohue, and Olga Grushin. There will
be several writing workshops, exciting exhibitors,
book sales, book signings, and fun events for children, food vendors, and much more. Organized
into three primary areas, the festival will consist of
Fiction, Nonfiction, and Children’s “Villages,” each
featuring a plethora of presenters, authors and exhibitors of the genre. Admission and parking are
free. For more information about the festival, visit
www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org.
So, save the date, tell your friends, and happy
reading!
Primer Festival Anual Regional Llega a Gaithersburg
Leer es divertido, pero es mucho mejor cuando
lees con un amigo. Venga y acompañe a Family Services, Inc. (FSI) el Sábado 15 de Mayo a celebrar el
Primer Festival Anual del Libro y conviértase en el
compañero de lectura de sus hijos.
“Convertirse en el compañero de lectura con
Family Services” está diseñado para motivar incluso a los mas pequeños en su hogar para mantenerlos
interesados en la lectura. Este creativo proyecto les
permite a los niños de todas las edades crear su propio compañero de
lectura, para leer
juntos, compartir
libros, así como
escuchar las historias que les
cuenten.
El festival del
libro tendrá lugar
al aire libre en
los jardines del
Family Services, Inc. NEWS
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City Hall del histórico Olde Town Gaithersburg
de 10:00am a 6:00pm. El festival sigue el modelo
del Festival Nacional del Libro y está diseñado para
que se convierta en el evento de alfabetización mas
importante de la región.
Los visitantes podrán disfrutar de mas de 30
autores locales y nacionales, incluyendo Marfe
Delano, Alice McDermott, Keith Donohue y Olga
Grushin. Además habrá diferentes talleres de escritura, interesantes exposiciones, venta de libros,
firma de libros y actividades divertidas para los
niños, venta de comida y mucho mas. El festival
está organizado en tres áreas que consisten en libros
de Ficción, No Ficción y las “Villas” de los Niños,
cada área contara con varios presentadores, autores
y expositores del género. Las entradas y estacionamiento serán gratuitos. Para mas información
acerca del festival, visite www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org.
Reserve la fecha, coméntele a sus amigos y feliz
lectura!
www.fs-inc.org
NONPROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SUBURBAN MD
PERMIT NO. 7288
An Affiliate of Sheppard
& Enoch Pratt Foundation
610 East Diamond Ave., Suite 100
Gaithersburg, MD 20877-5323
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Serving the Community Since 1908
Family Services, Inc.
Phone: 301-840-2000
Fax: 301-840-9621
Board of Directors
Executive Director
William A. Morgan, President Charles Kramer, Jr., President Elect
Diane Ennist, J.D., Treasurer
Esther A. Pinder, M.D., Secretary
Thomas E. Harr, M.B.A., M.L.S.,
John E. Carnell
Emmet P. Cavanagh
Catherine Doughty
Jamie Foroughi
Carol Hayes
Marc Infeld
Stephen N. Keith, M.D.
Paul Mooney
Anne Marie O’Keefe, Ph.D., J.D.
Steven S. Sharfstein, M.D.
Trung K. Vu
Roddy Williams
Family Services, Inc. NEWS
United Way #8098 | CFC #28943 | MD Charity Campaign #3190
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