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Delegate Nicole Williams Newsletter - 3/14/2023


Dear Neighbors and Friends -


I hope you all recognized and celebrated the pivotal women in your life and those who inspire you this past Wednesday, March 8th, for International Women's Day. On International Women's Day this year, I presented HB0808, also known as the Reproductive Health Protection Act, to the House Judiciary Committee. It was an honor testifying with Attorney General Anthony Brown, Michelle Siri with The Women's Law Center of Maryland, with Pam Kasemeyer representing multiple medical organizations (Maryland State Medical Society, the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Centers, and The Maryland Chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), and Robyn Elliot representing Planned Parenthood of Maryland on this matter. As the hearings in the House committees are coming to a close, I will keep you updated on the progress of this bill and my other sponsored bills this session.


-Nicole

 

Women's History Month Highlight: Dr. Prasanna Nair


Our next weekly spotlight is Dr. Prasanna Nair. Her medical contributions in the Primary Health Care field to improve care for infants and mothers with HIV/AIDs, as well as her work to expand care to reduce substance abuse, redefined medical care within Maryland over the last several decades.


Dr. Nair was born in India in 1913. She studied medicine both in India and in Maryland, completing medical training at Lady Hardinge Medical College in Delhi and then moved to Maryland in 1960 to start her medical residency in Pediatrics at the University of Maryland Medical Center. In 1970, Dr. Nair founded the SPICE clinic (Special Parent Infant Care and Enrichment Clinic), which cares for infants of HIV-positive mothers and infants of mothers with drug dependencies. Her clinic improved medical care for children from lower-income populations while also advancing critical research on HIV/AIDS and pediatric medicine. Additionally, Dr. Nair cofounded the FUTURES project (Following Urban Teens: Unique and Resilient at Every Step), which assesses the effects of early childhood experiences related to resilience on adolescent development. Some more of her many accolades include being director of the Community Pediatric Center for ten years (1975-85), earning her Masters of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in 1982, and being a professor and the director of the Junior Youth Pediatric Clerkship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (1985-2000).


Dr. Nair inspired so many to make discoveries in the medical field while being an advocate through her work for underserved populations. Her accomplishments to advance pediatric health care in Baltimore are felt across Maryland to this day.

 

Women's History Month Events in District 22


The celebration of excellence does not stop within this newsletter! Check out these March events within District 22 and more within the Prince George's County Memorial Library System to stay educated on female empowerment and to uplift your community:

 

Legislative Updates


The hearing for all of my bills in the House of Delegates has ended, but the job has yet to end. Our team will continue to work diligently to see if we can obtain a favorable vote in the committee assigned to the bill and a favorable vote on the House Floor. Until there are updates on those hearings, here is a rundown of what is going on with some of my proposed legislation:


  • This bill was heard on Thursday, February 2nd at 2:30 PM in the House Judiciary Committee.

  • This bill received a favorable vote in the House Judiciary Committee and was voted favorably by the House of Delegates. The bill will now move on to the Senate where it has been assigned to the Judicial Proceedings Committee.

  • Synopsis:

    • Provides that a parent, guardian, or other caregivers for a child who uses cannabis do not count as neglect (except in some circumstances) for provisions of laws relating to children who need assistance.

 

Delegate Nicole A. Williams 2023-24 Scholarship

The 2023-2024 scholarship application is now available! Applications will be accepted from now until April 7, 2023. You are eligible for the scholarship if:

  • If you currently attend or will be attending any college or vocational school in Maryland next year

  • If you live in District 22 (to check, visit www.mdelect.net)

  • If you have at least a 2.5 GPA

Click here for more information on how to apply, as well as the link to the official application. Make sure that all parts of your application are complete before you submit it for consideration. Award winners will be announced in mid-May. Best of luck to everyone applying!

 

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

  • If you are in Hyattsville and need financial assistance for post-secondary education, you are in luck. The city of Hyattsville is offering the Hyattsville Educational Path Scholarship Program to support Hyattsville high school seniors and high school graduates fund their journey into post-secondary education. Applications are open from now until March 24th, 2023. To learn more about the scholarship and how to apply, click here.

  • The Emanons, Inc. is still accepting applications from high school seniors in the DMV area for their scholarship program, with the deadline now extended to April 15th, 2023. For more information, click here to complete the application.

 

Delta Days in Annapolis

I celebrated Delta Days in Annapolis this past week (an annual two-day event, the first of which was a virtual event) where we advocate the legislative priorities of my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. On the second day of Delta Days which was Thursday, March 9th, I introduced my sorority and sponsored a resolution on the House Floor to honor this annual event. The sorority's ideals of scholarship, service, and sisterhood are fundamental to my character and I strive to reflect them in all of my daily endeavors.

 

Article of the Week

Greenbelt's senior residents at Green Ridge House have recently been in great care. Nursing students from the Catholic University of America Conway School of Nursing who are a part of the Greenbelt Community Nursing Program have made weekly visits to the Green Ridge House in Greenbelt to provide quality in-home care to its senior residents. This team of all-women nurses-in-training is building valuable community bonds with Greenbelt residents as well as learning their healthcare needs through clinical experience so that they can go on to improve the healthcare community. To learn more about their efforts, read more here.

 

DC/MD Annual Black Colleges Expo 2023

The National College Resources Foundation producers of the 20th Annual DC/MD Black College Expo will host the event on Saturday, March 18th, 2023, at Bowie State University from 10:00 am to 5 pm. This amazing expo presents over 40 HBCUs, state and private universities, informative seminars, internships, and career resources that will assist students in gaining admission to a college or university. Some institutions will accept on the spot, waive admission fees, and offer scholarships on the spot. To register for the event, use the link on the flyer by clicking here.

 

Sharing to Save Lives: Upcoming Blood Drive

In the United States, the blood donation rates of African Americans are less than half of the donations of white individuals. There is an extreme need for increased blood donation from the African American population, particularly regarding the increase of African American recipients of blood transfusion, both specialized, such as sickle cell disease patients, and general hospitalized patients. These patients will have a better chance of receiving phenotype-matched or appropriate red blood cell units when there is a significant percentage of products in inventory from African American donors.


Come out to the upcoming community Blood Drive to support your fellow residents in Prince George's County! It will be on Friday, March 17th, 2023, from 1:00 pm- 6:00 pm at the District Heights Municipal Building at 2000 Marbury Drive, District Heights, Maryland 20747. There are blood shortages in Black & African American communities, and this blood drive aims to benefit the residents of Prince George’s County.

With Prince George’s County predominantly being a community of color and its population being majority African American, this event seeks to increase blood donations directly from our community. The event sponsors want to ensure that this event grows to be a countywide initiative and ask that you support us in making this endeavor possible. Donors may sign up to volunteer at the following link- https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=Sickle%20Cell%20Coalition%20of%20Maryland

 

Bilingual Annual Pharmacy Camp Opportunity

Real change happens slowly and requires diverse representation- meaning having bilingual and bicultural people in every room. To make that happen, the Legislative Latino Caucus continues to partner with Notre Dame School of Pharmacy in their annual high school pharmacy camp to raise awareness among Maryland's Latino youth about the health industry!


This annual Pharmacy Camp is open for registration for Summer 2023! The camp will take place from June 26 to June 30, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. The camp will be led by NDMU School of Pharmacy faculty members, who are experts in their fields and passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of pharmacy professionals. NDMU’s Pharmacy Camp is designed for students in grades 9-12 who want to explore the world of pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences. Throughout the week, students will have the opportunity to:

  • Make medications in a lab

  • Explore precision medicine and the pharmacist's role in research and patient care

  • Learn about medication therapy management

  • Discover which pharmacy career best fits them

  • Get tips for applying to pharmacy school


Registration costs $450, which includes meals and activities. Scholarships are available for bilingual students! Registration ends on May 27, 2023, but limited scholarships are available, so we encourage anyone who may be interested to apply now! To register for Pharmacy Camp 2023 or to learn more, visit ndm.edu/pharmacy-camp.

ESPAÑOL


Estimados colegas, amigos y colaboradores comunitarios,


Sabemos que el cambio real ocurre lentamente. Y eso requiere una representación diversa, lo que significa que personas bilingües y biculturales estén presente en todos lados. Para que eso suceda, continuamos asociándonos con la Escuela de Farmacia de Notre Dame en su campamento anual de farmacia de la escuela secundaria para crear conciencia entre nuestra juventud latina sobre la industria de la salud. ¡Lo cual es beneficioso para su carrera Y también mejora la salud de nuestra comunidad!

¡Estamos felices de compartir esta increíble oportunidad por medio de la Escuela de Farmacia de la Universidad Notre Dame de Maryland! Ya abrió la inscripción para la edición anual del Campamento de Farmacia en el verano de 2023. El campamento se realizará del 26 al 30 de junio de 2023, de 9 a.m. a 5 p.m.


El Campamento de Farmacia de NDMU está orientado a estudiantes de grado 9 a 12 que quieran explorar el mundo de la farmacia y las ciencias farmacéuticas. Es una oportunidad única para los estudiantes latinos interesados en los campos de atención de salud. Durante la semana del campamento, podrán:

  • Hacer medicamentos en un laboratorio

  • Explorar el ámbito de la medicina de precisión y el rol del farmacéutico en investigación y atención del paciente

  • Saber más sobre medicación en terapia farmacológica

  • Descubrir qué carrera de farmacia es la mejor para cada uno

  • Recibir consejos para aplicar a la escuela de farmacia


La inscripción tiene un costo de $450, e incluye comidas y actividades. ¡Y hay becas disponibles para estudiantes bilingües! La inscripción finaliza el 27 de mayo de 2023, pero el número de becas es limitado, por eso los interesados tienen que registrarse lo antes posible. El campamento estará encabezado por profesores del equipo docente de la Escuela de Farmacia de NDMU, expertos en su área y apasionados por enseñar y guiar a la próxima generación de profesionales en farmacia.


Para registrarse en el Campamento de Farmacia 2023 o conocer más detalles, pueden visitar ndm.edu/pharmacy-camp.

 

COVID-19 Update

According to the CDC, COVID-19 Community levels are measured as Low, Medium, and High. At this time the federal government is planning to end the national COVID-19 state of emergency declaration on May 11th. This will potentially impact health benefits for Marylanders. Older adults (50 years and older), and individuals who are immunocompromised or have underlying medical or cardiac conditions should take necessary precautions to stay safe. Please click here to find the closest COVID-19 testing facility near you in Prince George's County.

 

Resources


Redefining Public Safety

Mediation

If you are in need of conflict resolution and want an informal process to reach a win-win situation, consider reaching out to the Prince George's Community Collaborative Resolution Center! They are a division of Community Mediation Maryland (CMM) that provides free mediation services to all residents of Prince George's County. Their mediators are trained volunteers from the community who can resolve a conflict or situation at any stage. For more information:

  • Call: 301-690-0116

  • Email: pgresolutionscenter@gmail.com

2-1-1 Assistance

As you may know, dialing 9-1-1 is the number to call when you need help and are in immediate danger. When dialing 2-1-1, you can receive information on immediate mental health support, hate-crime support, senior assistance, food and shelter support, and much more. Also, note that this information is provided in multiple languages. To learn more, please click here to explore Maryland's 2-1-1 site.

Housing

Prince George's County Department of Housing Community Development 2023-2024 Affordable Housing Portfolio:

The portfolio lists over forty upcoming and completed senior living communities and multi-family dwellings, now available to County residents. If you want to access more information about the new portfolio, you can watch the promotional video here.

If you are currently facing housing or rental concerns due to financial hardship, the organizations listed below can provide some support:

  • Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund offers support mortgage relief, weatherization, housing counseling, and legal services.

  • Housing Counseling Services Inc. offers a variety of MD housing and rental assistance resources including but not limited to housing counseling, foreclosure prevention, utility assistance, and veteran support services

  • 211 Maryland's database can connect you with local programs and resources, call 2-1-1 to speak with an Information and Referral Specialist or visit their website

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