Delegate Nicole Williams Newsletter - 4/04/2022

Dear Neighbors and Friends - April is a month of many beginnings and endings. For some, it marks the beginning of Autism Awareness Month, the arrival of Easter, and the start of Passover. For others, it means to continue the observance of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar which increases discipline and faith through fasting as a community daily from sunrise to sunset. It is also the month of Earth Day, started in 1972 to promote nationwide sustainability awareness. For me and my colleagues at the Maryland General Assembly, it marks the end of the 2023 legislative session with just 7 days left. It is my honor to represent the constituents of District 22 in the Maryland General Assembly. I will work hard in these last few days of the legislative session to vote for bills that represent the values of our community.
-Nicole

Autism Awareness Month Events
The celebration of excellence does not stop within this newsletter! Check out this April event within Prince George's County to stay educated about autism awareness and to uplift your community:
Saturday, April 15th, 2023 at Watkins Regional Park, starts at 6:30 P.M.
Prince George’s County Art Reception at the Maryland General Assembly


On Tuesday, March 21st, Delegate Nick Charles and I hosted the Prince George's County Art Reception in the House of Delegates in Annapolis. Stuart Diekmeyer (above), the Visual Arts Specialist at The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, curated this reception to acknowledge the artists who created the beautiful art pieces which align the walls of the House of Delegates, and to share the talent within Prince George's County. Each artist pointed out their art and shared the meaning of various symbols within their artwork, as well as their motivation behind making the piece. It was a wonderful community event that helped give these talented artists a greater platform to share their work, and it brought many members of the House of Delegates together with their constituents to learn about their visions for the future.


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
The City of Hyattsville is pleased to offer the Hyattsville Educational Path Scholarship Program to support Hyattsville High School seniors and graduates in their pursuit of post-secondary education and career paths! The deadline to apply for the scholarship program is now extended until April 7, 2023. For more information, click here to read more and complete the application.
Emanon’s, Inc. is still accepting applications from high school seniors in the DMV area for their scholarship program, with the deadline now extended to April 15, 2023. Click here to read more and to complete the application.
If you are in Greenbelt and need financial assistance for post-secondary education, you are in luck! The Greenbelt Education Scholarship Grant is intended to assist high school seniors and current college students from Greenbelt affected by COVID-19 seeking to further their education. The deadline has now been extended to June 15, 2023. For more information, click here to read more and complete the application. Click here to review the scholarship guidelines.
Article of the Week

Hyattsville has taken extra steps to ensure that its residents and neighbors have access to fresh, locally grown green vegetables. They have two year-round food forests, which are pesticide-free, planned gardens that have a variety of shrubs, herbs, perennial berries, and fruit and nut trees that are all safe to eat. Anyone is welcome to visit and harvest their own organic vegetables, either at the Emerson Street Food Forest or the McClanahan Food Forest (intersection of Oliver Street and Jamestown Road). Click here for more information on what vegetables are available and how you can volunteer to maintain the food forests.
Community Events
Gaywood Elementary School Shoe Drive
Stop by Gaywood Elementary School from now until June 1st, 2023 to donate any unwanted new shoes you have for a greater cause! See the flyer below for more details about the location and drop-off instructions.

Community Remembrance in Honor of Mr. Thomas Juricks
Prince George's County aspires to honor and properly remember the life of Mr. Thomas Juricks, whose life was taken too soon in our home county back in 1869 due to the horrors of racial terror lynching. The Community Remembrance Event is to accept the truth of how our system never gave him or his family proper justice for what happened, remember his life, and keep ourselves accountable for creating a more equitable future in Prince George's County. See the flyer below for more details.

Hispanic Latino Business Reception
Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, MD is hosting a Hispanic Latino Business Reception on Tuesday, April 25th! This reception is to celebrate the start of a Latina Endowment starting at the high school. Check it out to learn more about how to support the advancement of the Hispanic community in Prince George's County. See the flyer below for more details.

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 increÃble 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. Due to the reduction in cases, the COVID-19 testing sites in Prince George's County are closing down.
Click here to learn when the testing sites are closing, find your center, and get tested as soon as possible.
Read here to learn how to obtain at-home test kits and vaccinations.
Resources
Redefining Public Safety
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.
Water Bill Assistance

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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