Collaboration Council Announces Recipients of its Time Well Spent on Behalf of Montgomery’s Children Award

The Board of Directors of the Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families is honored to announce this year’s recipients of The Time Well Spent on Behalf of Montgomery’s Children Award! These awardees will be honored at our “Celebration of Partnerships” on Wednesday, November 16 at the Silver Spring Civic Center, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Our board envisions a caring community with stable families, where children are healthy, safe and ready to learn, successful in school and prepared for life. This vision requires a collective effort and the commitment of many partners at the local, state and federal levels. Join us in congratulating and thanking the following partners who are being recognized for working collaboratively every day to do their best to make this shared vision a reality for our children and families in Montgomery County.

In the Elected Official category, Congressman Chris Van Hollen was selected for his steadfast commitment to education including a variety of career pathways to success for ALL youth, his sincere understanding of the needs and the importance of fighting for our working families, and his desire to address mental health and substance abuse issues. His work at the state and federal levels have distinguished him as a champion for our children, youth and families here in Montgomery County and throughout our country.

In the Community-based Organization category, Crittenton Services of Greater Washington was selected for delivering life-changing programs for teen girls in Montgomery County for over three decades. Their goal is to give teen girls the support, knowledge, and skills they need to thrive as students and become the next generation of women leaders. Through weekly sessions focusing on the “whole girl” and out-of-school enrichment activities, program participants learn about 21st Century careers and how to recognize their gifts; build essential life skills; ; and become more confident advocates for themselves and for others. This framework is exemplified in its Excel Beyond the Bell program, 4C’ing the Future, funded through the Collaboration Council. 4C’ing has helped over 180 girls in the past five years increase their motivation to perform academically and to envision a college-going future.

In the Public Entity category, Montgomery County Bar Association/State’s Attorney’s Office, was selected for focusing on the opioid/heroin epidemic facing and killing our youth by creating a program called “Speak Up, Save a Life,” which complements the work of the Collaboration Council’s Many Voices for Smart Choices Alliance to Prevent Teen Substance Abuse. The program informs and educates parents, students, and community members about the overdose crisis, and it explains how Good Samaritan laws save lives and protect individuals who call 9-1-1 to report a drug related emergency. They have spoken to over 10,000 students and almost 2,000 parents during the 2015-2016 school year. This program is part of the Maryland Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force’s Outreach efforts.

Since 2005, this award has been presented annually to select individuals or organizations for their outstanding contribution to the mission and work of the Collaboration Council. These partners, today and yesterday, continue to work collaboratively to build brighter futures for ALL of Montgomery County’s children and families. Please help us recognize these outstanding partners by joining us on November 16 as we celebrate our partnerships! To RSVP, please visit http://tinyurl.com/jrpgtng or email alicia.church@collaborationcouncil.org.