MARYLAND, February 18 - For Immediate Release: Friday, February 18, 2022

The Boosterama Event in Westfield Wheaton Mall will also be a topic of discussion in this week’s edition

ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 18, 2022 — The featured guests on this week’s En Sintonía con el Concejo del Condado de Montgomery (In Tune with the Montgomery County Council) will include Jessica Garcia, client assistance specialist, Family Justice Center; Tania Alfaro, newcomers coordinator, Department of Health and Human Services; Oscar Alvarenga, newcomers transition coordinator, Department of Health and Human Services; and Dr. Cesar Palacios, executive director of the Montgomery County Language Minority Health Project (MCLMHP Inc.) Proyecto Salud Clinic. The show will air today at 2 p.m. on Radio America (WILC 900AM).

The social isolation individuals are experiencing because of Covid-19 has also caused many victims of domestic violence to suffer in silence. The pandemic has increased incidents of child abuse, partner violence and elder abuse. According to the State’s Attorney’s Office, during the period of virtual learning, reports of child abuse have drastically declined, in many instances, due to victims being isolated at home with their abuser. When students returned to the classrooms for in-person learning, reports of abuse spiked. We will begin this week’s program with a discussion about the variety of services offered by the Montgomery County Justice Family Center, which assists and advocates on behalf of victims of abuse. Jessica García, client assistance specialist, will provide more information on the bilingual assistance available and the support that is given to victims of domestic abuse at no cost.

The second part of the show will focus on the initiative “Bienvenidos - Aquí para ti”, a program designated to help immigrant families led by Montgomery County Government, Montgomery County Public Schools, and community service providers. Tania Alfaro and Oscar Alvarenga from the Department of Health and Human Services will discuss the resources available to newcomers. These include assistance in a variety of languages to enroll migrant children in the school district and legal assistance.

Lastly, the show will conclude with a discussion of the County’s second Boosterama event. This Saturday, February 19 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. the Latino Health Initiative Salud y Bienestar will host a Covid-19 booster vaccination clinic at Westfield Wheaton Mall. Free N95 masks and rapid test distribution kits will also be distributed.

The Montgomery County Council and Radio America have entered a partnership that provides the Latino community with key information on issues and programs. The partnership also provides a forum for residents to express their views and ask questions. The partnership includes the weekly one-hour show each Friday on the Washington metropolitan area’s most popular Spanish language station.

Each week, the show features host Marcela Rodriguez, Council program manager and public information officer, and guests talking about important issues before the Council and provides information about programs offered by the County to help residents.

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Release ID: 22-078 Media Contact: Marcela Rodriguez, 240-777-7807 , Lucia Jimenez 240-777-7832