Press Releases

Resources available through the Upcounty Consolidation Hub, COVID-related scams and the County’s Call-n-Ride taxi program will be the focus of “En Sintonía con el Concejo del Condado de Montgomery”, today at 2 p.m. on Radio America

For Immediate Release: Friday, March 5, 2021

Guests will explain how residents can gain access to these resources during the pandemic, and how to avoid falling victim to scams

 

ROCKVILLE, Md., Mar. 5, 2021— Grace Rivera-Oven, Director of the Upcounty Consolidation Hub at BlackRock; James de la Cruz, Representative of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation; and Lorena Bailey and Michelle Escobar, Investigators of the Department of Consumer Protection, will be the featured guests on this week’s En Sintonía con El Concejo del Condado de Montgomery (In Tune with the Montgomery County Council), airing today at 2 p.m. on Radio America (WILC 900AM).  

To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Upcounty Consolidation Hub (The Hub), which operates in the BlackRock Center for the Arts, Ms. Rivera-Oven will discuss the work that the Hub has done over the past year to help provide essential resources to families in the County impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hub distributes food at multiple locations in the County, conducts COVID-19 tests, and connects residents to non-profits and other government agencies with helpful resources. The BlackRock Center for the Arts is a performing arts space in upper Montgomery County with the mission to provide greater access to the arts, but as a result of the pandemic, they began to offer the space to organizations and community leaders to create the Hub, thus helping provide assistance and resources the community amid the public health crisis faced by the County. Learn more about their work here.   

Mr. De la Cruz will answer questions about the County’s Department of Transportation transit services, including the COVID-19 Essential Delivery Service Guide. He will also provide essential information about how Latino cab companies in the County can be part of the program. Cruz will discuss the County’s Call-n-Ride service, which provides contactless delivery for residents ages 65 and over, or residents with disabilities, by having a taxi driver pick up and food, medicine, or other essentials. It is paid for through the Call-n-Ride government subsidy. More information on the program can be found here. 

Ms. Bailey and Ms. Escobar will provide updates on the latest COVID-related scams affecting County residents that are currently being investigated by officials in the Department of Consumer Protection, and what residents can do to prevent being targeted or falling victim to them. Some common scams related to this kind of fraud that they have seen are related to COVID-19 vaccines and tests. They will highlight the fact that no one can sell COVID-19 vaccines, and to receive a vaccine no one is required to share any personal information or immigration status.  

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 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. Lilian Mass is the show’s host. 

Each week, the show features guests talking about important issues before the Council and provides information about programs offered by the County to help residents. 

Release ID: 21-079
Media Contact: Lilian Mass 240-426-5561, Juan Jovel 240-777-7931