For Immediate Release: Friday, May 22, 2020
Guests will share information about food and financial assistance, summer activities, the federal public charge rule, benefits provided by the Social Security Administration and more
ROCKVILLE, Md., May 22, 2020—Diana Tato, program manager, Food Security Plan, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); Diana Varela, spokesperson for the Social Security Administration (SSA); Carmen Berrios, spokesperson for Montgomery Recreation; and Silverio Coy, immigration attorney, 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). Ms. Tato will share information about programs administered by DHHS and the County’s nonprofit partners to provide food assistance to County families. Ms. Varela will discuss the SSA benefits that family members of individuals who have passed away due to Covid-19 may qualify to receive.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service has announced that testing, treatment and preventative care for Covid-19 will not be considered in the public charge test. Mr. Coy will discuss the implementation of the federal public charge rule during the Covid-19 crisis and how residents can access County legal resources without their immigration status being impacted.
Covid-19 is also impacting many of the summertime activities that residents and families normally participate in. Ms. Berrios will share an update about the status of Montgomery Recreation programs, including summer camps and other activities.
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.