Language
barriers are making it tough for one of the poorest communities in Montgomery
County, Maryland, to get help.
Out
of necessity, the BlackRock Center for the Arts turned its gallery space
into a distribution center to help those families in need.
Grace
Rivera-Oven is helping lead the efforts at the Upcounty Consolidation
Hub for Community Needs, known as the Germantown Hub.
“We
have fed over 1,000 families,” Rivera-Oven said. “It’s been a coalition of
coming together with different groups.”
BlackRock has partnered with The David and
Mikel Blair Family Foundation, Healthcare Initiative Foundation, Latino Health
Initiative, and Nourish Now to create greater access to essential items for
children, families and seniors impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rivera-Oven
has been focusing on bringing food, diapers, and hygiene products to a mobile
home park in the county made up of mostly immigrants. She says the crowded
neighborhood makes it difficult to social distance.
“It’s
a little bit like being in a war,” she said. “The stories that you hear. I had
a family who called who had been eating popcorn for dinner for three nights. I
had a gentleman call me who called me who’s been sleeping in his car trying to
get a test done because he has a very high-risk, months-old baby.”
In
addition to getting out food and necessities, the Germantown Hub is also
helping people overcome language barriers when trying access county
resources like testing.
“Them
understanding or being put on hold for a long time and they get desperate,” Rivera-Oven
said. “They’re trying to get some help especially food and health access.”
The
Germantown Hub is open for community needs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to
Saturday at 12901 Town Commons Drive. Donations of nonperishable food items, diapers
(infant, toddler and adult), health care kits, toilet paper and paper towels
are needed.
