The Village of Takoma Park is now ready to receive requests and volunteers for small home repairs and accessibility modifications for senior homeowners in Takoma Park as part of the “Aging In Place” Grant Program.

Here’s how to get started: 

Grant Requirements

• Must be a member of the Village of Takoma Park to  recieve services.
• Eligibility: Must be 55 and older and reside in the City of Takoma Park or zip code 20912.
• Become a Member:  Call 301-646-2109 to ask about Village of Takoma Park membership
• This grant covers materials for repairs and accessibility modifications for senior homeowners in Takoma Park
• Maximum amount of $1,500

Volunteer

Volunteers are essential to the success of the Village of Takoma Park. Volunteers must:

1. Be age 18 and older
2. Complete a criminal background check and, if interested in driving, a check of driving record

For more information about receiving small home repair services or volunteering, please visit:

• Village of Takoma Park website. 

For more information about the Aging in Place Grant, please visit:

• Grant announcement blog on City Website. 

Takoma Park City TV Mobile Application is Live

You can now stream City TV 24/7 at home or on your mobile device with the official Takoma Park City TV mobile app. Now available for download at the following locations:

• Android Mobile; first visit – download free app
• Apple TV & iOS; first visit – download free app
• Roku; first visit – create a free account
• Fire TV; first visit – download the free app

Watch live Council Meetings, Arts and Humanities Performances, PSA’s and much more on the new City TV app!

Just A Reminder! The sale of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers became illegal in Takoma Park as of July 1, 2024. Montgomery County has the same law in place.

• This is the first step in the City’s efforts to reduce the noise and pollution put out by gas powered leaf blowers.
• These blowers cause negative health effects for residents and workers.
• Discontinuing their use will improve public health, safety, and quality of life in Takoma Park.
•  Montgomery County has a rebate program in place to assist with the purchase of electric powered leaf blowers.

Both the City and Montgomery County will enact a law effective July 1, 2025 that bans the use of gas powered leaf blowers.

In July 2024, the City of Takoma Park was awarded a $26,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Aging’s “Aging In Place” Grant Program. With a City contribution, $30,000 will be available to cover materials and supplies.

Funds will be used to support the Village of Takoma’s Small Home Repair Program. The City’s Code Enforcement Division will work with the volunteers of the Village of Takoma to underwrite the cost of:

1. Materials for repairs and accessibility modifications for senior homeowners in Takoma Park
2. Village membership dues for those for whom that expense is a hardship

Because this program requires Village membership, residents who become members primarily for home maintenance assistance also become integrated into the larger network, with access to the social events and educational opportunities that are part of the Village experience.

The Village has a team of volunteers who perform repairs and modifications for Village members, with members responsible for the cost of materials. Underwriting the cost of construction materials and accessibility aids will remove the barrier of members needing to cover those sometimes costly expenses themselves. Expanding the reach of this program helps ensure that older residents are living in homes that are not only safe but meet their changing needs.

This engagement will help build and strengthen ties to the greater Takoma Park community.

National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter

66th EMMY® AWARDS

NOMINEES & RECIPIENTS

Please join CityTV and our Communications Department in congratulating Bienvenido (Bien) Martinez on his Emmy nomination in Category #56B Societal Concerns—Long-form content (longer than 15 minutes) for his camera work.

We are so excited to announce that on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at the 66th Emmy Awards, Bienvenido (Bien) Martinez was awarded the Emmy for his camera work on the documentary Línea Directa—Peligro del Fentanilo—Entrevista con Elena Suárez.

The documentary is a heartbreaking story of one family’s unwanted journey into the Fentanyl world, a teenager’s overdose, and the devasting consequences and the loss of their daughter that will impact the entire family for the rest of their lives!

You can see the video on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udMYQAGiDjg

Background:

CityTV has partnered with the production of Linea Directa. Linea Directa is one of the oldest local TV shows that deals with topics that affect the Hispanic Community. The shows air on Telemundo and our City of Takoma Park TV channels.

In this partnership, we collaborated in the production aspect. In the production of Línea Directa—Peligro del Fentanilo—Entrevista con Elena Suárez Bien was responsible for the camera work on this documentary.

The City of Takoma Park is pleased to announce the hiring of the first mental health counselor for a two-year pilot program to provide comprehensive mental health services to the residents of Takoma Park. Jill Larson is a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C).

Ms. Larson joins Takoma Park from the Montgomery County Crisis Center to provide mental health mobile outreach, petition evaluations, on-scene support, Domestic Violence lethality screens/referrals, on-scene grief support, training, and other resources as needed for City staff. In addition to supportive mental health resources, Ms. Larson is a current Crisis Intervention Team instructor for thought disorders and will provide in-service training and consultation for City staff enhancing the community’s overall response to mental health crises.

Before becoming a social worker, Ms. Larson spent 17-years as a Police Officer in Minnesota. Her experience includes working in the human and sex trafficking units, negotiations, investigations liaison, and as a Field Training Officer.

Ms. Larson is looking forward to providing mental health services to the residents of Takoma Park and cultivating a supportive collaboration with all stakeholders in Takoma Park.

Ms. Larson can be reached at JillL@takomaparkmd.gov and 301.891.7149.

The pilot program is a joint collaboration between the City of Takoma Park and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. The goal of the pilot program is to put in place and evaluate a response system that focuses on diverting mental health calls for service from the police-only or police and counselor model to a counselor-only response.

This two-year pilot program is being funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and reflects the city’s commitment to compassionate community care. An additional mental health counselor is expected to join the program in the coming months.

Takoma Park City TV took home the Overall Excellence in Governmental Access and Outstanding Children’s Programming Awards

The Hometown Media Awards, organized annually by the Alliance for Community Media (ACM), celebrate and promote community media, community radio, and local cable programs distributed on Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) access cable television channels.

We are thrilled to announce that CityTV has been awarded first place in the 2024 Hometown Media Awards Competition. CityTV received the prestigious “Overall Excellence in Governmental Access” award from ACM in the $300,000 – $650,000 budget division. This award recognizes the outstanding operational activities and programming efforts of access organizations. This year, CityTV’s submission featured over 20 projects and programs.

The Hometown Media Awards honor and promote creative programs that address community needs, foster diverse community involvement, and reflect the lives of residents from various backgrounds. These awards also aim to offer viewers a unique television experience.

“We produce programs that represent the events and activities of the City, showcasing the character of Takoma Park. We are not just Takoma Park Television; we are Takoma Park on Television,” said Alvaro Calabia, CityTV Production Manager.

In addition to the Overall Excellence award, CityTV was recognized for its outstanding Children’s Programming with our submission of the Takoma Park Children’s Business Fair. We are so honored to be recognized in this category as we love to showcase our children as a vital resource of our community.

Unable to join us for our very first Tenant Forum hosted by the City of Takoma Park Housing Department? Check out a recording from the meeting!

Event Recording:

• City TV Tenant Forum Recording (Link)

Listen for a discussion on:

• Tenant laws
• Eviction Prevention
• Potential Polices
• Resources and additional information.

Visit the Housing Webpage for more information: https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/housing-and-community-development/housing/