Food Forest Celebration: This Saturday! 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

I love everything about the “Food Forest” growing at Montgomery College’s Takoma Park campus.  Join me this Saturday, July 12th, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm to learn more about it.

You can tour the Food Forest, get your hands dirty (if you want), and learn about the role of food forests in sustainability, climate action, and community resilience. Also, snacks and fun people!  Kids are especially welcomed and encouraged to check it out.

The Food Forest movement emphasizes growing food in a more sustainable and ecologically-balanced way.  A variety of ground covers, shrubs, and trees are planted together with the goal of producing delicious and nutritious food available to anyone who comes by—to allow both nature and humanity to thrive.  Win-win-win!

Register here so we know you are coming and to receive updates about the Food Forest.

Big Devastating, Destructive Bill

Massive tax cuts for billionaires; Medicaid cuts that will lead to suffering, death, and decimate portions of our health infrastructure; SNAP cuts that will take food from hungry children; energy policy that will hasten our global climate crisis and increase electricity prices; a massive increase in ICE funds to increase the lawlessness, abductions, and brutality of the current administration; an unfathomable increase in our national debt that will lead to an increase in the cost of living for everyday people… 900 pages of cruel madness. 

The U.S. has never fully lived up to its ideals, but through people’s movements we have made progress towards them. The Bill just passed by the Republicans—and the cult of personality that party is now built on—represents a huge backwards slide.  

But we are not done, nor are we done for. 

History reminds us of what we must do in times like these.  We:

• organize, 

• resist in public ways,

• connect with our community, 

• take care of each other, and

• never stop striving towards a more perfect union.

In Maryland, state agencies and legislators are analyzing and discussing the impacts on Medicaid and SNAP for our state and what we can do to minimize the harm. I am already deep in conversation with folks from the renewables industry, environmental justice groups, unions, and others to decide what steps forward on climate justice might be here in Maryland. 

I will continue to share information about our policy efforts, ways to help and get help in our community, and opportunities for public acts of resistance. 

Speaking of…  put Thursday, July 17th on your calendar.  Join me for a “Good Trouble Lives” event on another National Day of Protest. As we did at the “No Kings” event, we will be lining Colesville Road with signs during evening rush hour.  This time we will also gather for a potluck dinner afterwards. Stay tuned for more details.

Water Bill Assistance  

WSSC’s “Get Current” temporary water bill assistance program has been extended until October 31, 2025, and enhanced. The program helps eligible customers with a delinquent balance by offering forgiveness of a portion of their balance and waiving 100 percent of late payment charges and turn-on fees.  More information here.

Power in the Park Resources

I have updated my website with new information about the resources we highlighted at my recent Power in the Park resource fair.  Look and learn here!

New Email Address

I have a new official state email address.  Use it to receive the same great constituent services: Lorig.Charkoudian@house.maryland.gov.  The previous address will continue to forward emails for a few more months.

Need Help on a State Issue?

If you need help with a state issue, please contact my office at Lorig.Charkoudian@house.maryland.gov or leave us a message at (410)-841-3423.

Onward, 

Lorig Charkoudian