The Montgomery County Council passed a resolution approving $7.7 million to help nonprofit organizations that provide food, housing and mental health services.

The Montgomery County Council passed a resolution approving $7.7 million to help nonprofit organizations that provide food, housing and mental health services.

Before voting to approve the use of county reserves, the council heard from a number of nonprofit leaders at a meeting on Tuesday morning.

Quincy Inman Scarborough, with Cornerstone Montgomery, which supports adults with housing, recovery and behavioral health, told the council the need to address mental health is critical.

“When mental health destabilizes, everything around it feels the impact — families, schools, workplaces, hospitals and the broader public sector all absorb this fallout,” he said.

The effects of the government shutdown and federal reductions in force have created a ripple effect throughout the community, Robin Yasinow, a volunteer with National Alliance on Mental Illness in Montgomery County, told the council.

“People are worried about paying their bills. They talk about what it’s like to lose a job for the first time, and they’re very worried about having food access,” Yasinow said.

Jen Schiller, CEO of the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, held up a small rock, an item given to her as a gift by a client who had lived in a tent and found housing with the help of the coalition.

“It reminds me of all the people who may not be in this room with us, but whose lives quite literally depend on the choices made here,” Schiller said.

The council’s action “sends a message to every resident in Montgomery County that they are not alone,” said Craig Rice, a former Montgomery County Council member and Maryland state delegate who now serves as the CEO of Manna Food Center.

As the council voted, Council President Kate Stewart said, “We did this with intentionality, but quickly. We had the public hearing today and the action so that we could make sure that the money was sent out as soon as possible to members of our community.”

“The need is great, and we need to take action now,” Stewart said.

Nearly half of the $7.7 million targets food assistance for nonprofits that provide direct aid in the form of groceries and meals to area residents.

Another $2.5 million is intended to cover a gap in federal funding, while $1 million goes to short term housing.

Programming for LGBTQ+ services and money to expand local business development will get $500,000 each.

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