Resource Navigation
MoCo Pride Center provides some services onsite in Bethesda, but mostly we help with service routing: ensuring that folks who come to us with an urgent need know where to go in Montgomery County to get support. Below, you can find information on vetted support services for various needs. Click the button for what you need!
There may also be resources available to you that are not included on this website! The best thing you can do is speak to a Pride Center staff member for assistance, but this is a great place to start. Email our team at hello@mocopridecenter.org if you ever have questions about care.
Aging and Disability
Contact Aging and Disability Services at 240-777-3000 or email at ADS@montgomerycountymd.gov. Language interpretation (including ASL) is also available.
Staff provides:
Adult protective services (social workers and nurses respond)
Personal in-home care like bathing, dressing, and chore services
Access to insurance providers like Medicare and Medicaid, clinics, pharmacy assistance, and other wellness resources, plus referrals to mental health services
Short-term breaks for caregivers
Support for family caregivers in the form of education, services, and resources
Food/nutrition through the senior lunch program, home delivered meals and grocery delivery
Financial assistance that includes eligibility screenings and help completing applications
Transportation resources including discounts, escorts, and accessible transportation
Information about housing options
Referrals for adult day care, legal services, home modifications, hospice, and more
Other support resources:
Alzheimer’s Association 24-hour Helpline: 1-800-272-3900
Connect-A-Ride local transportation options: 301-738-3252
Holy Cross Caregiver Resource Center: 301-754-7152
The ARC Montgomery County — Respite Care, access supervised short term home care to allow unpaid caregivers time for errands, appointments, and self-care: 301-816-9647
Food Security
We stock Care Kits at MoCo Pride Center that include nonperishable food items and snacks that anyone is welcome to! We do ask that anyone receiving a Care Kit fills out this form on our website if they’re able and willing, so that we can follow up and ensure they’re receiving care. These forms are optional – you do not have to fill them out to receive a Care Kit.
For long-term food solutions close to the Pride Center, you can visit Bethesda Cares for prepared meals while their supplies last. Their headquarters and food distribution center is located up the road from the Pride Center at 7728 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda. They can be reached at 301-907-9244. There is another Bethesda Cares food distribution center at 5033 Wilson Lane open for an hour each weekday (12:45 – 1:45 PM M-F).
You can also check to see if you are in the service area for Nourishing Bethesda here. Book an appointment to shop at their Choice Market at 5020 Battery Lane in Bethesda by texting 301-664-4630 or emailing food@nourishingbethesda.org, or visit one of their 10 food pantry sites. You can learn more about the sites and their mission on their website: https://www.nourishingbethesda.org/.
The following website allows you to enter your address and view food resources close to you: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/get-help/food.html
For Barnesville, Clarksburg, Damascus, Dickerson, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Mount Airy, Poolesville, and Woodbine: visit the Upcounty Hub at Black Rocks Center for the Arts (www.theupcountyhub.org, 240-912-1077) at 12901 Town Commons Dr in Germantown, MD 20874.
For Rockville and Twinbrook: visit the Rockville/Twinbrook Hub at Interfaith Works (www.iworksmc.org/, 301-905-6123) at the Broome School at 751 Twinbrook Pkwy # 8 in Rockville, MD 20851.
For Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Montgomery Village: visit the Gaithersburg CARES Hub at Seneca Creek Community Church (https://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/services/community-services/gaithersburg-cares-hub, 301-793-3321) at 13 Firstfield Rd in Gaithersburg, MD 20878.
For Aspen Hill, Glenmont, Layhill, Olney, and Wheaton: visit the Mid County Hub at Harvest Intercontinental Church (www.harvestersolney.org/hub, 301-588-8099 x1120) at 16227 Batchellors Forest Rd. in Olney, MD 20832.
For Glenmont, Silver Spring, and Wheaton: visit the Mid County Hub at Hughes United Methodist Church (www.hughesumc.org/mid-county-hub, 301-949-8383) at 10700 Georgia Ave. in Wheaton, MD 20902.
For Briggs Chaney, Burtonsville, Cloverly, Colesville, Fairland, Hillandale, and White Oak: visit the East County Hub at Kingdom Fellowship AME Church (https://kgcdc.org/east-county-hub/, 301-679-1100 ext. 0508 or 301-589-0866) at 11710 Beltsville Dr. in Calverton, MD 20705.
You may be eligible for volunteer food delivery service if you live in a Montgomery County service area. Visit the following to learn more:
Bethesda Help; 301-365-2022
Damascus Help; 301-253-4100
Gaithersburg Help; 301-216-2510
Germantown Help; 301-482-1320
Olney Help; 301-774-4334 or Help@OlneyHelp.org
Rockville Help; 301-564-0800
Food and Friends; 202-269-2277, located at 219 Riggs Road in NE Washington, DC 20011
Housing Assistance
Anyone experiencing homelessness can contact the Montgomery County Diversion Center: a 24/7/365 facility that provides voluntary, short-term stabilization services to individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. Call their 24/7 crisis line for emergency placement at 240-777-4000. You can also visit the physical location at 1301 Piccard Drive, Rockville, MD 20850 — this is the centralized intake for homeless services in the county.
To get information on County homeless services and shelter resources, information about homeless programs in the county or to report the location of an individual or individuals experiencing homelessness, or situations where encampment issues are reported (handled by the Homeless Outreach Team), call the 24/7 Montgomery County Homeless Information Line at 240-907-2688 or email at outreach@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Anyone dealing with an eviction notice or a notice to vacate, can contact Housing Stabilization Services (HSS). HSS provides case management and limited financial grants to support residents at-risk of homelessness. Their services include assessment of need, emergency financial assistance, and case management to help households keep their current housing, obtain new housing, prevent utility shut-off, and restore disconnected utility services.
They are reachable at the following locations:
Mid-County DHHS Building in Rockville: 1301 Piccard Dr
DHHS Silver Spring Center: 8818 Georgia Ave
Upcounty Regional Services Center in Germantown: 12900 Middlebrook Rd
You can call 311 to be connected with HSS to request eviction prevention assistance.
Other assistance programs for adults and families include:
City of Gaithersburg Homeless Assistance Program: (301) 258-6390, 1 Wells Ave in Gaithersburg
The Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless: (301) 217-0314, 2301 Research Blvd, Suite 200 in Rockville
Shelters to contact:
Shelter at Progress Place: 8106 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (not ideal long term solution)
Interfaith Works (IW) New Leaf Shelter: 5320 Marinelli Rd, Rockville, MD 20850
IW Women’s Center at Taft: 2 Taft Court, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850
IW Women’s Center at Crabbs Branch: 16911 Crabbs Branch Way, Derwood, MD 20855
Unhoused young adults (18-24) should be directed to the MoCo Reconnect drop-in center. Newcomers are entered into their homelessness list and they continue to receive care until they’re housed.
Immigration and Legal Services
The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center can help you find food assistance, healthcare and COVID-19 testing/vaccinations, information on housing and eviction concerns, organizations that can answer questions about immigration, free or low-cost legal assistance, job training, and online English, Computer, or Citizenship Preparation classes. Call at 240-777-4940, Monday through Friday from 9 AM - 5 PM. They will help you in your language and all voicemails will be returned!
You can also visit them in Wheaton, Gaithersburg, and East County:
WHEATON
11002 Veirs Mil Road
Suite 506
Wheaton, MD 20902
GAITHERSBURG
18330 Montgomery Village Avenue
2nd Floor
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
EAST COUNTY REGIONAL SERVICE CENTER
3300 Briggs Chaney Road
Silver Spring, MD 20904
The Bar Foundation of Montgomery County offers free legal help from volunteer attorneys through the Pro Bono Program. The Pro Bono Program provides free legal services to low-income county residents in civil cases, either at a legal advice clinic or through their client intake line. You MUST be a resident of Montgomery County and meet Maryland income eligibility guidelines to qualify for free legal aid.
If you are not eligible, a representative will assist you in locating and referring you to an attorney who is well versed in the area of law needed. The Lawyer Referral Service can be reached at 301-279-9100 on Monday through Friday from 9 AM - 1 PM.
Cases handled by the Pro Bono Program include absolute divorce, separation agreements, custody, adoption/guardianship, name changes, bankruptcy, limited debt collection defense, private landlord tenant, simple change of immigration status, wills and powers of attorney. They will NOT handle emergency cases, criminal and traffic cases, social security or unemployment, public benefits, alimony/child support, or appeals.
Call the Pro Bono Program at 301-424-7651 any time from 9 AM to 3 PM on Monday through Thursday for an initial eligibility screening. You can also get free legal advice on a walk-in basis at the locations listed below:
EAST COUNTY COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER
3310 Gateshead Manor Way
Silver Spring, MD 20904
2nd and 4th Monday of each month
GAITHERSBURG LIBRARY (GILCHRIST IMMIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER)
18330 Montgomery Village Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
1st and 3rd Thursday of each month
TESS COMMUNITY ACTION CENTER
8703 Flower Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20901
1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month
WESTFIELD SOUTH BUILDING WHEATON (GILCHRIST IMMIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER)
11002 Veirs Mill Road
Suite 506
Wheaton, MD 20902
2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month
If you’ve been the victim of a scam that targets immigrants or experienced a problem with immigration services provider(s), you may also be eligible for free legal assistance through Ayuda’s Project END. Visit them at 1990 K St NW, Suite 500 in Washington, DC 20006 or email End@ayuda.com. Project END provides confidential, free services like obtaining case records, filing complaints, immigration advice, and requesting money back.
If you are worried about or in danger of being detained or deported, you can take steps to protect your children with Maryland’s new standby guardianship law. This law allows a parent to privately name a trusted adult to serve as a standby guardian to care for the parent’s minor children for a period of 6 months after the parent is detained or deported. You can find English and Spanish versions of the standby guardian form on the Maryland Courts website here (click here for Spanish). If you need help completing the form, you can call one of the following:
TESS Community Action Center Free Clinic: 240-773-8260, 240-773-8254
CASA: 1-866-765-2272
Community Legal Services: 240-391-6370
Esperanza Center: 667-600-2900
Building Hope Dundalk Support Center: 667-600-2167
If a loved one is detained or deported, you can use this link to locate someone detained by ICE: https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/search
ICE also has contact information for their facilities listed here: https://www.ice.gov/detention-facilities
You can locate their next immigration court hearing using this link: https://acis.eoir.justice.gov/en/ or by calling 1-800-898-7180
To report a raid, call the ICIRR Family Support Hotline: 1-855-HELP-MY-FAMILY (1-855-435-7693).
Job Placement
Anyone seeking job placement or employment resources can engage with WorkSource Montgomery. When you visit the Pride Center in person, a staff member can forward your information to their intake department, but be advised: WorkSource Montgomery only assists MoCo residents. Without a phone number, job opportunities are difficult, but an email is an absolute must. We can help set you up with an email address first if you do not have one.
You are also encouraged to register with the Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE), which is the gateway to all WorkSource Montgomery services. This is a state database through which you can sign up for orientations.
Once you are connected with a career advisor at WSM, you also become eligible for vocational training. WSM is able to provide $5,000 per person towards courses and certifications like this, but not college classes. SkillUp is a portal that clients can use to register for over 7,000 courses all for free.
Mental Health Crisis / Suicide
If you or someone you know is in danger of harming themselves or others, call 911 right away. In the case of threats of suicide, tell the dispatcher that there is a person at risk of suicide and ask for a mental health crisis professional if available. Call for an ambulance to avoid interacting with the police.
If you are a Montgomery County resident, you can also call the Montgomery County 24 Hour Crisis Center at 240-777-4000 for free crisis services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, or visit the Midcounty DHHS Building at 1301 Piccard Drive in Rockville (no appointment needed, but please bring your ID for proof of residency). Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams (MCOTs) provide emergency crisis evaluations for individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis. Full crisis assessments and treatment referrals are provided for all crises, including psychiatric, substance use related, and situational. The Crisis Center also has a Crisis Stabilization Unit and a Residential Crisis Services (RCS) program that provide alternatives to hospitalization for adults. There is no charge for walk-in services.
Outside of Montgomery County, you can also make use of one of these 24/7 crisis lines:
988 (National Suicide Prevention Hotline): Call, text, or chat on the website.
The Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 or text "START" to 678-678 for free, confidential support for LGBTQIA+ youth. Here is their website.
Trans Lifeline: Call 877-565-8860 for peer-to-peer support — specifically for Trans and nonbinary individuals.
The LGBT National Hotline: Call 888-843-4564 for resources, referrals, and someone to talk to.
BlackLine: Call or text 1-800-604-5841 for a 24/7 peer and crisis support primarily for members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.
SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline: Call 1-877-360-5428 for LGBT elders and caretakers to connect with friendly responders for confidential support and crisis response.
Sexual Health
For prevention of HIV, you can call 240-777-1760 or 202-431-8653 to ask about getting on PrEP, medication that when taken as prescribed has proven to be 99% effective at preventing HIV (not other STIs).
If you know or suspect that you have come into contact with HIV or an STI, visit a health center to get a full panel and confirm any positive self-tests. Visit or call to make an appointment:
DENNIS AVENUE HEALTH CENTER
2000 Dennis Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20902
240-777-1760
Parking and Directions
UPCOUNTY REGIONAL SERVICE CENTER
12900 Middlebrook Road
Germantown MD 20874
240-777-1609
Parking and Directions
Montgomery County Sexual Health & Wellness Services can provide STI treatment on a sliding fee scale based on income. No one will be turned away based on inability to pay! Call the nearest location at the numbers listed above. They treat:
HIV,
syphilis,
chlamydia, and
gonorrhea
and can refer you elsewhere for
hepatitis B vaccine and
hepatitis C treatment
Free or low-cost HIV treatment is available at Dennis Avenue Health Center – call 240-777-1869 to find out if you are eligible (address listed above for walk-ins). They also offer in-person and virtual support groups for people living with HIV. If you are newly diagnosed or it’s been a while since you’ve seen a doctor, call to be connected with care and support.
In addition to HIV care, the Dennis Avenue Health Center provides support services for people living with HIV who have an outside HIV care provider but are having trouble paying rent, affording medication, or struggling to continue HIV treatment for other reasons. Call to find out what support services are available to you. If you have more questions, we recommend you visit their FAQ page.
Substance Use and Harm Reduction
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can also call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or chat with someone online by clicking here.
Not sure what’s happening? Read more about the signs of overdose and what do, even without training, online through the Montgomery County Crisis Center.
For harm reduction services, we recommend that you visit the Montgomery County Health & Human Services Syringe Services Program. They are located at 1500 E Gude Drive in Rockville, MD 20850 and are open on Monday, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays from 10 AM - 4 PM and on Wednesdays from 1 PM - 7 PM. You can reach them by calling (240) 777-1836 or by emailing Prevention&HarmReductionMC@montgomerycountymd.gov.
The services they provide include:
Community trainings and education
Fentanyl test strips and education
Hepatitis C testing and education
HIV testing and education
Naloxone distribution and overdose education
Safe sex items
Syringe services
Wound care services
Xylazine test strips
Other services and resources provided by County programs and help provided by community-based organizations include:
24-Hour Crisis Center: 240-777-4000, 1301 Piccard Drive in Rockville
ACCESS to Behavioral Health Services: 240-777-1770
The Mental Health/Substance Use Disorder Screening and Referral program (also known as ACCESS to Behavioral Health) provides assessment and linkages for low-income persons of all ages living in Montgomery County who have no commercial insurance and who are in need of services for major mental health and/or substance abuse problems.Child and Adolescent Assessment Services: 240-777-4000
For treatment options and support, you can learn more about specific inpatient treatment centers, outpatient services and treatment, recovery residences, medication assisted treatment, support groups and education, and family/concerned other support groups online with the Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services.
We also encourage self-education around substance use in your community. You can learn more about drugs in circulation in Montgomery County and their street names online here.
Naloxone (Narcan) training is free through Montgomery County, but registration is required for any courses. Training is currently done virtually (unless you visit the Pride Center for an in-person training!), and you can register here online for an upcoming training. You will receive a free Narcan kit with your registration. For more information on requesting a speaker or a training for your group, email Prevention&HarmReductionMC@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Below, you can watch videos in different languages about how to correctly administer Narcan, even without the training:
Sign up to receive your own supply of Naloxone (Narcan) or testing strips by clicking here: https://pickupthepiecesmoco.org/harm-reduction/
Have a question about services?