July 2026 Newsletter

“The luminous, mycelial tethers between us, our fundamental connection to one another, the raft through the sorrow, the holding through the grief joy is, reminds us, again and again, that we belong not to an institution or a party or a state or a market, but to each other. Needfully so.”

– Ross Gay, Poet and Author

We’re proud to introduce the newest member of The Collaborative: Changemaker, Inc.!

Changemaker is focused on disruptive equity through advocacy, education, and community building. They believe true progress happens when we stop asking for permission to turn someday into right now. Learn more about Changemaker and their mission!

Interested in Becoming a Member? 

The Bucks-Mont Collaborative serves as a catalyst for connection and collaboration, providing a learning hub for timely training & professional development, as well as an active advocacy network. Our programs run from September 2026 to June 2027, featuring approximately 50 events throughout the year. Member organizations – including staff, board members, volunteers, and other stakeholders – are invited and welcome to attend all events! Explore the 2026-27 Membership Flyer to discover the benefits and resources available to help your organization thrive.

A Collaborative Membership fuels shared learning, collaboration, and collective impact that contribute to a stronger community. We hope you’ll join us!

Tell Your State Senator: Support Paid Family and Medical Leave!

Let’s get The Family Care Act passed in PA! This bipartisan legislation would create a paid family and medical leave program for the 4+ million PA workers currently uncovered. Learn more at familycareact.com.

Please contact your state senator and ask them to support The Family Care Act. Thank you to Children First for this form to send a quick but powerful message that paid family leave is essential and needed now!

NOVA | Smarter Parents, Safer Kids: 2 Summer Opportunities!

• Wed., July 15, 12:00-2:00pm, and Tues., Aug. 18, 2:00-4:00pm
• Virtual
• Register for the July 15 Session or the August 18 Session

Open and honest communication is key to protecting your child from sexual abuse, but these conversations can be tricky to navigate.

Parents and caregivers will learn:

• Strategies to protect children from abuse
• Healthy sexual development throughout childhood
• How to tackle tough conversations with your child
• Small, easy steps to create a safer environment

For questions or more information, contact: Jamie Pfister, Training Coordinator,  [email protected].

Kids Art Camps at Montco SAAC!

Sign up for kids’ art camps at Montco SAAC: 2 options available!

• Play with Clay: Starts July 13, 9:00-11:30am and 9:00am-12:30pm
• Acrylic Painting on Canvas: Starts July 13, 12:30-2:30pm

3 scholarship options are available! Learn more and share.

Family Service Association of Bucks County | Motherhood Support Group

Join the Family Service Motherhood Support Group, a welcoming space to connect, share, and grow alongside other parents in community! This group is open to all mothers and female caregivers and will meet at the Langhorne Office on Mondays.

For more information, please contact Emily Potts at (267) 988-1665 or [email protected].

Family Service Association of Bucks County | Girls Empowerment Group

Family Service is offering a Girls Empowerment Group for teens ages 14-18 in Quakertown. This supportive space focuses on building confidence, self-esteem, and healthy relationships!

To learn more or register, contact Gianna Speranza at (484) 963-0104 or [email protected].

“More Good Days Together”

July is Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Named in honor of teacher, author, advocate, and journalist Bebe Moore Campbell, this month is a time to focus on the unique strengths and challenges that Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) face when it comes to mental health.

Culture, ethnicity, and race all play a large role in the way that each person experiences the world and in the types of mental health support they may need. Learn more and gain resources!

Jefferson Health and Woods System of Care | Skin Cancer Screening and Prevention Webinar

• Wed., July 8. 12:00-1:00pm
• Virtual
• Register Here!

Protect yourself from the summer sun and learn about skin cancer screening and prevention!

NAMI | Pathways to Hope 2026

• Sat., Aug. 22 to Sun. Aug. 23
• Virtual
• Learn More and Register Here

Join this year’s gathering where faith, community, and mental health come together to reduce stigma and strengthen hope!

Led by 22 NAMI State Organizations and Affiliates, on August 21-22, 2026, Pathways to Hope brings together national keynote speakers, locally curated workshops, and faith-rooted insights from across the country.

Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Task Force | Symposium: Suicide Prevention for At-Risk Populations

• Wed., Oct. 21, 8:00am-4:00pm
• Cedarbrook Country Club, Blue Bell, PA
• Register Here

The Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Task Force is hosting its first annual symposium, “Suicide Prevention for At-Risk Populations.” Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Professionals, Educational and Counseling Staff, and other Community Advocates are invited to attend this informative session. CEUs will be provided free of charge by Gwynedd Mercy University Bachelor of Social Work Program and Act 48 credit by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. In addition to the educational component, meals and snacks are included along with great networking opportunities!

PA Navigate Training Available by BCHIP

Don’t miss the chance to learn how to master this resource for yourself and others. Learn more at bchip.org.

BCHIP | Advance Care Planning: When to Review?

Review BCHIP’s flyer with recommendations on when to review your Advance Card Planning documents.

Intersect Town Halls: Ideas into Action

Do you have a creative idea to help your homeless or housing insecure neighbors? Intersect town halls are here to help discuss your ideas, get feedback and support, and champion the work that you are doing! Alone you can go fast, but together we can go far.

Join for one of their upcoming town halls either virtually or in person:

• Virtual: Thurs., July 9, from 7:00-8:30pm
  Register for Virtual Session
• In-person: Fri., July 10, from 8:30-10:00am
  Register for In-person Session

Bucks County Opportunity Council | Making an Impact in our Region!

The Bucks County Opportunity Council helps low-income residents of Bucks County remove obstacles, achieve their goals, and become self-sufficient.

We love this highlight video from their 2026 Economic Self-Sufficiency Graduation. View to feel inspired, and get involved!

“I reminded myself why I started. I was building a different future for my children.” – Graduate

SUN Bucks for Kids

Let’s keep our kids nourished and ready to thrive this summer with SUN Bucks. Eligible PA families can receive $120 per child to help purchase healthy groceries while school is out of session.

These benefits can help stretch household food budgets and ensure children continue to have access to nutritious meals throughout the summer months. Learn more about eligibility, benefits, and how the program works!

My Money: A New PA Resource

The PA Department of Banking and Securities has launched My Money, a new online resource that brings together financial education materials, fraud prevention information, and consumer assistance resources in one place.

The site offers guidance on topics ranging from higher education and homeownership to retirement and unexpected financial challenges, while helping Pennsylvanians recognize, avoid, and report scams and fraud. Learn more!

SPARK Senior Centers of MontCo | Special Programs

Check out and share these special programs happening in July at SPARK Senior Centers of MontCo!

• Harleysville July Special Programs
• Lansdale July Special Programs

Farmers Market Voucher Program

The Farmers Market Voucher Program provides eligible seniors with food vouchers that can be used at participating local Farmers Markets.

Montgomery County residents who are 60 years or older and have a household income that does not exceed $29,526 for one person and $40,034 for two persons are eligible to receive $25 in farmers market food vouchers.

Learn more to complete the application! Seniors may pick up a paper copy of the application at the Generations front desk M-F, 9:30am-3:30pm.

The application must be sent to Montgomery County and the vouchers will be mailed to your address. You may mail or email the application on your own, or Generations can help you to email the application.

Questions? Call Emily Filice, Social Services Coordinator: 215-723-1930.

MontCo HHS Budget Hearings | Listen, Share, Inform

• Tues. July 7, 3:30pm-4:30pm (Hybrid Meeting), Wed., July 8, 3:00-4:00pm (Virtual Meeting)
• HealthSpark Foundation, Colmar, PA
• Register for Hybrid Meeting
• Register for Virtual Meeting

These hearings are an opportunity for residents, service providers, and community partners to provide feedback on how HSBG funds are used to support critical services such as mental health, housing assistance, drug and alcohol programs, and supports for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Join to listen, share, and inform!

Haverford College | Join this July Democracy Summer Series!

• Every Thursday in July, 12:00-1:15pm
• Zubrow Commons
  Floor 2, KINSC,
  370 Lancaster Ave.
  Haverford, PA 19041
• Register Here

MontCo Black Author & Business Expo

• Sat., Aug. 22. 10:00am-3:00pm
• Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (Hall D), Oaks, PA
• Learn More and Register Here

This August, be part of history as Montgomery County proudly launches its first-ever Black Author & Business Expo in celebration of Black Business Month 2026!

All are invited in uplifting and celebrating the creativity, innovation, resilience, and contributions of Black authors, entrepreneurs, and community resources. Centered on the theme, “Stories. Innovation. Legacy. Impact.”, this dynamic event will immerse attendees in diverse cultures, powerful literature, inspiring stories, unique products, valuable business resources, and meaningful community connections.

Whether you join as a vendor or attendee, you’ll have the opportunity to learn, connect, support local black businesses, and help build a more inclusive and thriving Montgomery County community!

Expressive Path’s Annual Arts & Music Festival

• Sat., Sept. 12, 10:00am-4:00pm
• Elmwood Park Zoo, Norristown
• Register Here

Join this fun-filled day featuring live music, delicious food, and family-friendly activities. Celebrate arts, music, and creativity in our community! Learn more!

BCOC is Hiring!

Bucks County Opportunity Council is hiring for a Rapid Rehousing Coach and Reentry Stability Coach. Learn more and apply at bcoc.org/join-team-bcoc.

Manna on Main Street is Hiring!

Advancement and External Relations Manager | As part of Manna’s Advancement Team, the Advancement and External Relations Manager will:

1. Develop and implement a comprehensive donor stewardship plan;
2. Oversee external relations such as Manna’s Race to End Hunger and other local community events;
3. Manage external communications to a diverse set of stakeholders; and
4. Lead special projects that advance Manna’s mission and capacity.

Learn more, share, and/or apply! Questions about the position can be addressed to Sheldon Good at [email protected].

MontCo Volunteer Boards and Commissions

Montgomery County is looking for residents willing to use their skills and experience to drive positive changes in MontCo by serving on their volunteer boards and commissions. There are currently openings on the:

• Food Policy Council
• Higher Education and Health Authority

Learn more, share, and/or apply!

Pa. leaders and service providers brace for late budget as deadline passes for sixth year in a row.

Lawmakers blew past the state’s June 30 constitutional deadline to approve a new spending plan Tuesday, marking the latest in a string of delayed budgets, as Gov. Josh Shapiro and legislative leaders continue negotiations over a package worth more than $53 billion.” Read more.

HUD FY26 Continuum of Care NOFO Impact and Suit Filed

On June 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) acted to reduce what the National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates to be at least $1.23 Billion in available funding for housing formerly homeless people, many of whom are families with children, have health conditions, disabilities, or are older adults. Simultaneously, the agency announced a resource rebalancing that would disadvantage some major cities and other communities with high per capita rates of homelessness. The number of people experiencing homelessness is likely to increase as many people lose their housing and future housing opportunities decrease.

HUD announced these policy shifts by issuing its Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY2026 Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Competition. The CoC Program is the largest federal source of resources to address homelessness. Communities across the country rely on the funding they receive through the CoC Program’s regular competitive process. While the NOFO contains numerous harmful components, it drastically reduces funding to CoCs through two primary mechanisms:

1) Significantly reducing funds for existing permanent housing to fund more temporary programs. The Alliance estimates this change will put at least  97,000 residents of CoC-funded permanent housing at risk of losing their housing. Importantly, this is a low-end estimate. The immediate impacts will be compounded over time as permanent housing programs are defunded, and many more people are denied housing opportunities that would have ended their homelessness.

What does this potentially mean for PA?

• 67% of permanent housing beds in PA are funded by the CoC program.
• PA uses 87% of its federal funding for permanent housing programs.

By dramatically altering this funding, HUD’s NOFO may cause 5,148 people to lose housing due to the loss of $59,334,761 in funding for permanent housing programs.

2) Capping the amount of “bonus funding” that CoCs can receive for new projects. The Alliance estimates that this will cause a subset of communities with higher rates of homelessness to lose access to approximately $92,864,400. Though small in number, these CoCs currently represent 322,102 people experiencing homelessness or 43% of the total unhoused population.

On June 22, 2026, a coalition of nonprofit organizations and local governments filed suit challenging the legality of these changes, building off of an ongoing case related to similar changes proposed in a December 2025 CoC NOFO that was stayed by the courts. Thank you to the Alliance and Housing Alliance of PA for these updates. Read more, and stay active!

CCATE and HealthSpark Foundation | Community Assembly Report

CCATE and HealthSpark Foundation are proud to share a Community Assembly Report that captures the findings of a February 2026 convening that brought together community members, allies, and individuals from many spaces including academia, public safety, philanthropy, and more.

The report captures community priorities, shared reflections, and key takeaways from the gathering. It also includes in-depth data and findings from a bilingual questionnaire, administered in English and Spanish, offering insight into how community members are feeling and where they see opportunities for change. Read the report and stand in solidarity!

Beyond the Glass Cliff: Investing in Conditions That Sustain Women of Color Leadership

The report introduces a new framework for understanding leadership sustainability through three interconnected pillars: Funding the Work, Funding the Ecosystem, and Funding the Future. Sustainable leadership requires investment across all three.

At a time when many institutions are reevaluating their equity commitments, Beyond the Glass Cliff challenges philanthropy to move beyond symbolic support and invest in the material conditions that allow women of color leaders—and the organizations they lead—to endure. Read the report.

National Low Income Housing Coalition | Newly-Released 2025 National Renter Survey Report

The U.S. has 46 million renter households. Nearly half are cost-burdened, and 26% are severely cost-burdened.

The shortage of affordable rents is not the only challenge facing low-income renters. The 2025 National Renter Survey provides renters’ under-explored experiences and perspectives, offering national findings on moving decisions, housing costs, experiences with housing assistance, accessibility needs, and habitability concerns.

Read the newly-released (June 2026) 2025 National Renter Survey report!

Take the Bike Montco Survey!

Help shape the future of biking in Montco! Whether you ride a bike, e-bike, scooter—or are just getting started—your feedback will help guide the updated on-road bicycle plan. Share your feedback!

7 Practices for Successful Meetings

“Your team has never been taught to run a meeting, and it shows.

New research shows that 11 million meetings happen every day in the United States. On average, we spend 28% of our work time in meetings. For many of us, it’s significantly more than that — this week, I’ll spend over 50% of my hours in meetings; next week, it’s even more.

The topics of these many meetings are often in our professional wheelhouses: We know how to discuss sales strategies, share revenue numbers, or plot a change effort.

What we don’t know is how to run a meeting.” Read more, including seven practices for successful meetings.

Thank you to the Catalyst Center for Nonprofit Management for sharing this article!

Empowering Faith Leaders to Support Survivors of Abuse

• Wed., July 22, 1:00-3:30pm
• Jenkintown Community Center, 444 York Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046
• Learn More and Register Here!

Faith leaders are often the first people survivors turn to. This free, interactive 2.5-hour training empowers interfaith leaders with the tools to recognize sexual assault and abuse, respond with confidence and compassion when someone discloses, and connect survivors with the resources they need. Includes hands-on practice and guidance for supporting caregivers of children who have experienced abuse.

This program is presented by the Victim Services Center of Montgomery County in partnership with the Montgomery County Multi-Faith Coalition.

BLBB Charitable | Leading Nonprofit Teams through Values-Aligned AI Integration

• Tue., July 28, 11:00am-12:30pm
• Zoom
• Learn More and Register!

In a moment of significant pressure and uncertainty, AI offers a unique opportunity for nonprofits to sustain their impact and avoid staff burnout—if harnessed thoughtfully. But only 9% of nonprofits feel ready to adopt AI responsibly.

This session will explore what it takes to lead nonprofits teams from skepticism to enthusiastic and responsible integration of AI tools. We’ll tackle ethical questions and common misconceptions, walk through change management frameworks for sustainable adoption, and dive into live demos to spotlight best practices for use of AI in nonprofit work.

Thank you to BLBB Charitable for hosting this free training!

Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) Convenings

Whether you are a seasoned expert or just beginning to explore the trauma-informed movement, CTIPP has a space tailored for you.

• Community of Practice (COP) (First Wednesday of the month): This offering is for practitioners and professionals who are already using, or wish to integrate, trauma-informed policies and practices into their work. It is a premier space to network, share best practices, engage with peers, and expand both your personal skills and your organization’s impactful reach.
• Community Action Network (CAN) (Third Wednesday of the month): If you are eager to learn more about the trauma-informed field, this educational forum is for you. Open to anyone, these calls feature insights from industry leaders, experts, and individuals with lived experience, while highlighting tangible opportunities for you to get more involved.

These gatherings begin in September 2026 – Learn more!

Intersect Team at Access Services | Spiritual First Aid Training

Spiritual First Aid is a spiritually-informed, evidence-informed and trauma-informed training program that teaches a framework for providing spiritual and emotional care, offered through courses, workshops, and resource packs by the Spiritual First Aid Academy. Learn more about the Spiritual First Aid model.

Intersect is the authorized regional facilitator of Spiritual First Aid. Trainings are being given in the greater Philadelphia area during the summer. Learn more, and/or contact the Intersect team at Access Services to request a training: [email protected].