Utility Moratorium: The Public Service Commission has ordered a hold on all gas/electric service terminations until June 30, 2021 for the following two groups ONLY:
1) Any customer with a signed medical certification on file with the utility.
2) Any customer who has received or been qualified to receive Office of Home Energy assistance since February 15, 2017.
See the attachment for more details.
Utility Bill Payment Help:
- Check out a video on how to keep your power on even when you are facing high utility bills.
- All utilities are offering 12-month payment plans with no down payment required. Contact your utility for more information.
- The Office of People's Counsel has created an energy assistance toolkit to help Maryland households facing utility turn-off notices. This toolkit includes videos on how to fill out the Office of Home Energy Programs application, forms, and resource guides.
For more resources, visit our website.
Free Training on helping clients pay their energy bills: OPC offers free training on client utility issues and protections to government, nonprofit, and faith based agencies. Contact me if you are interested in free training for your agency.
Utility Help for Baltimore City: Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Services, Probono Resource Center of MD and Office of People's Counsel have come together to provide remote Utility Clinics. Baltimore City residents can receive free legal advice from volunteer attorneys and from OPC staff regarding their water, gas, and/or electric bills. Attorneys will advise on issues such as unusually high or delinquent bills, bill disputes, shutoffs, and questions about financial assistance that may be available. Everything is done via phone, email, text, and mail. See the attached flyer for more information about how to connect clients to this free service. Please feel free to distribute.
Eviction Information for Tenants: Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh has released “Residential Eviction in Maryland: Information for Tenants,” to help individuals and families who will be facing eviction, particularly due to nonpayment of rent during the COVID pandemic. The guidance issued by the Attorney General’s office is intended to help residential tenants understand their rights and where to look for legal help if an eviction lawsuit is filed against them.
Tax Credit: There have been changes to the Child Tax Credit that will help many families receive advance payments starting this summer. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 expands the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for tax year 2021 only.
For tax year 2021, eligible families claiming the CTC will receive up to $3,000 per qualifying child between the ages of 6 and 17 at the end of 2021. They will receive $3,600 per qualifying child under age 6 at the end of 2021.
Advance payments of the 2021 Child Tax Credit will be made regularly from July through December to eligible taxpayers.
For more information visit the IRS website.
Student Loans: Interest and monthly payments on federally held loans are suspended through September 30, 2021. You do not need to contact your student loan servicer or take any action on your federally held student loans. For more information visit Consumer Protection Financial Bureau.
Who are your Queer and Trancestors?To Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia RiveraTo Gloria Anzaldúa and Alexa Negron LucianoTo Tony McDade and Nina PopTo those who lived and loved in time past with the hopes of times to come.
The spirituality of queernessA force field ofunconditional loveThe first flower to bloom inA post-apocalyptic heartOur claim to liberationIs in decipheringshadowsQueerness is a danceA choreography between shame and pleasureI have grown accustomed to their wandering eyesThe essence of my being ticklesTheir blushed cheeksI love unapologeticallyIn the name of the ancestors who had to love in secret
Hello i3b myUMBC community members!
As we begin to wind down from our commencement celebrations, we are actively transitioning to plan for the 2021-2022 calendar and would appreciate your insights!
By taking our ten-minute "End of Semester Survey (sp’21)" survey you will assist our team in planning for the upcoming academic year. Your thoughts on topics, suggestions for events, program delivery, and insights on building connections will ensure that we are creating a semester calendar with you in mind. If you have any questions about this survey or our work, please do not hesitate to contact us at i3b@umbc.edu.
As a thank you for completing this survey, five participants who complete the survey by Wednesday, June 10th by noon will be randomly selected to receive a special i3b giveaway box! Giveaway entry is completely optional and will be mailed out by Tuesday, June 15th.
You can access the survey by clicking this hyperlink or copying and pasting it into your browser: https://umbc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cGWQvDwBBU9RWTA ]]>Reposting on behalf of We Believe You Student Org. They are looking for new leaders for the 2021-22 academic year! The original post can be found here.
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It's that time of year again to start the process for Elections 2021-2020!
The following positions are up for election:
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Project Coordinator
Advertising Manager
If you wish to run for an admin position, check out our current positions and complete the following Google Form by 11:59pm est. on Monday, May 24, 2021. Descriptions for each of the executive positions are provided within the form. Once the May 24th deadline has passed, we will post the candidates' information and everyone will have a chance to vote during the official voting period which will be held May 25 - May 29, 2021.
Note: President, Vice President, and Treasurer are all mandatory positions for student organization renewal. If you are unsure at this time whether you are eligible for a position on the We Believe You Executive Board, we encourage you to still complete and submit an application. All applicants will have the opportunity to meet with a current executive board officer to discuss their application and/or answer any questions regarding the e-board positions and assigned duties/roles.
For this election, we will be following and closely adhering to the recommendations provided by the Virtual Elections Guidelines from 2020, as well as guidance provided during the Mandated Annual Round Table for student organization officers.
What’s New? For this spring election, we will be trying something new which will include connecting with each candidate via phone/video conference and conducting a short 20-25min interview. If this is something you are not comfortable with, please indicate that on the application and we will find another way to connect with you that is accommodating to your preferences.
We want to extend our deepest appreciation for your patience during this adjustment period and hope to secure the best accessible route for voting as possible during remote instruction. If you have any questions about the election application or further inquiries regarding We Believe You, please email us at webelieveyou.umbc@gmail.com.Note: Email response time is typically 12-48 hours.
We wish everyone a very safe and happy summer break! We hope to see you back on campus very soon.
Take Care and Happy Elections!
We Believe You Team
About Us: We Believe You is a UMBC student activist and advocacy group for survivors of sexual violence, interpersonal/ relationship violence, and/or power-based violence. We welcome all survivors and allies so long as they respect survivors and their truths.
]]>REGISTRATION LINK: tinyurl.com/leadershipblueprint2021
STIs can be transmitted between partners through:
Vaginal sex
Anal sex
Oral sex
Since we’re still in a Pani (aka the COVID-19 Pandemic), its best to:
Have solo sex (aka masturbation)
Have sex with partner(s) that have been living with you
Have sex if you and your partner(s) have been fully vaccinated.
Sex should be pleasurable AND safe! Let’s discuss how you can make informed decisions that protect yourself and your partners—all while keeping the thrill in sex.
There are three types of STIs— bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections. Bacterial infections can be cured with antibiotics. Bacterial infections include
The “Big 4,” or the viral infections, that cannot be cured but are treatable with medication include
Lastly, parasitic infections like trichomoniasis, or “trich,” spread through small hosts called parasites. These can be cured with antibiotics.
To protect yourself and your partners from STIs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex, use condoms both correctly and consistently. To put on an external condom:
Get consent from your partner(s)
Check the expiration date
Carefully open the package and remove the condom
Once the penis is erect, place condom on the penis and hold the tip of the condom to squeeze out air
Roll condom all the way down the shaft of the penis to the base
Keep the condom on until you’re done having sex
Once you’re done, hold the rim of the condom and withdraw penis
Take off condom and throw in trash
If you’re wondering what an internal condom (sometimes called a “female condom”) is, you’re not alone. Plenty of people aren’t aware that internal condoms are “a thing.”
To protect yourself and your partners from STIs during oral sex on a vulva, use a dental dam. You may be thinking “what the heck is a dental dam?” A dental dam is a thin piece of latex that covers the vulva. The vulva is the external, visible part of the sex organs. The vagina is one of the internal sex organs (thanks Anatomy 101!).
Media often depicts safer sex as less pleasurable, and even boring. THE LIES! Safer sex is fun, pleasurable, and exciting! Here are a few tips to increase pleasure and keep sex safe:
Use lube
When having pentrative sex (vaginal or anal), water-based lube helps things to go in and out smoothly. Some types of water-based lubricants are designed to create a warming sensation that is pleasurable for all partners. Avoid oil-based lube (including coconut oil or vaseline) that can damage condoms and make them less effective.
Spice things up
Try using fun games, sex toys, or flavored condoms for oral sex. Just be sure to clean sex toys after each use. If you have no idea how to clean a sex toy, don’t worry. Here’s a step-by-step guide to cleaning sex toys of all materials, shapes, and sizes.
Talk about it
Discuss your turn-ons (and turn-offs) with your partner before, during, or after sex. While there’s no one way to talk about sex, it’s always a good idea to be honest but gentle with your partner. Try using I-statements like
“I really enjoy...” or
“I’d love spending more time on…
Not only does this build trust, but it can also set the mood.
External condoms are available on campus at
Residence halls
University Health Services
Office of Health Promotion
The Women's Center
Internal condoms, dental dams, and lubricants are available on campus at University Health Services and the Office of Health Promotion. For more information on safer sex for college students, visit https://www.cdc.gov/std/prevention/default.htm.
A lot has been covered but you probably have a few more questions. No worries. Let a couple of our campus Sexperts help you out. Check out their latest video where they answer some of UMBC students’ best questions about sex.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The Commons, Suite 308
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, Maryland 21250