Get Your Tickets Now

Updated: Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the community discussion will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are sold out but you can still add your name to the waiting list by going to http://tinyurl.com/AmericanWinterAFI.

Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin joins with coalition of nonprofit and labor organizations to screen HBO’s documentary American Winter and lead a community conversation about poverty on May 29 at 7 p.m. at the American Film Institutes (AFI) Silver Theatre in Silver Spring. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and registration is required to reserve a ticket. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/AmericanWinterAFI. Reserved tickets will be distributed at the registration table in the AFI Theatre lobby on the evening of the event.

The goal of this event is not only to show a powerful film, but to continue our collaboration with nonprofit providers, labor organizations, activists, government leaders and residents to develop new initiatives to help us end poverty in our community and beyond,” said Councilmember Ervin.

HBO’s American Winter is a powerful documentary that follows the personal stories of families struggling in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. As the movie proclaims, “In the richest country on earth, millions of families have been left in the cold.”

This film screening is an outgrowth of our community conversation, ‘Raise Your Voice to SNAP the Silence’ on poverty. As a result of one of the worst economic downturns in decades, now more than ever, many of our relatives, friends and neighbors are suffering financial challenges. This film shows how easy it is for families who are living paycheck to paycheck to end up in poverty and the tremendous impact it has on children,” said Councilmember Ervin.

Councilmember Ervin continues her work on initiatives and long-term solutions to combat poverty and to assist working families. Some of these efforts include: championing the County’s Prevailing Wage and Displaced Worker laws; funding the Working Parents Assistance Program, which provides child care benefits for working families; funding the Working Families Income Supplement, which provides a local tax credit for those who qualify for the State’s Earned Income Credit; the implementation of a county-wide Food Recovery Network; and a county-wide farmers market Double Dollars Program to increase access to healthy foods for low-income residents.

Councilmember Ervin also is a proponent for creating job opportunities that pay a living wage and she supports efforts to increase the minimum wage. “It is essential that we continue to build momentum to push for new policies and funding that will end hunger, provide job opportunities that pay a living wage, promote affordable housing, access to health care and transit option for all residents,” she said.

More information about the event can be found on its Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/566998766656800/

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