Neighborhood Action
Neighborhood Action is GBCI’s hub for civic engagement, advocacy, and community partnership. Volunteers and partners work alongside residents to strengthen housing, schools, food security, and overall neighborhood well-being. This work is carried out in three key areas: advocacy, food distribution, and refugee resettlement support.​
I. Advocacy
Key members of the GBCI Neighborhood Action Team (from left to right): AIM Leader Tanushree Dutta Isaacman, GBCI Volunteers/NA Leaders Frank Lostumbo and Rollie Smith, Former Epworth UMC Family Minister Paola Lemus Bustillos, Safe Places Leader Adama Moussa Harouna
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Rebuilding South Lake Elementary School:
After more than five years of persistent
organizing with AIM and other partners, Neighborhood Action secured County Council funding to
rebuild South Lake Elementary—a project long denied in previous budgets.​​​​​​
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Fighting for Affordable Family Housing: Members regularly lobby the Gaithersburg City Council to increase the number of family-sized units, particularly 3-bedroom apartments, in new developments such as Lake Forest, ensuring housing meets the needs of working families.​​
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Organizing Tenant Leadership: Neighborhood Action has supported residents of Cider Mill Apartments in forming the tenant organization Safe Places/Lugares Seguros, which has successfully negotiated for improved housing conditions and tenant rights.​
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Protecting Immigrant Families: Members work alongside immigrant residents to ensure their safety and rights are protected, helping build a community where all families can thrive. Advocacy under Neighborhood Action reflects GBCI’s commitment to building power with the community, ensuring that the needs and voices of residents drive lasting change.
Advocacy is a central part of Neighborhood Action, where volunteers and partners organize with residents to advance equity in housing, education, tenant rights, and immigrant protection. This work is carried out in partnership with Action in Montgomery (AIM), local nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and community leaders.
Our Advocacy Work Includes:
II. Food Distribution
About GBCI's Neighborhood Action Work
Every other Sunday afternoon, volunteers load cars at Epworth United Methodist Church with 40-pound boxes of groceries. By evening, 52 families at Cider Mill Apartments receive food to help sustain them through the week. The Sunday Food Distribution Program began in July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when school closures left many families without reliable meals. In partnership with Epworth UMC and tenant leaders from Cider Mill’s Safe Places team, GBCI built a system to ensure families had consistent access to healthy, culturally relevant food.
GBCI Food Distribution Coordinator Frank Lostumbo and Epworth volunteer Oscar Alvarenga
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Volunteer as a driver to deliver groceries every other Sunday.
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Help with packing and sorting boxes at Epworth UMC
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Provide financial support to sustain food supplies, particularly fresh produce and proteins. ​