A new coalition focused on reducing child poverty and expanding opportunities for families in Montgomery Village is taking shape following the community’s selection for Maryland’s ENOUGH Initiative, with Montgomery Village native and small business owner Joseph Hooks serving as the effort’s Community Quarterback.
Governor Wes Moore announced on September 30 that Maryland is awarding a record $32 million through the ENOUGH Initiative to support community-led efforts addressing concentrated child poverty. Thirty communities across 13 counties are receiving funding this year, with Montgomery Village among four communities joining the program for FY27.
The Montgomery Village effort, known as MV United, brings together several core partners, including Story Tapestries, Montgomery Village Middle School, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services’ Community Action Agency and Innovageous. The initiative will also work with community organizations, residents and youth, with support from the Governor’s Office for Children and capacity-building assistance from the Montgomery County Collaboration Council.
Hooks, who provided The MoCoShow with additional details about the local effort, said his role as Community Quarterback is particularly meaningful because he grew up in Montgomery Village. “As a proud Montgomery Village native, small business owner, and someone who was once a young boy growing up in this very community, serving as the Community Quarterback for the MV United ENOUGH Initiative is more than a leadership opportunity, it is personal,” Hooks said.
Hooks said the coalition will focus first on developing partnerships, building trust and organizational capacity, and establishing a shared vision before moving forward with solutions. “In Montgomery Village, where many families face barriers to accessing county resources, programs, and opportunities, this initiative represents a chance to bring meaningful investment, stronger partnerships, and community-driven solutions directly to our neighborhoods,” Hooks said. “Our families and young people deserve more than just the opportunity to survive, they deserve to thrive!”
Hooks said youth and residents will play a central role in shaping the initiative and emphasized that the coalition wants its eventual programs to reflect the needs of Montgomery Village families rather than imposing solutions without sufficient community input. “We must develop more of our partnerships first so that the impact we create together is sustainable, coordinated, and truly reflective of the needs of Montgomery Village families,” Hooks said.
The Montgomery County Community Action Agency, the county’s designated anti-poverty agency, said its involvement will build on existing work supporting residents seeking economic stability and mobility. “We know we cannot do it alone and are excited to join a local coalition of like-minded and like-hearted organizations to create something that will support community members in Montgomery Village,” the agency said. “We look forward to being able to leverage our current work through the Watkins Mill Clusters Project to build a strong future for Montgomery Village.”
Innovageous will also serve as a core partner, with co-founder and Montgomery Village resident Alicia Woolf serving as Project Director. “At Innovageous, we believe in being innovative, courageous, and solutions-oriented, bringing people together to turn community challenges into meaningful opportunities for change,” the organization said. “The MV ENOUGH grant gives us the opportunity to put those values into action alongside our core partners, building a stronger, more connected Montgomery Village where families can thrive.”
Story Tapestries said its work will focus on listening to families and helping increase access to resources for residents facing economic challenges. “We are thrilled to have the skilled leadership of Joe Hooks at the helm of this project team and we look forward to really leaning in and listening, then responding and innovating in Montgomery Village,” the organization said.
Hooks also credited U.S. Representative April McClain Delaney, Maryland Delegate Greg Wims, Montgomery County Councilmembers Will Jawando, Laurie-Anne Sayles, annd Dawn Luedtke, and other community partners for supporting the effort.
Maryland launched the ENOUGH Initiative in December 2024 following passage of the ENOUGH Act. The program is designed to address concentrated child poverty through locally developed strategies shaped by residents, data and partnerships among community organizations, government agencies and other institutions.
The Moore administration said in September that approximately $70 million in ENOUGH grants has been combined with $100 million in additional state agency funding and $190 million from philanthropic partners, for more than $360 million directed toward efforts to combat child poverty across Maryland.
Montgomery County has multiple communities participating in the initiative. In addition to the new Montgomery Village effort, active grantees include CHEER in Long Branch and Identity, Inc., serving Central Gaithersburg and Montgomery Village.
For Hooks, the new initiative also represents an opportunity to invest in the community where he grew up. “Having grown up here, I know the strength, resilience, and pride that define this community,” Hooks said. “Now, as a business owner and community leader, I have the opportunity to give back to the same village that helped shape who I am today. It takes a village, and together, MV United will work to ensure that our village doesn’t just survive, but thrives for generations to come!”
