AIM Member Newsletter: July/Aug 2025
Right now, the work we do at AIM is more important than ever, and we are proud to be celebrating 25 years of impact this year!
Read more about our recent updates and what’s ahead:
Celebrating AIM’s 25th Anniversary
Listening Campaign Launch Action
Clean Energy Project at Northwest Park Apartments
More Housing NOW Victory
Maryland Just Power Alliance Mission and Vision Process
1. Celebrating AIM’s 25th Anniversary
We’re thrilled to be celebrating AIM’s 25th anniversary this year, and we hope you will join us!
Save the date for our 25th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, December 6 at 7 pm at Sligo Seventh-Day Adventist Church. We will be honoring four pivotal leaders: Judy Walser, Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, Dr. Stacy Ashton, and Sarah Insa Sadio. More details to come.
To continue the celebration, we’re also excited to share with you "25 Stories for 25 Years!" Each week, we’re sending out a story highlighting a key campaign or leader from AIM's past 25 years. Read all the stories on our website: https://www.actioninmontgomery.org/aims-25th-anniversary.
2. Listening Campaign Launch
Thursday, September 18, 7:00–8:30 pm
Harvest Intercontinental Church, 16227 Batchellors Forest Road, Olney, MD
Join the Maryland Just Power Alliance (ACT, AIM, and PATH) for our Listening Campaign Launch Action on Thursday, September 18! We will publicly introduce our 2025 listening campaign, where we will listen to thousands of people across Maryland to build relational power and develop our “People’s Agenda” for the 2026 elections.
On September 18, you will:
● Participate in a listening session with people from across the state;
● Learn how to lead effective listening sessions in your congregation or community;
● Show elected officials how we organize; and
● Announce how many people your congregation or organization commits to listening to.
We hope you will join us for this exciting launch! Please register at: mdjustpoweralliance.org/sept-18-launch.
3. Clean Energy Project at Northwest Park Apartments
On Saturday, June 21, at our Clean Energy Party, 40 residents of Northwest Park Apartments and AIM leaders met with Washington Gas about a network geothermal pilot they are proposing at Northwest Park. This pilot project is required by the new WARMTH Act, and it would replace unhealthy fossil fuel gas with clean, electric energy at Northwest Park Apartments.
Congratulations to everyone who participated—we are one of the few places around the country where community residents are meeting with their utility companies to make demands around electrification!
4. More Housing NOW Victory
On Tuesday, July 22, the Montgomery County Council voted 8-3 to pass a central component of More Housing NOW (ZTA 25-02), which AIM advocated for!
This new law will make it possible to build duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings along major roads where currently only single-family homes are allowed.
Expanding these types of housing will allow more working families, seniors, and young adults to live in Montgomery County without having to move away. These types of homes are usually more affordable than single-family homes, and a percentage will be required to be affordable to middle-income families. Finally, having more housing supply will also benefit middle class and lower-income families by creating less competition for lower-cost apartments.
Congratulations to the AIM leaders who supported this bill by testifying at Council hearings and emailing your Councilmembers!
5. Maryland Just Power Alliance Mission and Vision Process
In June, we held our first Mission and Vision Workshop for the Maryland Just Power Alliance (AIM, ACT, and PATH)!
Over the next several months, we will articulate a unifying vision and shared values to guide the Alliance’s long-term direction, engaging more leaders from each of our organizations in the process. We will then work with consultants to start forming a statewide structure that will help us to have the political and organizing power we want, while making sure we sustain local organizing, power, and leadership development.
Please reach out to Cynthia Marshall with any questions or if you would like to be involved (cynthia@actioninmontgomery.org).
Thank you for being part of AIM! Please consider making a donation to support our work.
Donate at: actioninmontgomery.org/donate
