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St. Mary's County commissioners recognize several awareness months and Law Day
Summary
At their April 28 meeting the commissioners issued proclamations for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Law Day (May 1), Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 2026) and Stroke Awareness Month; local advocates and emergency services staff described resources and outreach plans.
The St. Mary's County commissioners issued a series of proclamations on April 28 recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Law Day, Hurricane Preparedness Week and Stroke Awareness Month.
The meeting opened with a proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Shamaine Jones, sexual assault program manager at the Southern Maryland Center for Family Advocacy, thanked the commissioners for recognizing survivors and cited statewide prevalence figures, noting local advocacy services are available 24/7. "We wanna thank the commissioners for recognizing [Sexual Assault Awareness Month] and for your commitment to supporting survivors in our community," Jones said.
Commissioner President Randy Guy read a proclamation designating April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention Month and called forward a multidisciplinary group from the county Department of Social Services and partner agencies. Alexis Soss described the blue pinwheels exhibit and the county's prevention emphasis on strengthening families and protective factors, and she asked citizens and organizations to work together to identify and support vulnerable children.
The board also read a Law Day proclamation for May 1. John Houser, speaking for the Saint Mary's County Bar Association, said volunteer attorneys will offer brief consultations on health care directives and powers of attorney as part of a day-of-service clinic.
For hurricane preparedness, Emergency Services Director Jennifer Russ urged residents to review emergency plans and publicized a sandbag distribution event set for May 30 at St. Andrews Landfill. "As we increase the messaging each year, we prepare our communities to help themselves and help our first-responder community," Russ said.
Finally, the board proclaimed May as Stroke Awareness Month; Jennifer James, stroke program coordinator at MedStar St. Mary's Hospital, highlighted the BE FAST acronym and stressed that timely treatment is critical: patients may be eligible for clot-busting medication if they arrive within about 4.5 hours of symptom onset.
The proclamations were ceremonial; the meeting moved on to regular business after the presentations and photo opportunities.
