🌱 Patch AM: How a holiday break-in hobbled a vital Silver Spring nonprofit

Greetings Silver Spring! We’re your go-to source for what’s happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How a holiday break-in hobbled a vital Silver Spring nonprofit
• How a Silver Spring principal’s DJ side gig helps his students
• Silver Spring’s TJ Maxx is closing soon—what shoppers need to know

Also on today's calendar: Streamline Your Workflow with Outlook Automation and 5 more events.

Today's riddle: I quit my job as a banker. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Friday: Considerable cloudiness, with a high of 39 and low of 25 degrees.
• Saturday: Some sun, then clouds, temps: high: 37, low: 24.
• Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high of 39 and low of 23 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Montgomery County nonprofit organization endures holiday break-in (wusa9.com) — A Wider Circle in Silver Spring is scrambling after thieves damaged four of its five trucks just before Christmas, limiting its ability to deliver donated furniture to local families. The nonprofit is renting vehicles, boosting security, and asking donors to drop furniture directly at its warehouse to keep services going.
   

2. Principal by Day, DJ by Night: What School Leaders Learn From Their Side Hustles (edweek.org) — Argyle Middle School principal James Allrich of Silver Spring has turned a pandemic-era DJ hobby into “Turntable Thursdays” for his students, while still prioritizing his day job. His story, alongside other principals’ side hustles, shows how school leaders juggle passion projects, extra income, and new skills that can actually strengthen how they run their schools.
   

3. New England TJ Maxx Store Announces Permanent Closure (ultimatemaine.com) — Silver Spring shoppers should know the local TJ Maxx store is set to close permanently on January 3, ending roughly a decade of operation. The closure is part of a broader round of TJ Maxx shutdowns, including a major Boston location, though the company will keep many other stores open nationwide.
   

4. Penn State women's basketball loses to fourth-ranked UCLA (sungazette.com) — A Silver Spring native, guard Kiyomi McMiller, scored 13 points with six rebounds in Penn State’s New Year’s Eve loss to fourth-ranked UCLA. The game wrapped up the Nittany Lions’ 2025 calendar year, dropping them to 7–7 overall as they look ahead to Big Ten play.
   

5. 2026 financial resolutions: Experts weigh in on how to achieve your goals (abc15.com) — A Silver Spring resident is among several Americans sharing how they’re tackling 2026 money goals, emphasizing small, realistic steps toward better finances. Experts in the piece outline specific strategies like deadline-based savings targets, the 50-30-20 budget rule, and building an emergency fund so households can feel more secure in an uncertain economy.
   

📸 Around Silver Spring

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Silver Spring

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Thursday January 22

• Streamline Your Workflow with Outlook Automation
  7:30 pm

Saturday January 31

• Feast & Fettle Brings a New Standard of Home Dining to Silver Spring
  9:00 am

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Tuesday January 6

• Financial Incentives for the Maryland Heritage Areas Program - Q&A Session #1
  Montgomery Preservation Inc , 8100 Georgia Ave , Silver Spring
  1:00 pm
• Palmetto Bay Food Truck is at The Fenwick
  Fenwick Apartments , 8616 2nd Ave , Silver Spring
  5:00 pm

Saturday January 10

• First Time Homebuyer Seminar (FREE!)
  Virtual/Online
  10:00 am

Tuesday January 13

• Time Management Strategies to Take Back Your Day
  7:30 pm

Thursday January 15

• Beltway Bistro is at The Fenwick!
  Fenwick Apartments , 8616 2nd Ave , Silver Spring
  5:00 pm
• Excel Essentials: A Crash Course Series
  7:30 pm

📣 Silver Spring Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Saturday January 3

• Berwyn Ballet School at The Old Parish House
  City of College Park, Maryland Calendar , 4711 Knox Road , College Park
  8:45 am
• Ready 2 Read Storytime: Ages 35
  Hyattsville Branch Library Hyattsville -
  10:30 am
• CPAE Workshop
  City of College Park, Maryland Calendar , 4711 Knox Road , College Park
  2:00 pm

Sunday January 4

• Girl Scout Troop 23031
  City of College Park, Maryland Calendar , 4601 Calvert Road , College Park
  2:30 pm
• College Park Arts Exchange - Youth Orchestra Rehearsals
  City of College Park, Maryland Calendar , 4711 Knox Road , College Park
  3:00 pm

Monday January 5

• Ready 2 Read Storytime: Ages 02
  Hyattsville Branch Library Hyattsville -
  10:30 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Silver Spring PatchAM possible:

• Hulk and friends junk removal — (240) 758-1781
  Local junk removal - fully licensed and insured
• Nemi Medical + Wellness — (301) 494-3130
  Accepting new patients now. Prioritize your health today.
• Greenbelt SITY Stars — (301) 679-5100
  35% Off - Jump Rope Classes
• Am Kolel Jewish Renewal Community of Greater Washington — (301) 770-4648
  Meeting the unmet needs of the community
• Summer At Sandy Spring — (301) 774-7455
  Your Kids Can Have An AWESOME FUN Summer!
• V's Healing Touch Massage
  Massage Therapy assists the body in healing
• VivaVets Animal Hospital — (443) 542-2938
  Bringing Trusted Care Back To The Former Pet+ER Location
• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!
• Dogtopia of Bethesda — (475) 338-3501
  Dogtopia – Dog Daycare, Boarding, Spa & Wellness
• MidAtlantic Mold and Water Damage — (888) 412-5228
  Water Damage Restoration, Mold Testing and Remediation
• Eisa Gouredou — (202) 438-9661
  Silver Spring Author Working on Debut Novel

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Riderwood Offers Impressive Amenities, Predictable Finances, and Lasting Value —Elizabeth Fabiano Read on Patch

• Found this cute cat on Georgian Woods Pl.
  Unsure if it is a street cat or belongs to someone. Is friendly & let me bring them in to feed & keep warm. Please contact me if this is your cat! (Nextdoor Wheaton Park)
• Is someone missing a cat?
  VERY friendly. We would invite inside, but we have 4 dogs, and an older cat. *Going to move into our air controlled shed for safety. Pretty sure it… (Nextdoor Wheaton Hills)

• Erickson Senior Living posted a job opening for Housekeeping Utility Worker in Silver Spring. Apply here.
• Snipes posted a job opening for Stock Personnel in Silver Spring. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Silver Spring here.

Ok Silver Spring! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I just lost interest.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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