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11 <br /> The center programming serves mostly low-income and older minority residents <br /> with morning activities (Arts/Crafts, exercise, shopping), lunch and minimal <br /> afternoon activities. The average daily nutrition attendence is 26 persons. <br /> The Northern Orange Community Center. This center is located on US 86 <br /> Hwy in Cedar Grove in an old Black elementary school and serves children as <br /> well as older adults. There is no identification sign and no main entrance to the <br /> building, creating problems for newcomers. The building is neither user- <br /> friendly in design nor attractive, and it needs repair. The senior citizens rooms <br /> are scattered and poorly lit. The seniors and children share the large lunch <br /> room at the same time. Currently, the center programming, consisting of <br /> morning activities and lunch, is primarily for low-income and older minority <br /> residents. Like the Efland-Cheeks Community Center and the Southern Orange <br /> (Northside) Senior Center, this center mainly serves people from the Black <br /> community. This facility is not visible, accessible, or serves a majority of <br /> seniors in the broad northern Orange (Cedar Grove and Little River townships) <br /> area. The average daily nutrition attendance is 25 persons. <br /> VI. CRITICAL FACTORS IN PLANNING SENIOR CENTERS <br /> Before redesigning or planning any new senior centers in Orange County, four <br /> critical factors must be recognized and addressed: (1) the basic designs of <br /> senior center facilities, (2) the diversity of the older population and services they <br /> need, (3) the types of senior centers based on their programming and (4) the <br /> centralizing vs decentralizing of senior center operations. <br /> A. Two Basic Senior Center Designs. In investigating and visiting various <br /> senior centers, two distinct facility designs emerged: <br /> 1. A separate special purpose facility for seniors only. This type of design is <br /> found in the Chapel Hill Senior Center. <br /> 2. An interQenerational facility. This type of design involves serving seniors <br /> as part of a larger facility serving all age groups. Orange county's three <br /> other senior centers reflect this design: The Hillsborough Senior Center <br /> is on the ground floor of the Richard E. Whitted Human Services Center; <br /> the Southern Orange Senior Center is a section of the Southern Orange <br /> Human Services Building #1, and the Carrboro Senior Center is a section <br /> of the ArtsCenter. <br /> Page 8 of 16 <br />