Orange County NC Website
7 <br /> 1 Community Center was the first community center in Orange County but has not had any <br /> 2 improvements in years. She applauded the Board's efforts to support other County Community <br /> 3 Centers. She stressed the Center needs to be upgraded and many community groups are <br /> 4 meeting at the center monthly to talk about issues like emergency preparedness. She implored <br /> 5 the BOCC to not forget about the Efland-Cheeks Community Center. <br /> 6 Laura Nicholson said she is here on behalf of the Compass Center for Women and <br /> 7 Families. She said this organization provides self-efficiency programs, domestic violence <br /> 8 support, court advocacy, a teen pregnancy prevention program, and other services, including <br /> 9 educational outreach. She thanked the Board for its continued support. She said the <br /> 10 organization will be celebrating its third anniversary on July 1, 2015. She said in the three years <br /> 11 since its inception, the organization has seen more integrated, comprehensive and efficient <br /> 12 services that meet client needs. She said there has been over a 40% increase in demand for <br /> 13 the organization's domestic violence services since 2012. She said the Board's funding is <br /> 14 especially important this year as the State is making funding cuts as well as some changes in <br /> 15 funding from partners like the United Way. <br /> 16 Manju Rajendran said she works for the Marion Cheeks Jackson Center, and is <br /> 17 requesting an additional $4000 in order to meet the growing demand for Fusion Youth Radio <br /> 18 (FYR). She said FYR features young people making their voices a part of history through <br /> 19 creative, youth-produced media. She said FYR is rooted in the idea that all of us deserve <br /> 20 opportunities to tell our stories in our own works and FYR believes young people must work <br /> 21 together to take on active roles in shaping the future of our communities. She said the name of <br /> 22 FYR honors the legacy of the Fusion movement of North Carolina in the 1890s, a multi-racial <br /> 23 coalition that gained power across the State before coming to a violent end at the hands of <br /> 24 white supremacists in 1898. She said FYR seeks to bring together youth with many <br /> 25 backgrounds to create the sort of community that not even the "Fusionists" imagined. <br /> 26 She said since FYR was created four years ago, it has developed partnerships with every <br /> 27 school in CHCCS, sustained relationships with Beat Making Lab and Sacrificial Poets to <br /> 28 exchange critical media, poetry and beatmaking workshops for the youth members of the united <br /> 29 organizations. She said FYR has produced 44 radio shows in partnership with WXYC-Chapel <br /> 30 Hill, broadcasting youth voices that would otherwise go unheard. She said FYR has co-created <br /> 31 the WUNC Summer Youth Radio Institute. She said this summer there will be a FYR Summer <br /> 32 Audio Immersion in collaboration with Beat Making Lab and Sacrificial Poets. She said youth <br /> 33 from OCS and CHCCS will be going to the Allied Media Conference in Detroit to meet with <br /> 34 media makers from across the United States. She said the additional $4000 would allow the <br /> 35 high caliber of work to be sustained. <br /> 36 Delores Bailey said she is the Executive Director of Empowerment, Inc. She thanked <br /> 37 the Board for their continued support and partnership with Empowerment's affordable rental <br /> 38 program. She said Empowerment, Inc., owns and/or manages 45 affordable rental units, <br /> 39 throughout Orange County. She said in 2015, Empowerment, Inc., added to its rental inventory <br /> 40 by one, and renovated three rental units. She said within the 45 units, 70%of the heads of <br /> 41 household are Section 8 or housing voucher holders. She said Empowerment has the proud <br /> 42 distinction of being the number one landlord in Orange County that accepts housing choice <br /> 43 vouchers and may be the only one that does. She said with 2015-2016 home funds <br /> 44 Empowerment will be able to purchase a home in the Northside community and will partner with <br /> 45 the Hillsborough Home Depot to renovate a home on Terrell Road in Hillsborough, which will be <br /> 46 designated for a Veteran and their family. She said, together, Empowerment and Orange <br /> 47 County are doing great things for affordable rentals, for which she is grateful. <br /> 48 <br /> 49 4. Adjournment of Public Hearing <br /> 50 A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Price to adjourn <br /> 51 the meeting at 8:07 p.m. <br />