Minutes 05-21-2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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