Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
12 <br /> 1 To consider approving funding requests for immigrant and refugee support services and to <br /> 2 approve utilization of the Social Justice Fund as the funding source for$79,628. <br /> 3 Due to the immediate and critical need of the agencies, this request is outside the annual <br /> 4 nonprofit agency funding process. The Social Justice Fund, with a current balance of $350,000, <br /> 5 is a reserve that was established by the BOCC to support social justice needs that may occur <br /> 6 during the fiscal year. <br /> 7 <br /> 8 BACKGROUND: Orange County is home to an increasingly diverse population: <br /> 9 • 13% foreign-born <br /> 10 • 17% residents speak a language other than English at home <br /> 11 • Refugee arrivals have almost doubled in the last two years, from 54 (FY2014-15) to 91 <br /> 12 year-to-date. <br /> 13 <br /> 14 The Board of Orange County Commissioners (BOCC) has supported community-based <br /> 15 agencies working to meet the needs of immigrants and refugees through the non-profit agency <br /> 16 process. However, due to the recent changes in federal immigration policies new challenges <br /> 17 and barriers exist that require an immediate response to expand services for immigrant and <br /> 18 refugee residents. <br /> 19 <br /> 20 Confusion about new travel policies, changes in deportation policies/practices, harassment from <br /> 21 other residents, and rumors of checkpoints and raids have all spurred fear in the local <br /> 22 community—especially the Latino and Syrian communities. Local agencies — including law <br /> 23 enforcement and County agencies — held forums to educate community members about their <br /> 24 rights and to show support. Nevertheless many families are still concerned about driving, many <br /> 25 want to apply for citizenship, and some are fearful to leave their homes. <br /> 26 <br /> 27 The Orange County Health Department and Orange County Social Services staff consulted on <br /> 28 the most efficient and effective way to address immediate needs. The recommendation to the <br /> 29 BOCC is to utilize the Social Justice Fund to provide $79,628 to support the local community <br /> 30 based agencies to expand services immediately to immigrants and refugees. <br /> 31 <br /> 32 El Centro Hispano provides critical direct support, legal, employment and education services <br /> 33 to County residents. El Centro requests $54,168 to expand its immigration legal services. <br /> 34 Funding will cover the salary of a part-time Project Coordinator and full-time Board of <br /> 35 Immigration Appeals (BIA)Accredited Representative, as well as project operating costs. The <br /> 36 BIA Rep will assist with intake, conduct screenings, and help clients complete forms to be <br /> 37 submitted to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Project Coordinator will <br /> 38 coordinate the Faith ID program and a new Civics/"No Operator" Education course, as well as <br /> 39 conduct community outreach and manage volunteers. The Faith ID program - in collaboration <br /> 40 with local law enforcement - offers a picture ID to community members who don't otherwise <br /> 41 have access to a form of identification. The Civics/"No Operator" course is an alternative option <br /> 42 - at the discretion of the District Attorney - for those individuals ticketed for driving without a <br /> 43 license. <br /> 44 o El Centro anticipates serving an additional: <br /> 45 o 100 clients through immigrant legal services <br /> 46 o 150 clients through the Faith ID Program <br /> 47 o 100 clients through the Civics/"No Operator" Course <br /> 48 <br /> 49 Refugee Community Partnership (RCP), a community-based organization that builds <br /> 50 networks of support to help families address immediate needs, and establish and work toward <br />