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MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES <br />November 23, 2015 <br />2 <br /> <br />VI. Items for Discussion and/or Decision <br /> <br />1. Holiday Program Update <br /> <br />Sharron Hinton updated the Board on the progress of holiday program planning. Staff went to Toys <br />R Us today to spend donated funds from Toys for Tots. Toys are currently being collected and <br />sorted in the atrium before being set out. The Toy Chest is scheduled for December 19th and 20th. <br />The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will be collecting toys at the December 6th men’s <br />basketball game verses Davidson at 6:00pm. Toys will also be collected at three women’s <br />basketball games. There will be a Toy Chest planning meeting tomorrow to discuss the actual set- <br />up and location of the Toy Chest. <br /> <br />The Share Your Holiday sponsorship program is under way and all the children and adults are <br />currently sponsored. Staff have requested that gifts come in on December 12th and 13th from <br />10:00am-3:00pm. Since there are two other events on the 12th, volunteers are needed to assist <br />with staffing the events. She asked that Board Members email Serena McPherson if they are <br />interested in volunteering. <br /> <br />Pat Garavaglia asked whether any assistance was needed to put collection boxes in the <br />community. Ms. Hinton responded that there are a few students helping with the collection boxes. <br /> <br />2. Energy Programs <br /> <br />Lindsey Shewmaker informed the Board that the energy programs are getting ready to start and <br />applications have begun arriving. Temporary staff will assist with taking and processing <br />applications. <br /> <br />3. Food and Nutrition Services Changes and BOCC Meeting <br /> <br />Nancy Coston and Lindsey Shewmaker updated the Board on the changes in Food and Nutrition <br />Services (FNS) related to work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). <br />Beginning January 1, 2016 Orange County will no longer be under a waiver exempting ABAWDs <br />from meeting work requirements to get ongoing FNS benefits. Staff who work in the different <br />employment programs are working on efforts to locate and develop work activities that will help <br />impacted clients meet the 20 hour per week average needed to retain benefits. <br /> <br />4. Hillsborough Commons Expansion Update <br /> <br />Nancy Coston updated the Board on the expansion of Hillsborough Commons into the old Dollar <br />Tree space. The county has not yet received the certificate of occupancy but most of the building <br />work is completed. The café is not yet completed and the furniture is not in place but the space will <br />be used for work programming and the Toy Chest in December. <br /> <br />Ann Wilkerson asked when the certificate of occupancy is anticipated. Ms. Coston responded that <br />it should be any time and the Board can tour the facility after the meeting adjourns. <br /> <br />5. Director’s Report <br /> <br />The APP Holiday program is at Southern Human Services on December 10, 2015 at 6:00pm. <br /> <br />The Annual Report and Work Plan for the Social Services Board is due to the Board of County