Orange County to host 2022-27 Master Aging Plan Community Engagement Events

The Orange County Department on Aging, and its Advisory Board, are excited to announce the kick-off of the next Master Aging Plan. To get started, we will host Community Engagement Drop-in events during October at key locations around the County.

“This is our fifth Master Aging Plan and through the many partnerships that have been formed through this process, we are able to celebrate and say that Orange County is one the best places to age well in NC,” said Janice Tyler, Director of the Orange County Department on Aging. “We are looking forward to engaging with you at one of the community MAP gatherings.”

July 1, 2021 marked the beginning of the planning year for the 2022-27 Master Aging Plan (MAP) when we were out in the community sharing a survey to hear about the issues that Orange County residents were most concerned about for the next five years. In October we will host drop-in events across the county to share what was learned and to provide another opportunity for community members to share their thoughts and to engage with the MAP workgroup leaders.

There are seven MAP workgroups (Social Participation, Community Supports and Health Services, Transportation, Housing, Civic Participation, and Employment, Outdoor Spaces, and Communication). We welcome community members that are interesting in helping formalize the goals and strategies for the 2022-27 MAP to join one of these workgroups.

Click here for the schedule of meetings.

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Fueled by pandemic, homelessness on the rise in Orange County

The number of people experiencing homelessness increased more than 40 percent in Orange County from 2020 to 2021, based on data collected during the annual Point-In-Time count coordinated by the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness (OCPEH) in January.

This year’s annual survey found 176 people experiencing homelessness, of whom 36 were unsheltered. The OCPEH coordinated with service providers across our community to count everyone experiencing homelessness as part of the annual Point-in-Time Count. The numbers revealed alarming trends.

89% increase in people living unsheltered since January 2020, 19 to 36 people
Homelessness is up 40% over the last four years and 42% since January 2020
The number of people experiencing chronic homelessness nearly tripled from 2020

"We are alarmed by the large increases we’ve seen in the number of people experiencing homelessness," said Rachel Waltz, homeless programs manager with the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness. "We know that filling the homeless system gaps will go a long way to ending homelessness in our community."

The pandemic continues to underscore racial inequities in housing. Black and African American households make up 12 percent of Orange County residents and 67 percent of those accessing emergency housing services.

The OCPEH has revealed numerous gaps in the county’s efforts to end homelessness, including insufficient permanent housing programs and homeless services. Other current system gaps include funding for the Orange County Housing Helpline and Homelessness Prevention.

Click here to view the data.

Join Carolina K-12 and the Orange County Human Relations Commission (HRC) on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 5 PM via Zoom as we elevate the incredible experiences and accomplishments of Rev. Pauli Murray."

Economic Development grant programs accepting applications

The Orange County Business Investment Grant and Agriculture Grant Programs will be accepting applications for the next deadline through Sept. 30. These programs can offer grants up to $10,000 for eligible businesses and agriculture operations.

Additional information, including program guidelines and applications, can be located at the Economic Development website: https://www.orangecountync.gov/2761/Financial-Resources

Storytime at the Park

We’re taking storytime outside! Join us for songs, stories, and fresh air at the Farmers’ Market Pavilion in downtown Hillsborough, 140 E. Margaret Lane. Don’t forget your water bottles! Register online or call 919.245.2525. Only one registration per household is needed. All ages welcome.

Eno Arts Mill to host Grand Opening on Oct. 1

The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) announced the grand opening of the Eno Arts Mill will be held Friday, Oct.r 1, from 6-9 PM. The event will feature the work of resident artist Kennedi Carter, music by XOXOK, and the opportunity to visit the working studios of the Mill’s additional resident studio artists. Masks and social distancing will be required.

Kennedi Carter is a Durham native whose subjects include Beyoncé, Simone Biles, and Erykah Badu. Her striking photography primarily focuses on Black subjects, highlighting the Black experience: skin, texture, trauma, peace, love and community, and aims to “reinvent notions of creativity and confidence in the realm of Blackness.” In December 2020, she became the youngest cover photographer in the history of British Vogue, capturing Beyoncé for the cover shoot. Other clients include GQ, Essence, The New York Times, and TIME. The British Journal of Photography included Carter in their “2020 Ones to Watch” and in May, the New York Times named her as one of four “Next Great Image Makers.”

The Arts Mill is a 7,000 square foot multi-purpose arts space located within the historic Eno River Mill in Hillsborough. The space adjoins the 3,000 square foot Eno Mill Studios which opened in February, 2020, offering affordable work space for eleven artists. The new addition provides teaching space for classes in the visual, performing, and literary arts, a gallery, four artist studios, and a new Hillsborough office for the Carrboro-based Art Therapy Institute. The Board of County Commissioners approved the project in May, 2021, in response to the lack of physical space for the arts in Orange County, particularly working and teaching space.

Arts Educator Grants available from OCAC

Public school arts educators in Orange County Public Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools are invited to apply for small grants of up $250 to help with costs related to their creative and professional development. The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) created the Arts Educator Professional Development Grant Program in 2018 to assist arts educators in advancing their careers. These small grants can assist with professional and artistic development, including:

Travel expenses related to workshops or seminars, or to do research related to his/her art form, such as meals, lodging and transportation.
Expenses related to workshops, master classes or coaching that will enhance the teacher’s abilities and/or allow the acquisition of Continuing Education Units, such as registration fees, substitute teacher costs, or required supplies.
Purchase of supplies, materials or equipment necessary for the completion or production of work, which is essential to the advancement of his/her teaching career.

The grants are available to any public school educator in Orange County teaching the in the visual or performing arts. Educators may apply online for projects or programs taking place before June 30, 2021. The application period will be open through midnight on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at https://artsorange.org/ocacgrants/artsedgrants.

This grant program is the result of research the OCAC conducted in 2017 and early 2018 to identify the needs of the Orange County arts community. Local arts educators expressed a need for assistance in obtaining Continuing Education Units through professional development opportunities and assistance in advancing their creative growth. By helping arts educators continue to grow in their art form, the OCAC hopes to sustain the quality of arts education in our public schools.

The Orange County Arts Commission presents the 5th Annual Paint it Orange Plein Air Paint-Out and Wet Paint Sale November 3-5, 2021. Artists are invited to Orange County, North Carolina, to capture the landscapes and landmarks signature to the Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Carrboro communities. Participating artists will paint at their sites of choosing throughout Orange County from November 3-5, and will submit up to three of their favorite paintings for jurying on Friday, November 5 at the Eno Arts Mill Gallery in Hillsborough.

Orange County Department on Aging Handy Helper Program nominated for 2021 RISE award!

The Orange County Department on Aging's Handy Helper Program has been nominated for a 2021 RISE Community award for the great work it is doing to build a stronger and safer community. Community voting has begun and we need your help to spread the word.

Using the link below, you can read and vote for the Orange County Department on Aging’s Handy Helper Program nomination once per day through 9/17. In addition to being recognized, our Handy Helper Program is also up to win $7,500 in prize money that will be put towards furthering our commitment to building a better community.

Additionally, please share the link below with friends, family and on social media!
https://riseawards.us.launchpad6.com/risecommunityawards/entry/150.

The RISE Awards celebrate those who rise to serve and protect their communities through heroism and dedication. The RISE Community award honors a community program that is working hand-in-hand with their local law enforcement.

Animal Services offers grant program to support animal welfare initiatives in Orange County

Orange County Animal Services is offering The Pat Sanford Animal Welfare Grant, a program to support animal welfare initiatives and projects in Orange County, thanks to a generous donation from Friends of Orange County Animal Shelter. This is the sixth year the award has been offered, and it will be awarded for initiatives up to $500. Applications must be received by Friday, Oct 15.

The grant can be used for a wide range of pilot or seed projects or to supplement other programs, projects, and grants which support companion animals, including those animals used in recreation or therapy. It is available to individuals, groups, and organizations and although the recipients do not have to live in Orange County, the funds must be used to aid animal welfare efforts in Orange County. Past recipients include Hope Animal Rescue, Independent Animal Rescue, NC Therapeutic Riding Center, Pet Pals, Trestle Leaf Web Design, and Carolina Boxer Rescue.

The program honors Pat Sanford, former Executive Director of the Animal Protection Society of Orange County (APS). Sanford served there for 17 years, where she pushed for spay/neuter to combat the county’s pet overpopulation problem, helped expand the APS twice, and created a wildlife rehabilitation component that would carry on beyond her retirement. After her retirement in 2002, Sanford continued her work for Orange County animals and served on the county’s Animal Services Advisory Board for several years.

Ms. Sanford’s accomplishments are vast and her contributions helped Orange County become one of the leading counties in the state and country for animal placement, recovery, and overall well-being. The grants awarded in her honor will support efforts that exemplify the same dedication and commitment to animal welfare in Orange County. The initial donation will sustain the program for a 10-year period. Additional donations are welcomed to increase the annual award amount and to extend the period in which the grant is awarded.

For more information on the grant, to find the application, and to find out more about giving opportunities for this program, visit http://www.orangecountync.gov/368/Pat-Sanford-Animal-Welfare-Award.

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Department on Aging Direct Care Worker Award nominations now open!

Since 2015, Orange County Department on Aging and the community group, Senior Health Advocacy and Resource Partners of Orange County (SHARP) have presented SHARP Direct Care Worker Awards each year to honor Direct Care Workers (nurse aides, personal care aides, companion caregivers, etc.) who affect their clients’ lives on a daily basis.

Awards are presented in the following categories: Client Impact, Longevity, Leadership, Going the Extra Mile, and Rising Star. One person will be chosen as the “Direct Care Worker of the Year.”

To be eligible, direct care workers must have served clients in Orange County within the past year. Each person may be nominated in two categories. Nominees must have provided direct care to clients and have at least six consecutive months of service in the past year.

Nominations will remain open through Sept. 24. For more information about the awards or to nominate a direct care worker, please visit us online or contact Kim Lamon-Loperfido at 919-245-4253.

www.orangecountync.gov