Applicants needed for Advisory Boards and Commissions

One way residents can have a positive impact on the future of Orange County is to volunteer to serve on an advisory board or commission. The Orange County Board of Commissioners is currently recruiting applicants for the following advisory boards and commissions:

Affordable Housing Advisory Board
Agricultural Preservation Board
Animal Services Advisory Board
Board of Equalization and Review
Orange Unified Transportation Board

To view more information about the specific openings, click here.

Orange County strives for authentically diverse representation on volunteer advisory boards and commissions. Residents of all demographic backgrounds, identities, and perspectives are encouraged to apply. Applicants must reside in Orange County. Volunteers appointed by the Board of County Commissioners have the opportunity to directly influence the County’s decisions, policies, and priorities.

For additional information contact Tara May at 919-245-2125 or tmay@orangecountync.gov. If interested, apply at www.orangecountync.gov/Apply.

Click the link for more information about COVID testing.

Photo of person waking up in the morning

Department on Aging to host virtual event on the importance of sleep

The Orange County Department on Aging and the Project EngAGE Mental Wellness Senior Resource Team invite the public to attend a virtual presentation, The Importance of Sleep and our Health, on Sept. 22.

It is estimated that 50-70% of Americans experience a sleep-related problem. The key to our health is discovering ways to create quality sleep. Join Dr. Heidi Roth, Program Director, Sleep Medicine Fellowship with UNC Neurology, for a presentation on how sleep impacts our health and why good sleep is an integral part of a healthy life. Learn key tips for practical and helpful ways to improve the quality of the sleep we need.

The FREE event will take place Wednesday, Sept. 22, from 4 – 5:30 p.m. via a virtual platform only. The in-person option has been canceled.

To register, visit www.orangecountync.gov/SleepHealth. The program link will be emailed to participants after registering.

If technology assistance is needed. please contact Shenae McPherson at 919-245-4243 by Monday, Sept. 20.

The program is hosted by the Orange County Project EngAGE Mental Wellness Senior Resource Team.

Orange County Emergency Food Assistance Distribution set for Sept. 22

Residents receiving FNS/SNAP benefits or who meet income guidelines may be eligible for Orange County's Emergency Food Assistance Program. The program is available for individuals/students, couples or families.

Distributions occur on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Pick-ups are available at Orange Works in Hillsborough (113-B Mayo Street) and Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill (2501 Homestead Road).

Due to social distancing requirements and limited supplies, appointments are required. Appointments will be issued the day prior to the distribution, on a first-call, first-served basis. Applicants should call (919) 245-4354 to request an appointment and for more information.

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.

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.

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.

One Orange Countywide Racial Equity issue graphic

The One Orange Countywide Racial Equity Plan: A Framework for Moving Forward is being developed with a commitment that we will uncover and address implicit biases in our institutions to ensure that race no longer can be used to predict life outcomes in our community. The community is invited to participate by attending the Board of Health's virtual meeting on Sept. 15. Click the graphic to register.

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.

Click the graphic for information about getting a free library card.

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