Download
1 / 219
E N D
1. ? 0
2. ?
3. ? 2 Presentation Outline Comprehensive Findings
Comparative Overview
Telling the Story of Community Challenges
Achieving Focus
Conclusions
Recommendations
Appendix A: Community Leaders Study Report
Appendix B: Community Residents Study Report
Appendix C: Service Providers Study Report
4. ? 3
5. ? 4
6. ? 5
7. ? 6
8. ? 7 Comparative Overview
9. ? 8 Comparative Overview—Assets There is a consensus of opinion among respondents that Muscatine is a place residents choose to live because of all the assets the community has to offer.
Community leaders, residents, and local service providers alike identify what they consider to be the strengths of their community:
Top among them, education—specifically the quality of educational facilities, K-12 education, and the presence of Muscatine Community College
Abundant natural resources, specifically the riverbank and all the recreational opportunities it affords
Residents feel safe in their community
A number of homegrown companies that are committed to Muscatine, and provide a broad base of employment opportunities for residents
10. ? 9 Comparative Overview—Assets Community leaders also identify the number of activist citizens who care about their community, and demonstrate that caring through volunteer efforts and donating money to worthy causes.
Those community leaders, in turn, are cited as being committed, active and involved by the other groups.
Service providers are quick to identify the resources upon which they can depend:
Private businesses, corporations and local industry
United Way of Muscatine
Muscatine County Services, DHS, the County
Healthcare organizations, Unity
11. ? 10 Comparative Overview—Challenges While it seems that community leaders, residents and local service providers all have similar ideas about the challenges faced by Muscatine, it appears that there is a divergence of opinion regarding the priority of addressing them.
Community Leaders
Community leaders recognize poverty and the inadequacy of youth services as challenges, but do NOT place them at the top of their priority list.
Rather, they see education, jobs and health care as those challenges that Muscatine needs to address first.
There is a general uneasiness among community leaders interviewed that as the local industry leaders retire and leave the leadership of homegrown companies in the hands of successors, those who succeed them will not have the same level of commitment to the community that Muscatine has enjoyed.
12. ? 11 Comparative Overview—Challenges Local Residents
Local residents are already satisfied with education within the community, and certainly find that there are other issues that should take precedence in a prioritized focus on services at this point in time.
Primary among them are services for teens in crisis and issues of poverty (health care for residents with financial barriers, availability of low-income housing, etc.).
Also, residents are concerned that community leaders don’t quite understand completely the needs of local residents.
Jobs and the economy is an area in which local residents agree with community leaders, feeling it must be a priority. The stability of the local job market and jobs that don’t always pay enough to support a family in the community are concerns for local residents.
13. ? 12 Comparative Overview—Challenges Service Providers
While it seems that community leaders, residents and local service providers all have service providers are more in line with residents in terms of recognizing top priorities for the community. They see huge gaps between what they feel are critical services for the community and how well the community is currently attending to those needs.
Services for teens was considered the most important need in the community, and scored the lowest in terms of how well those needs are currently addressed
Services for at-risk populations, for minorities, for low income people, for young children and the elderly, and for those with substance abuse problems are also far behind where local service providers feel they need to be.
14. ? 13 Telling the Story of Community Challenges
15. ? 14 Telling the Story of Community Challenges While there are many positive things going on in Muscatine, the purpose of a community needs assessment it to identify challenges and areas that need improvement. The game plan is then to bring those assets the community possesses into play to help alleviate the problems faced by the community.
As with any community, in Muscatine the issues are not insulated, but rather intertwine. While this makes things difficult, since one challenge worsening further serves to increase the seriousness of other issues—it is also true that by adequately addressing one problem, others are also alleviated.
By combining the findings of all three phases of the Muscatine County Community Needs Assessment, the story of a community emerges, and a direction for improved quality of life can be envisioned.
16. ? 15 Telling the Story: From the Community Leader Viewpoint When asked to identify what the top priorities should be for Muscatine County, poverty was seldom mentioned by community leaders interviewed. Child abuse, teen pregnancy, the dropout rate, and domestic violence were mentioned by only one community leader in an unprompted open-end question. In fact, when asked specifically, many said these issues were not problems within the county. Yet:
Over 11% of county residents live below the poverty level (U.S. Census Bureau)
The county has a teen pregnancy rate of nearly 13%—ranking 11th in the state (Iowa State University)
There is a high drop-out rate, with 20% of residents never having graduated from high school (U.S. Census Bureau)
Over 82% of county residents don’t go on to college (U.S. Census Bureau)
In 2007 there were 152 confirmed child abuse reports, ranking Muscatine County 7th in the state (Iowa State University)
Muscatine County has the second highest divorce rate in the state (Iowa State University)
17. ? 16 Telling the Story: From the Community Resident Viewpoint In Muscatine County, as determined by self-reporting of respondents, survey results show that poverty is a prevailing issue:
5,403 residents said they couldn’t afford housing
4,503 residents couldn’t afford food for themselves or their families
3,602 residents indicated they couldn’t afford shoes or clothing
4,974 residents couldn’t pay their utility bills
4,588 residents couldn’t find affordable day care
6,990 couldn’t find a job
5,532 indicated they couldn’t afford the education they needed to help them get a job
18. ? 17 Telling the Story: From the Community Resident Viewpoint Additionally, the results demonstrate a need for services to help alleviate child abuse and provide assistance for families in crisis:
4,631 residents needed help dealing with substance abuse problems, and 3,045 in dealing with violence and/or abuse in the home.
14,537 residents suffered from anxiety or depression, and 5,746 said they couldn’t afford mental health care.
19. ? 18 Telling the Story: From the Community Resident Viewpoint Survey respondents also indicated a serious need for services for teens and children in Muscatine County:
7,333 residents needed assistance dealing with teenagers or children with behavior problems.
5,403 needed help for a teenager at risk of dropping out of school because of behavior problems, and 4,760 because of academic problems.
Following are the results from a Kano analysis of 33 community attributes tested, showing a path for prioritization for services according to resident perceptions in Muscatine.
20. ? 19
21. ? 20
22. ? 21
23. ? 22
24. ? 23
25. ? 24
26. ? 25
27. ? 26
28. ? 27
29. ? 28 Telling the Story: From the Community Service Providers Viewpoint Service providers surveyed have somewhat different ideas than local community leaders about where the focus should be in Muscatine County as far as allocating resources to provide services.
While community leaders and local service providers agree that health care and jobs/economic stability are top priorities, they worry that community leaders are not as aware as they could be about the huge crisis Muscatine faces regarding teen and youth issues such as teen pregnancy, the dropout rate, drugs, and the lack of programs for local teens.
30. ? 29 Telling the Story: From the Community Service Providers Viewpoint In addition, service providers conveyed the concern that community leaders are not quite as familiar with certain community challenges as they are, having to deal with them on a personal basis each day; for example, poverty issues and families in crisis without resources to assist them.
Sometimes the most frustrating thing to local service providers is that when there are services available for local residents, they either don’t know about them or don’t have the means of transportation to get to them.
Service providers acknowledge that there are plentiful resources within the community, but see huge gaps between what needs are, and how resources are allocated to meet those needs in Muscatine.
31. ? 30 Findings – Meeting the Need (Appendix C: Service Providers’ Study)
32. ? 31 Findings – Immediate Challenges (Appendix C: Service Providers’ Study)
33. ? 32 Telling the Story: Of Community Activists and Volunteers Muscatine County is fortunate to have many, many local residents who care about their community and those in need.
85% of residents have donated money to a local non-profit or community organization in the last year
Well over half have volunteered their time within the last year
Almost 75% would be willing to volunteer their time, and over 70% would participate in community and community-building activities in the future
Volunteers are most interested in being involved in:
Protecting the environment
Services for the elderly
Services for young children
Services for people with disabilities
Services for low-income residents
Services for teens
Services for minorities
34. ? 33 Achieving Focus
35. ? 34 Achieving Focus Leading the Way to Quality of Life in Muscatine County Residents of Muscatine County know things aren’t perfect. They know there are areas that challenge quality of life in their community that need to be addressed.
Yet, when asked what the most important thing their community could do to serve the needs of residents, a third did not have any idea what that would be. Among the other two-thirds, opinions varied widely and expressed more personally vested opinions than a community-wide focus.
Clearly, Muscatine County residents need their community leaders to set priorities and coordinate a focus on services for locals.
36. ? 35 Achieving Focus A Coordinated Effort How does a community, like Muscatine, go about determining the best way to prioritize critical resources in order to accomplish the best results?
Community leaders need to take the lead and seek out additional essential feedback from:
Local residents concerning what kinds of issues they are facing; and,
Community activists and service providers—those people who are in the trenches each day
37. ? 36 Conclusions
38. ? 37 Conclusions While highly motivated and well intentioned, Muscatine County community leaders appear to have a lower than ideal level of awareness with the depth and the seriousness of certain issues currently facing the community.
Most community leaders see education as a top priority for Muscatine County. And, as testimony to the ability of those leaders to drive success, local residents and service providers/activists alike point to the level of excellence that has been reached in education in Muscatine County, particularly in terms of facilities. It appears that threshold has been met.
Having crossed the threshold to build educational excellence in the county, it is now time to switch to maintenance while shifting the focus to urgent issues which compromise the whole of life in Muscatine County. Local residents and service providers/activists agree on areas which need immediate attention:
Teens/children: the need for a place for teens to gather and activities to keep them engaged in positive behavior, teenage pregnancy, teens at risk of dropping out of school because of academic or behavior problems, the need for affordable day care
Jobs: low-paying jobs, temporary employment, poor benefits, jobs moving out of town, people unable to find jobs
Poverty: the need for low-income housing and more services for the poor
Health care: the need for affordable/available health care, mental health care, and dental care
39. ? 38 Conclusions Other major issues need attention as well, such as the needs of the elderly and disabled, and the environment. Also, it appears that many of the issues intertwine with the primary issues; for example, transportation needed primarily by the poor in order to get to jobs or job training education, or even transportation for seniors to get back and forth to medical appointments.
Local service providers seek to network in a formal, organized manner that will assist them in carrying out a coordinated plan. This will help them avoid duplication of efforts, and maximize the effects of valuable, limited resources.
Muscatine County is fortunate to have many assets—the riverbank, local industry and business, excellent educational infrastructure, and a population that feels a strong sense of community pride among them. But most importantly, it is the people who live here. Muscatine County possesses a strong volunteer base; people who are willing to give not only their time, but also their money. Muscatine is also fortunate to have service providers who sincerely care about getting the job done. In addition, there are strong leaders who are motivated and committed.
In going forth with a community-wide action plan, disparate groups of leaders, activists, volunteers and service providers will best facilitate quality of life in Muscatine County by coming together with a united focus and a clear recognition of community assets and challenges.
40. ? 39 Recommendations
41. ? 40 Recommendations: General Formalize a method for prioritization of focus:
The best source for community leaders in determining where to begin/focus seems to be local service providers, since their assessment of local needs is in line with what community residents are saying is the case.
Local service providers need a formalized network, or umbrella organization, where they can meet or send representatives to work together to provide community leaders with a comprehensive assessment of where critical needs for services are in the community, and where those needs are falling short of being met.
Facilitate communication between service providers and community leaders, either by representation at meetings, regular reports, or some other means.
Determine which issues/challenges interact with one another:
For example, working to provide adequate and relevant job training can also work to alleviate poverty, or expanding transportation options can get seniors to health care appointments and unemployed/underemployed residents to job training.
Find ways to most effectively use resources/assets:
Community volunteers, for example, are ready to go to work for their community; however, they need direction and an organized way to give them the opportunities to volunteer in areas in which they have particular interest.
42. ? 41 Recommendations: Specific Services for Teens:
This needs to be a top priority for Muscatine County. Teens need a place to go where they can interact with mentors, educators and counselors—both professional and volunteer—and to positively interact with each other.
Can the highly-rated educational facilities in Muscatine provide a physical place for this to happen? Would teens prefer somewhere away from school to gather after hours? Is there a specific service organization best equipped to take on this venture?
Focus groups would help provide key insight.
With the high probability of teen parents within the community, a support network should be established for them offering services and education to ensure that their challenges do not reach crisis level.
Services for teens may work to improve the drop-out rate, teen pregnancy rates, and substance abuse, as well as give important relief to families in crisis.
43. ? 42 Recommendations: Specific Jobs:
Bring the local high schools and Muscatine Community College together to create programs that are responsive to the needs of local employers. Ensure that those educational opportunities are accessible to those who need them:
Program options for adults who also work
Program options for high school students who want to enter the workforce after high school
Childcare options to eliminate barriers, both in terms of cost and availability
Transportation availability for those who otherwise could not attend
Involve local industry and business to guide educational programming.
Ask local industry/business to facilitate activities which provide them with the qualified workforce they seek; for example, a physical place to locate a second-shift daycare, transportation services for trainees, sponsorship of job candidates who will work for employers once they complete the required training, etc.
Communicate the advantages of life in Muscatine County to attract a qualified workforce, with their families, to the community. Excitement attributes can guide these efforts, along with communicating performance attributes.
44. ? 43 Recommendations: Specific Poverty & Healthcare:
Providing for the needs of those living in poverty and those in need of health care services will take a concerted effort on the part of local organizations. A primary focus will be to reduce waste of limited resources because of duplication of efforts. This can be achieved by formalizing the umbrella organization for local service providers.
Immediate needs include:
Health care options, including mental health care and dental care, for those who are uninsured and/or unable to afford it, or perhaps have access barriers
Transportation to allow residents to get to those services they need
Affordable, available housing
Job training along with assistance to eliminate barriers to that training (daycare, transportation, etc.)
Assistance with food, clothing, utilities
Look to volunteers and business donors to assist in these areas. Recall that volunteers are ready, willing, and able to donate their time and their money to their community. They need to be told, however, how they can make the biggest impact and guided to positions that will allow them to do so. This can be facilitated by the formalized organization of service providers and community leaders.
45. ? 44 Community Profiles
46. ? 45 Community Profiles Meet Mike—Community Leader Mike is an involved community leader, donating hundreds of hours of his time to sitting on the boards and committees that oversee the flow of resources to the Muscatine community.
Mike is driven by a sincere desire to help his community offer the best possible quality of life for all of its residents.
Although Mike, and others like him, take their places as community leaders united by a common cause—ensuring that Muscatine is a thriving place for residents to live—he has his own ideas about priorities.
47. ? 46 Community Profiles Mike—Community Leader Mike recognizes Muscatine’s many assets:
The riverbank and all of the recreational activities it provides
A number of home-grown companies that are dedicated to the community and keep the job market healthy
Good schools and a vital community college
Hundreds of willing volunteers
Mike also sees certain challenges that the community faces, both current and emerging:
The danger that local industry will leave the community
Many local high school graduates are not ready to take their places in the workforce
The availability of qualified workers isn’t what it should be
The health care system is in a current state of flux, and many residents leave town to get the health care they seek, either voluntarily or by necessity
Certain undesirable elements have entered the community, namely drugs and a criminal element
48. ? 47 Community Profiles Mike—Community Leader In Mike’s eyes, the top three priorities for the community are:
Education
Jobs and economic stability
Adequate health care
The Facts
When asked to identify what the top priorities should be for Muscatine County, poverty was seldom mentioned, and child abuse, teen pregnancy, the dropout rate, and domestic violence were mentioned by only one community leader in an unprompted open-end question. In fact, many said these issues were not problems within the county. Yet:
Over 11% of county residents live below the poverty level
The county has a teen pregnancy rate of 10%
There is a drop-out rate of 18% in the high schools, and 82% of county residents don’t go on to college
Child abuse climbed 26% between 2000 and 2005
Muscatine County has one of the highest divorce rates in the state
49. ? 48 Community Profiles Meet Rosa—Local Resident Rosa doesn’t speak much English. She has been living in Muscatine County for about 12 years now, but stays fairly insulated within the Hispanic community, so she has had little need to learn much English. When absolutely necessary, her oldest daughter, Maria, translates for her.
Rosa feels very fortunate to live here. She is happy with the opportunities she has in Muscatine, and feels accepted—unlike some of her relatives who settled elsewhere in the U.S.
Still, life isn’t exactly easy for Rosa.
50. ? 49 Community Profiles Meet Rosa—Local Resident Rosa’s husband had a substance abuse problem and was abusive to both her and their children. She’s actually glad he disappeared 3 years ago, but things are hard financially for her as a single mother.
Rosa works the night shift at a local factory. Since she doesn’t think she can afford day care, so Maria cares for the 3 younger children.
Rosa dreams of buying her own home and being able to send her children to college someday, but just paying the bills, putting food on the table and shoes on her children’s feet is a constant struggle. Most of all, she worries about Maria…both for today and for tomorrow.
The Facts
In Muscatine County, our survey results show that:
5,403 residents couldn’t afford housing.
4,503 residents couldn’t afford food for themselves or their families.
3,602 residents couldn’t afford shoes or clothing.
4,974 residents couldn’t pay their utility bills.
4,588 residents couldn’t find affordable day care.
4,631 residents needed help dealing with substance abuse problems, and 3,045 in dealing with violence and/or abuse in the home.
51. ? 50 Community Profiles Meet Maria—Teenager Maria has had to grow up too fast. She is mom to her 3 younger siblings every night while her mother, Rosa, works at the factory.
High school is hard for her…not because she isn’t smart, but because she thinks she just won’t graduate. She knows how much her mother wants her to go to college, but Maria is “too realistic” to think that will ever happen, so she starts slacking.
Maria doesn’t have the money some kids at school have to go to Davenport or Iowa City to the malls shopping for clothes, which leaves her a little isolated, and she tries to make up for it.
Lately, at night when her mother is working, Maria’s boyfriend, Josh, has been coming over to keep her company.
52. ? 51 Community Profiles Meet Josh—Maria’s Boyfriend Josh has been having behavior problems at school. His grades are bad, and he got kicked off the football team this year. School just doesn’t seem all that important when you live in a home where your father is gone working all the time and your mom is “checked out” with her own stress and anxiety issues.
There used to be a teen center in town where Josh would go when he felt like he just needed to get out of the house. Now it’s gone, so he’s taken to hanging out with either Maria or some people who are definitely a negative influence.
Lately, Josh has been smoking pot, doing a little drinking, has given up on being a role model to his younger brother and given up on college—especially now that his chances at an athletic scholarship are gone. Maria helps him keep his mind off his problems.
53. ? 52 Community Profiles Meet Ed—Josh’s Dad Ed works hard, and he has to, in order to keep up. In a world where it takes two incomes to pay the bills, he’s been trying to support his wife, Janet, and two sons, including Josh, on his own.
Ed’s wife has been diagnosed with depression and had to leave her job about three years ago because of her frequent panic attacks. Trying to manage her illness has been a huge financial drain on family resources. Ed has spent hours on the road driving back and forth to Iowa City to get treatment for Janet.
Ed works for a temp agency, and is putting in a lot of hours because the pay isn’t that great. Meanwhile, the benefits are non-existent. He’s hoping to find a permanent job that will offer health insurance.
Ed never finished college, and now he’d like to go back to school so he can get a good job that offers some security. But he has no idea how to do that and keep a roof over his family’s heads at the same time. Right now, though, Ed is worried about Josh.
54. ? 53 Community Profiles Ed-Josh’s Dad Ed’s oldest son has been in lots of trouble at school lately. Ed is afraid Josh is getting into drugs. Since he’s working all the time and he knows Janet isn’t keeping tabs on their son, he worries about Josh’s future too—especially now that the hopes of a college scholarship have dried up. Worse yet, Josh doesn’t even seem interested in his own future.
Like the majority of Muscatine County residents, Ed sees economic growth, services for teens and jobs (keeping them in town and providing a living wage) as top priorities for the community. He also struggles to find the resources he so desperately needs, though many are right here in his own community.
The Facts
In Muscatine County, our survey results show that:
7,333 residents needed assistance dealing with teenagers or children with behavior problems.
5,403 needed help for a teenager at risk of dropping out of school because of behavior problems, and 4,760 because of academic problems.
6,990 couldn’t find a job.
5,532 indicated they couldn’t afford the education they needed to help them get a job.
14,537 residents suffered from anxiety or depression, and 5,746 said they couldn’t afford mental health care.
55. ? 54 Community Profiles Josh and Maria Two kids with plenty of unsupervised time on their hands
No place for them to go; nothing for them to do
Lots of problems they don’t want to have to think about
Maria ends up pregnant
Josh tries to decide if he should step up or run away, and decides he’s not ready to be a dad. Now he has more “reason” than ever to remove himself from reality, and just can’t see any reason to keep going to school
Rosa now has another mouth to feed
Ed has another family member desperately in need of help that either isn’t available or accessible
56. ? 55 Community Profiles Meet Susan—Social Worker Susan works for a local social service agency. Her job is daunting. Each day she deals with a myriad of problems facing her clients. She is often overwhelmed because the needs far exceed the availability of services.
Susan and other service providers in Muscatine try to network, but there isn’t any formal means of doing so. There is frustration that various agencies are wasting precious resources by duplicating efforts. Susan would really like to see some kind of coordination to help local service providers address local needs as effectively as possible.
Susan is often frustrated by what she feels is a group of community leaders who are well intentioned, yet sometimes very much out of touch with the reality of local residents’ needs.
57. ? 56 Community Profiles Meet Susan—Social Worker Susan and other service providers with whom she networks have somewhat different ideas than local community leaders about where the focus should be in Muscatine County as far as allocating resources to provide services.
While community leaders and local service providers agree that health care and jobs/economic stability are top priorities, Susan feels that community leaders are completely missing the huge crisis Muscatine faces regarding teen and youth issues such as teen pregnancy, the dropout rate, drugs, and the lack of programs for local teens.
In addition, Susan thinks that community leaders are out of touch with poverty issues and families in crisis without resources to assist them.
Sometimes the most frustrating thing is that when there are services available for local residents, they either don’t know about them or don’t have the means of transportation to get to them.
Susan acknowledges that there are plentiful resources within the community, but sees a huge gap between what needs are, and how resources are allocated to meet those needs in Muscatine.
58. ? 57 Findings – Meeting the Need (Appendix C: Service Providers’ Study)
59. ? 58 Findings – Immediate Challenges (Appendix C: Service Providers’ Study)
60. ? 59 Community Profiles Local Volunteers and Activists x
61. ? 60 Community Profiles Meet Local Volunteers and Activists Muscatine County is fortunate to have many, many local residents who care about their community and those in need.
85% of residents have donated money to a local non-profit or community organization in the last year
Well over half have volunteered their time within the last year
Almost 75% would be willing to volunteer their time, and over 70% would participate in community and community-building activities in the future
Volunteers would most interesting in being involved in:
Protecting the environment
Services for the elderly
Services for young children
Services for people with disabilities
Services for low-income residents
Services for teens
Services for minorities
62. ?
1962 First Avenue NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 www.vernonresearch.com (319) 364-7278
Data to Decisions…
63. ? 62 Appendix A: Community Leaders
64. ?
Community Needs Assessment Phase II Report: Community Leader In-depth Interviews United Way of Muscatine
April 3, 2008
65. ? 64 Methodology Vernon Research Group designed a survey instrument to reflect the specific goals of the study; namely, to identify gaps in services and critical or emerging issues for residents of Muscatine County.
In-depth interviews were conducted over the telephone with community leaders and took place from March 8 to April 3, 2008.
Each interview lasted anywhere from just over an hour long to approximately two hours long.
Questions were designed to gain insight into a number of areas:
What are the real and perceived needs of citizens in the service area?
What are the most critical issues?
What are the emerging issues?
Where are there gaps in services?
What are the priorities?
66. ? 65 About the Sample In conjunction with the Muscatine United Way and the partner group, a list of 16 “community leaders” was generated for the in-depth interviews.
There was a total participation of 14 of those originally asked to take part in the survey.
Those identified as community leaders are persons who serve the community as local experts in their fields, and are considered stakeholders in the Muscatine area.
67. ?
Identifying: - Community Leaders/Local Experts, - Current Challenges, - Emerging Issues
68. ? 67 Identifying: Community Leaders/Local Experts, Current Challenges, Emerging Issues The first three questions asked of respondents all used the same 15 general topics related to community services. These topics were general by design, allowing us to get a feeling for what kind of specific issues emerged.
Reminder, we were interested in passive responses to both youth and diversity issues.
First respondents were asked to identify community leaders or local experts for each field.
Next, respondents were asked to tell us what they felt to be the most serious challenges facing the community today in each area addressed.
Last, we asked respondents to explain what they thought would be emerging challenges in the next five years in each area if those challenges identified in the second question were not adequately addressed by the community.
69. ? 68 Health of the Local Economy Community Leaders/Local Experts
For many surveyed, they felt people most in touch with the health of the local economy were the presidents of the local banks. In many cases, both Dennis McDonald and Scott Ingstad were mentioned. Good grasp on the local economy, and longtime residents and community activists.
Several respondents mentioned Gary Carlson, former CEO of the GMCCI. His successor, Bill Phelan was mentioned, as was the Chamber of Commerce in general—both as an organization and the Chamber president, specifically.
A.J. Johnson, Bob Sheets and Senator Jim Hahn were also named as local experts in the health of the local economy.
Current Challenges
When prompted to think about the health of the local economy, top-of-mind to respondents were the large industry-based companies located in the community. A handful of manufacturers provide the economic base for the community. Opportunities for income for residents seen as an advantage, but the lack of diversity of the economic base of the community seen as the biggest challenge in the health of the local economy today:
Any downward trends in industry, or in the event that an industry might choose to relocate, would have a major impact on the local economy
There is a perceived lack of a qualified workforce
There are plenty of jobs, but they are often perceived as jobs that won’t support a family
70. ? 69 Health of the Local Economy Current Challenges (continued)
Respondents acknowledged the interdependence of the local economy and the jobs available through these major employers:
“We have jobs, but if a resident has any family, they simply can’t live on what the jobs here pay. $10 an hour won’t support a family. This has an impact on the health of the local economy, local businesses, etc.”
Also on the minds of respondents was the need to build and maintain a retail base—shopping, businesses, restaurants, etc. It was sensed that there is a lack of competition for the shopping malls outside the area, and that they draw residents out of town to spend retail dollars.
Two respondents did bring up the state of poverty of some of the residents of the community. One told us, “Community leaders don’t acknowledge the number of impoverished residents in the community.”
Emerging Issues
Respondents told us of concerns that if the standard of pay and benefits were not raised among Muscatine’s major employers, they would see more and more families fall into economic decline and/or leave the community. The spiraling effects of this dynamic were predicted in issues such as more domestic/child abuse, more crime, etc. Without a strong retail base, respondents spoke of the community tax base. This, in turn, was seen as a potential problem in maintaining education, health care, and many other services linked to quality of life in the community.
71. ? 70 Health of Residents’ Personal Finances Community Leaders/Local Experts
Respondents felt that local bank presidents had a good handle on the issues related to residents’ personal finances, and Tim Nelson’s name was added as one of the bank representatives.
Here, respondents also recognized that some of Muscatine’s residents were struggling with the health of their own personal economy. Names such as Sister Irma Ries, Executive Director of MCSA, Mike Johansen, Director of Muscatine County Community Services, and Tom Riedel, an attorney who works with people “struggling with their finances” were mentioned.
Current Challenges
Respondents note that Muscatine is a microcosm of the world, and therefore residents deal with issues such as home mortgages, the rising cost of gasoline and groceries, etc. They also recognize the special problems presented by the lack of diversity in the economic base of the community. Specifically, the low level of pay and benefits complicate the economic woes faced by the average U.S. citizen and Muscatine resident.
The lack of economic diversity in the community was cited as a reason for the children leaving town after graduation in search of the white-collar jobs that can’t be found in sufficient quantities in Muscatine.
Emerging Issues
Respondents expressed concern about underemployed residents who would stand to suffer the most if the economic base of the community was adversely effected. It was predicted that the community would see an increase in crime and social problems if there is not a broadening of Muscatine’s economic base.
72. ? 71 Public Safety Community Leaders/Local Experts
Almost every respondent’s top-of-mind thought of the community leader in the area of public safety was Police Chief Gary Coderoni. His expertise was not only attributed to his office and his success in that office, but also to his position as an adjunct instructor at Muscatine Community College, and because he is civically active.
Also mentioned were Jeff Carter and the Sheriff’s department in general.
Current Challenges
Drugs. The infestation of drugs and drug related crime (gang activity) was a key response among the community leaders interviewed. Other than a concern for the lack of funds available, some respondents felt that efforts in public safety were right on target. There was, however, some concern expressed that the focus should shift from catching violators to actively looking for ways to make the community a safer place. It was suggested that this be done via education and continuing community activism.
Emerging Challenges
While some focused on punishment for offenders, specifically youth offenders, and keeping tabs on criminal “types,” others preferred to view things in a more proactive rather than reactive light. Again, there was support for trying to do away with what is perceived as a focus on the offender in favor of dealing with the reasons for the offenses. Without change, respondents see an escalation of drug activity and related crime.
73. ? 72 K-12 Education Community Leaders/Local Experts
In keeping with the theme of expertise by virtue of position, most respondents identified Tom Williams, Superintendent of Schools, as the local community leader in K-12 education. He is also cited for his community involvement. Superintendent Joe Burnett at Wilton was mentioned. The Assistant Superintendent, Becky Furlong, was also named as a highly respected community leader in K-12 education. The importance of the work done with the Hispanic population by West Liberty Superintendent Rebecca Rodocker prompted her mention as a community leader in K-12 education.
Current Challenges
“I hate to say this, because it sounds corny, but it takes a village and that’s really the truth.”
Respondents see a necessity in getting everyone to the same page—educators, parents, residents, children. In addition, classrooms with too many students, problems with the “No Child Left Behind” mandate—causing teachers to have to shift their focus from teaching to testing—the quality of teachers, keeping good teachers, the high school drop-out rate, the gap between high school and higher education, and declining enrollment were also mentioned as major concerns.
Emerging Issues
There was a concern that quality teaching might not be available in the future if teacher pay is not addressed, and the focus is not shifted from test-taking to teaching. It was expressed that there will be “kids who fall through the cracks.” While the perception is that those with special needs and those who are self-motivated are well taken care of, the kids whose goals are not clear, or who don’t have the motivation to continue their educations, are not getting the support they need to become productive adults. It was predicted that the gap between “haves and have nots” would widen.
74. ? 73 Pre-school and Daycare Community Leaders/Local Experts
Many respondents were at a loss to come up with a community leader in pre-school and daycare, usually because it is an area with which they no longer are involved. There was a wide variety of names given, including and Jill Hoben of Lutheran Social Services, Nancy Gardner, Mary O’Dell, Mary Shihadeh, Julie Harold, Jan Collinson and Ann Hart.
Current Challenges
The problem of availability was foremost on the minds of respondents. In particular, availability to low-income residents and shift workers was seen as a challenge. While some felt that plenty of pre-school and daycare is available but that the cost was prohibitive, some felt that there isn’t enough pre-K care and education in the community. The low profitability of the business sector was cited as a reason for the lack of availability.
Respondents also worried about making sure that the quality of care and pre-school available is consistently of high quality. There is a perception that the more affordable options do not offer the quality available at more expensive centers.
Emerging Issues
For some, not solving the community’s daycare and pre-school issues today will have repercussions as simple and direct as children not being prepared for kindergarten. For others, the more serious domino effect—specifically from two-income families not having adequate resources to have daycare—was seen as a breakdown of families and a subsequent increase high school drop-out rates and also in the rate of crime and social problems in the community.
75. ? 74 Post-secondary Education Community Leaders/Local Experts
Without exception, respondents’ first thoughts about leadership in post-secondary education in the community were of Muscatine Community College President, Vic McAvoy, and Dean Jeff Armstrong. These gentlemen were cited for their expertise and experience at their jobs, as well as being active citizens and stakeholders in the community.
Once again, referring to the importance of work done with the Hispanic population, Harry Christopherson was referred to as a community leader. As an advocate for post-secondary education, Representative Jeff Kauffman was also mentioned.
Current Challenges
Where there was an issue was with motivating local students to take advantage of post-secondary education, or in ensuring that they are prepared to do so, again and again, MCC was recognized as an asset to the community. Some felt that not enough was done at the K-12 level to motivate/prepare students for college. Others thought that there is a need for more technical and vocational training versus baccalaureate education. And, as would be expected, the rising cost of a post-secondary education was cited as a challenge.
Emerging Issues
Respondents worried that if more students weren’t driven towards higher education, that there would be an upswing of families without an adequate means of support. Also, watershed impact on the local economy was predicted in that businesses would go elsewhere to find qualified employees.
76. ? 75 Housing Community Leaders/Local Experts
The broad topic of housing brought about a range of specific issues and positions; from real estate agents to loan officers, from homeless shelters to Habitat for Humanity. Those mentioned by respondents as community leaders and/or experts in their various areas of experience were Sister Irma Ries, Mike Johannsen, Karen Cooney, Jim Nobel, all three bank presidents, Marsha Shinkle, and Bob Keig.
Current Challenges
Mostly, respondents bemoaned the lack of affordable housing in the community. For some, that meant overall, while for others the problem is in availability for low-income and special-needs residents. There was also a voice for problems in deterioration of some of the older houses in town, and the decline of some neighborhoods. While urban renewal was seen as a partial answer to the problem, it was also recognized that this often was to the advantage of those with financial means, and to the detriment of those low-income residents who end up, often times, being displaced.
One respondent was very concerned about the community footprint going outside the city limits, with new housing going up in areas where no city taxes are assessed, but where residents still are a drain on city services.
Emerging Issues
Respondents cited the deterioration of certain neighborhoods, a widening of the gap between social classes, and a drain on city services and resources as concerns about future problems in housing for the community.
77. ? 76 Non-profit Social Services Community Leaders/Local Experts
Respondents acknowledged that there is a wide array of private sector non-profit organizations in the community helping to serve residents, and associated those leading the organizations as local community leaders or experts. Those mentioned were local activists Sister Irma Ries and Betty Akers, as well as the leaders of United Way (both past and present), Lutheran Social Services, Red Cross, Knights of Columbus, and the Stanley Foundation.
Current Challenges
The drain on the community’s private sector social services resources was widely acknowledged. This was perceived to be caused by a number of drivers, but mostly politics that make taxes aimed at supporting social programs unpopular, and the increasing inability of residents to volunteer/contribute as much as they once had. With resources so scarce, it was also mentioned that too often organizations are not acting in a coordinated effort and sometimes duplicate efforts.
Emerging Challenges
More need, less resources. This reflects the chief concern of respondents’ vision for the future of Muscatine if today’s challenges are not adequately addressed. One respondent predicted that local agencies would battle over the dollars available, wasting money in the process. In the end, he lamented, only the strong will survive, but it may not necessarily be what the community needs, but just which group received funding.
78. ? 77 Government Social Services Community Leaders/Local Experts
While one person named Mayor Dick O’Brien as the local expert in government social services, all other respondents quickly identified Mike Johannsen, Director of Muscatine County Community Services. He was cited for his activism as well as his position.
Current Challenges
Once again, the dwindling funding available to government social service agencies was a top concern among respondents. As with private social services, the fear was that there would be more demand with less resources to go around.
Image was also a concern with government social services. It was mentioned that government agencies have a bad image to overcome, and that residents don’t want their tax dollars in the hands of a government bureaucracy.
Emerging Issues
The ripple effect that shrinking government social services will have on the local economy was a concern for respondents. Not only do respondents foresee a drain on private social services and the local economy, but they predict a rise in crime and social problems as well.
79. ? 78 Community Planning Community Leaders/Local Experts
A.J. Johnson, was the most often mentioned local expert in the area of community planning. There were, however, a variety of others named as community leaders in the area, including Karen Lathrop, Gary Carlson, Jane Daufeldt, John Sales, Steve Boka, Mark Anderson and Bill Trent.
Current Challenges
Of primary concern to respondents was the lack of community cooperation in the area of community planning. It was felt by many that the wants and needs of many were being overridden by the wishes of a few. The need for a comprehensive plan that would involve the entire community and consider all residents, as well as the need to foster more private-public partnerships was voiced. Also on the minds of some respondents was the need to think regionally rather than to only consider local aspects of planning.
Emerging Issues
For the future, respondents worried about a deterioration of storefront and retail businesses in the community, with so many competing resources available nearby. The biggest worry about the future if things aren’t changed today in terms of how community planning is done, is the waste of resources that will occur from a lack of cooperative planning. Another issue of concern is that the needs of residents won’t be addressed, and drift will occur.
Several respondents did not see any problems with community planning at all.
80. ? 79 Healthcare Services Community Leaders/Local Experts
Respondents were quick to point out that the current directorship of Unity Health Care is in flux, with the former director having just left and an interim director currently in place. Most also said that if this position had a permanent director at this time, it would have been where they’d have turned to identify a local expert in the field of health-care services. One respondent, however, had strong opinions about the incompetence of the past directorship. Physicians from the area, Dr. John Ellis and Dr. Matthew Sojka, were named as community experts, as were Jill Kordic and John Becky, local health-care administrators. Lauren Hanna was named as a community activist, likely with the Hispanic population because she was cited as being bilingual.
Current Challenges
Besides seeking stability in leadership, respondents worry that a focused vision within the healthcare sector is badly needed. With so many options available within a reasonable driving distance, some worry that by trying to be all things to all people, Muscatine’s healthcare services will actually suffer. Some see a need to make a determination of what things the community healthcare services can do best, and to specialize in those areas. As always, decreasing funding is seen as an obstacle.
Emerging Issues
An increasing lack of affordability and a loss of critical services within the community as residents turn elsewhere for their healthcare are seen as the major concerns for the future.
81. ? 80 Mental Healthcare Services Community Leaders/Local Experts
Respondents readily admitted to a lack of knowledge in this area of community services. A few named Mike Johannsen, Director of MCCS – but only for lack of someone more specifically involved in mental healthcare services that they could think of. Paula LeVassaur of New Horizons, and Nancy Nauman, a local residential care director, were also named.
Current Challenges
The main concern among respondents is the lack of mental healthcare services available locally. This is especially alarming due to the dynamic that those who need this type of care most also have the most barriers to availability of mental healthcare.
Some related problems with mental healthcare to the aging population. As the population of elderly grow in the community, so does the need for elder services, including mental healthcare.
Emerging Issues
The fear for the future of the community was that there would be less availability of mental healthcare services rather than more, and that there would be more residents with serious problems that will be left untreated. This will—once again—cause a ripple effect with and increase in crime, homelessness, etc. There was also a concern that psychiatric cases would need to be treated at the hospital because they won’t be addressed at the ambulatory level, taxing the resources of the hospitals.
82. ? 81 Leisure Activities Community Leaders/Local Experts
Principle agencies named were the City Department of Parks and Recreation, and the local YMCA. Rich Klimes and Jane Daufeldt of Parks and Recreation were named specifically, as was Susan Corey of the Y. The local college was also mentioned for the good job they do with summer programs.
Current Challenges
Almost everyone interviewed spoke to the advantages Muscatine enjoys when it comes to leisure resources, especially the natural resources that lend themselves to leisure time activities. Most also felt that the biggest challenges facing the community are in maintaining what has already been established. A part of this is in the form of making sure that what the community provides is what people want, with respondents recognizing that the desirability of specific activities change in response to generational changes.
There was concern voiced over the traveling sports teams, which evolved when the school system dropped some of the sports they had formerly facilitated. The private traveling teams are seen as available to those who can afford the various expenses associated with participation, leaving out those who don’t have the financial ability to participate.
Emerging Issues
“The trouble is that if you haven’t identified what you want as a community, you’ll have a lot of nice things that aren’t being used.” Along with this concern is the issue of facilities that begin to crumble if proper maintenance isn’t made a high priority.
83. ? 82 The Environment Community Leaders/Local Experts
There was definitely no consensus of opinion as to leadership or expertise in the area of the environment. Some respondents said they simply could not name anyone. Agencies such as the DNR, the Muscatine Conservation Board, the County Board of Health, and organizations such as Monsanto, Muscatine Foods, and Muscatine Power and Water were named as places involved in the local environment. For those who were able to name someone, John Root, Curt Weiss, Laura Legious (Keep Muscatine Beautiful) Eric Furness and Bill Trent were mentioned.
Current Challenges
While most respondents didn’t see any significant challenges in terms of the environment locally, there was an expressed concern for the quality of air and water in view of the amount of industry in the area. On a more micro scale, some expressed the need for curbside recycling and landfill planning.
Emerging Issues
While many respondents just see things “getting worse,” some don’t see any issues with the environment evolving for the community, and one cited “over-zealous devotion to the green movement.”
84. ? 83 Public Transportation Community Leaders/Local Experts
Most respondents were unable to name a person, for the most part (other than City Administrator A.J. Johnson and Transit Supervisor Ann Harris), but quickly identified Muscabus as the community pubic transportation provider.
Current Challenges
Many community leaders interviewed felt the current public transportation system in Muscatine was insufficient for the needs of residents. It was mentioned that there are no taxi cabs, and that the bus system operated on a limited schedule—including no Sunday services. This was seen mostly as a problem for residents needing public transportation to get around, specifically the elderly.
Emerging Issues
It was felt that higher energy costs will drive up the demand for public transportation, causing a need to expand services to meet the needs of residents. Ultimately, quality of life is seen as potentially suffering without adequate public transportation in the future.
85. ?
Identifying: Muscatine’s Top Priorities
86. ? 85 Identifying: Muscatine’s Top Priorities Next we asked respondents to consider priorities for their community, and to tell us what they felt should be Muscatine’s top three priorities in terms of providing for the best possible quality of life for residents.
Once a priority was identified, respondents were asked whether or not they felt that the community was adequately addressing the issue at this time. If they felt that there were not adequate resources being brought to bear upon the issue they identified, we asked if they thought that those resources were, in fact, available.
There was a wide variety of responses, with two or three being cited several times. What is revealing, however, is that there were 12 single mentions and 3 with only two respondents citing it as a priority. This seems to be an indication of one of the issues identified: a lack of community cooperation and focus of vision.
In almost all cases, respondents felt that there were sufficient resources available to address those issues they identified as priorities, but felt that there wasn’t a concentrated effort to focus on problem resolution as a community.
87. ? 86 Identifying: Muscatine’s Top Priorities
88. ?
Identifying: Muscatine’s Best Assets
89. ? 88 Identifying: Muscatine’s Best Assets As a welcome change from talking about problems faced by their community, respondents next were asked to talk about the best that Muscatine has to offer its residents in terms of how they contribute to quality of life.
This was left to the interpretation of each community leader interviewed. They were welcome to identify organizations, individuals, attitudes—residents’ willingness to volunteer, or even a natural resource, such as the riverbank.
Respondents were asked to name what they considered to be the top three assets Muscatine has to offer residents. They had a lot to say about the good things they see around their community!
Again, there were an array of responses, but a bit more of a consensus than when respondents were asked to identify top priorities.
90. ? 89 Identifying: Muscatine’s Best Assets
91. ?
How is the Community Doing at Meeting the Needs of Residents?
92. ? 91 How is the Community Doing?
93. ? 92 How is the Community Doing?
94. ? 93 How is the Community Doing?
95. ?
Recognition of Prevailing Issues
96. ? 95 Recognition of Prevailing Issues
97. ? 96 Recognition of Prevailing Issues
98. ? 97 Recognition of Prevailing Issues
99. ? 98 Recognition of Prevailing Issues
100. ? 99 Recognition of Prevailing Issues
101. ? 100
102. ? 101 Appendix B: Community Residents
103. ? 102
104. ?
Community Needs Assessment Phase III Report: Community Residents’ Quantitative Study United Way of Muscatine County and their Community Partners
August 2008
105. ? 104 Presentation Outline Purpose and Methodology of the Study
About the Sample
Demographics
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Verbatim Responses
106. ? 105 Purpose The United Way of Muscatine (UWM) is one of 1,300 community-based United Way organizations nationwide, all with the common purpose of organizing volunteers and local charities helping to meet the health and human-care needs for millions of people every day. UWM adds value to the community through grants given, as well as the assistance and resources offered through the organization. As its website says:
“…let us celebrate all the wonderful happenings in Muscatine but not forget we have work to do to assure that everyone in Muscatine can enjoy our great facilities and quality of life.”
107. ? 106 Purpose As no assessment has been conducted in the past, UWM leadership, in partnership with County Community Services, City of Muscatine, Muscatine Community College, Muscatine School District, Unity Health Care and the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is conducting a community needs assessment of the greater Muscatine area to identify common human needs in its service area. Information gathered from this study will be used to update the UWM strategic plan to meet the needs of the community. In addition, a baseline report card will be developed as a data comparison for the future and for further needs assessments.
Covered by the assessment were a variety of specific issues relative to the following general community attributes:
Safety
Education
Housing
Social
Health
Leisure
Economic
Environment
Transportation
108. ? 107 Methodology A survey instrument was developed by Vernon Research Group in conjunction with UWM to be fielded over the telephone.
A list was purchased that reflected the census information for the county (percent of contacts supplied for each Muscatine County city or town mirrored percent of county population for each city or town), and quotas were set for gender and ethnicity:
40% male, 60% female
At least 15% non-Caucasian ±3%
All respondents had to be residents of Muscatine County, 18 years of age or older, to qualify.
Calling began May 9, 2008 and continued through May 20, 2008.
At that point, there were 360 completes with gender quotas met; however, ethnicity quotas were at 97% Caucasian, with 7 non-Caucasian respondents completing the survey.
It was determined that alternate methods of data collection to gather the remaining completed surveys were necessary in order to provide an appropriate representation of non-Caucasian responses for the study.
109. ? 108 Methodology The survey instrument was programmed for the Web. Contacts were made in Muscatine County, and various people and organizations were asked to assist with gathering data from minority populations by making the Web survey available to them. In addition, e-mail survey invitations were sent to 39 Hispanic contacts. These efforts yielded a total of 6 responses.
Two subsequent trips to Muscatine were made by Vernon Research Group employees in an attempt to collect minority responses in person with paper surveys. For those who would agree to take the survey, a language barrier existed, with many only able to complete the survey by means of an accompanying child translating for them. This effort provided another 14 completed surveys to the total.
With a total sample of 380, there is a confidence interval for this study of ±5%.
110. ? 109 Presentation Outline Purpose and Methodology of the Study
Sample Demographics
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Verbatim Responses
111. ? 110 Sample Demographics Gender
112. ? 111 Sample Demographics Age
113. ? 112 Sample Demographics Education
114. ? 113 Sample Demographics Employment
115. ? 114 Sample Demographics Annual Household Income
116. ? 115 Sample Demographics Zip Code
117. ? 116 Sample Demographics Housing
118. ? 117 Sample Demographics Length of Time in Community
119. ? 118 Sample Demographics Ethnicity
120. ? 119 Presentation Outline Purpose and Methodology of the Study
Sample Demographics
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Verbatim Responses
121. ? 120 Findings Households with Children or Seniors
122. ? 121 Findings Importance of Community Attributes (I)
123. ? 122 Findings Importance of Community Attributes (II)
124. ? 123 Findings Importance of Community Attributes (III)
125. ? 124 Findings Significance Testing Importance of Community Attributes
126. ? 125 Findings Significance Testing Importance of Community Attributes
127. ? 126 Findings Rating Muscatine County (I)
128. ? 127 Findings Rating Muscatine County (II)
129. ? 128 Findings Rating Muscatine County (III)
130. ? 129 Findings Significance Testing Muscatine County Performance Ratings
131. ? 130 Findings Quality of Life Overall Rating
132. ? 131
133. ? 132
134. ? 133
135. ? 134
136. ? 135
137. ? 136
138. ? 137
139. ? 138
140. ? 139
141. ? 140 Findings Community Betterment Activities
142. ? 141 Findings Supporting the Community
143. ? 142 Findings Community Volunteers
144. ? 143 Findings Community Volunteers
145. ? 144 Findings Challenges for Community Residents (I)
146. ? 145 Findings Challenges for Community Residents (II)
147. ? 146 Findings Challenges for Community Residents (III)
148. ? 147 Findings Profile of Muscatine Community Residents
149. ? 148 Findings Profile of Muscatine Community Residents
150. ? 149 Findings Biggest Challenges to Quality of Life
151. ? 150 Findings Biggest Challenges – Verbatim Responses
152. ? 151 Findings Brainstorming Solutions
153. ? 152 Findings Brainstorming Solutions
154. ? 153 Findings Brainstorming Solutions – Verbatims
155. ? 154 Presentation Outline Purpose and Methodology of the Study
Sample Demographics
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Verbatim Responses
156. ? 155 Conclusions One concern among residents is the blending of the Hispanic population into the community, both in terms of problems faced by those residents and in terms of creating a welcoming atmosphere for ethnically diverse populations. Interestingly, while this study verifies the perception that Hispanics are facing more and more serious problems in the community, it also demonstrates that they are among the most satisfied residents with the quality of life their community offers.
While there are a many concerns and issues the community will need to address, four general themes present themselves at the forefront:
Jobs: low paying jobs, temporary employment, poor benefits, jobs moving out of town, people unable to find jobs
Poverty: the need for low-income housing and more services for the poor
Health care: the need for affordable/available health care, mental health care, and dental care
Teens/children: the need for a place for teens to gather and activities to keep them out of trouble, teenage pregnancy, teens at risk of dropping out of school because of academic or behavior problems, the need for affordable day care
Other major issues were identified, such as the needs of the elderly and disabled, and the environment. Also, it appears that many of the issues intertwine with the primary issues; for example, transportation needed primarily by the poor in order to get to jobs or job training education.
157. ? 156 Conclusions In terms of setting priorities, the Kano model provides some clear-cut distinctions between those issues that need to be moved to top priority and those which are performing at an acceptable level at present.
With the exception of services for teens in need of assistance, threshold attributes are performing where they need to be at present. As previously stated, the goal should be optimization, not excess. The one threshold attribute that seems to be over performing at this time is educational infrastructure.
All performance attributes could be doing more to maximize quality of life for Muscatine County residents. Remember, with these attributes, more is better, with the ultimate goal to push perceptions/satisfaction to a 5 out of 5. At present, the community is doing only average with performance attributes. Keep in mind that these are the most important drivers of overall quality of life within the community.
Muscatine County has several opportunities with excitement attributes to raise the bar with community unity and enhanced quality of life. While threshold and performance attributes provide for establishing the basic needs of residents in terms of quality of life, these unexpected delighters—if performed well—will distinguish Muscatine County as a place that provides an exceptional experience for residents, and will work to attract outsiders to the communities within the county.
158. ? 157 Presentation Outline Purpose and Methodology of the Study
About the Sample
Sample Demographics
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Verbatim Responses
159. ? 158 Preliminary Recommendations Community leaders have to be visible, present and inclusive with planning for future community needs
Additional focus on successes in the economic development arena, as well-defined public standard for economic (both community and personal) successes and standards
A community review of the underlying causes and solutions of the high level of stress and anxiety reported by respondents, particularly in the lower-income and minority population
What is the answer to narrow the gap between the need for services and the financial means to obtain assistance
Formation and/or promotion of a community-based group to focus on teens in needs of assistance, whether it be for academic, personal, or behavioral needs
If possible, a gentle shift of priorities from educational facilities (without decreasing overall quality of life in the community), to services for teens in need of assistance
Encouraging greater volunteerism within the community, particularly in the most popular areas, allowing drift between the areas
Increasing efforts to attract more minorities to volunteer
Increasing efforts to encourage current volunteers to mentor future volunteer leaders, with an emphasis on cross-cultural partnering
Continue community-building activities, and build on the successes, branching out to create other successes
160. ?
1962 First Avenue NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 www.vernonresearch.com (319) 364-7278
Data to Decisions…
161. ? 160 Appendix C: Service Providers
162. ? 161
163. ?
164. ? 163 Presentation Outline Purpose of the Study
Methodology
About the Sample
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
165. ? 164 Purpose In the third phase of this Community Needs Assessment (CAN), the target audience is service providers; those members of the Muscatine County community who work “in the trenches” each day, providing services for the county’s in-need residents.
purpose of the Service Providers Study is to:
Assess the responsiveness of the Muscatine community in providing various service organizations/providers with what is needed to address the needs of local residents
Determine what challenges exist for the clientele of service providers creating barriers to those services
Find ways to increase access to services for community residents
Establish protocol to assist service providers to coordinate efforts and increase efficiency
166. ? 165 Presentation Outline Purpose of the Study
Methodology
About the Sample
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
167. ? 166 Methodology In conjunction with the United Way of Muscatine and their partners, Vernon Research Group designed a survey instrument to reflect the specific goals of the study, namely, to identify gaps in services and critical or emerging issues for residents of Muscatine County.
Paper survey instruments were mailed to the United Way of Muscatine offices, who then distributed them to selected service providers in the community in Muscatine. A total of 59 were distributed, with 21 responding, for a response rate of 36%.
Data from the paper surveys was coded into SPSS for analysis.
168. ? 167 Presentation Outline Purpose of the Study
Methodology
About the Sample
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
169. ? 168 About the Sample Respondents represent a number of service sectors.
The responses shaded in light green were listed as “other” by respondents.
Respondents could check or list more than one category; for example, both at-risk populations and housing.
170. ? 169 About the Sample
171. ? 170 About the Sample D3. Please provide a specific description of the type of service you provide or position you hold, including the type of population you serve.
“ Board President for a food pantry—lower - mid income, undocumented people ”
“Bookkeeping supervisor—poor and mental health disability groups ”
“Case management coordinator—persons with disabilities, mental retardation, chronic mental illness. Developmental disability brain injuring ”
“Consultations on immigration issues, case management for minority senior citizens, accredited representative and executive director——U.S. citizens, immigrants, refugees, etc. of all ages ”
“Executive Director—all”
“Director—alternative Middle & High school, in home counseling services, family counseling in -office, domestic violence, sexual assault ”
“Director/Administrator—low income and disabilities”
”District Executive—youth ages 8-18”
“Educator/Disability service provider—Post Secondary ”
“Employment—persons with disabilities”
172. ? 171 About the Sample D3. Please provide a specific description of the type of service you provide or position you hold, including the type of population you serve.
“Home care & Hospice Director, provide in-home skilled nursing, physical/occupational/speech therapies, medical social work, aide and homemaker services, and companionship aid services—end-of-life patients, few pediatric cases”
“ Police—24,000”
“President of Board of Directors, Muscatine Search and Rescue—50,000+”
“Principal—250 children”
“Public Transportation/Transit Supervisor—City of Muscatine”
“Recreation Director—youth”
“Service Coordinator—at risk families with children prenatal - age 3”
“Special education teacher, work experience coordinator—special needs”
173. ? 172 About the Sample Nearly one-third of respondents are either new to the area or have established themselves in the community
174. ? 173 Presentation Outline Purpose of the Study
Methodology
About the Sample
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
175. ? 174 Findings – Resources to Meet the Demand
176. ? 175 Findings – Resources to Meet the Demand
177. ? 176 Findings – Resources to Meet the Demand
178. ? 177 Findings – Quality of Life Rating
179. ? 178 Findings – Meeting the Need
180. ? 179 Findings – Meeting the Need
181. ? 180 Findings – Meeting the Need
182. ? 181 Findings – Barriers
183. ? 182 Findings – Barriers
184. ? 183 Findings – Community Resources
185. ? 184 Findings – Primary Issues (I)
186. ? 185 Findings – Primary Issues (II)
187. ? 186 Findings – Community Leaders
188. ? 187 Findings - Coordination
189. ? 188 Findings – Coordination
190. ? 189 Findings – Coordination (I)
191. ? 190 Findings – Coordination (II)
192. ? 191 Findings – Immediate Challenges
193. ? 192 Findings – Emerging Issues
194. ? 193 Findings – Additional Comments
195. ? 194 Presentation Outline Purpose of the Study
Methodology
About the Sample
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
196. ? 195 Conclusions
197. ? 196 Conclusions
198. ? 197 Conclusions
199. ? 198 Presentation Outline Purpose of the Study
Methodology
About the Sample
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
200. ? 199 Recommendations
201. ? 200 Recommendations
202. ? 201 Community Profiles
203. ? 202 Community Profiles Meet Mike—Community Leader Mike is an involved community leader, donating hundreds of hours of his time to sitting on the boards and committees that oversee the flow of resources to the Muscatine community.
Mike is driven by a sincere desire to help his community offer the best possible quality of life for all of its residents.
Although Mike, and others like him, take their places as community leaders united by a common cause—ensuring that Muscatine is a thriving place for residents to live—he has his own ideas about priorities.
204. ? 203 Community Profiles Mike—Community Leader Mike recognizes Muscatine’s many assets:
The riverbank and all of the recreational activities it provides
A number of home-grown companies that are dedicated to the community and keep the job market healthy
Good schools and a vital community college
Hundreds of willing volunteers
Mike also sees certain challenges that the community faces, both current and emerging:
The danger that local industry will leave the community
Many local high school graduates are not ready to take their places in the workforce
The availability of qualified workers isn’t what it should be
The health care system is in a current state of flux, and many residents leave town to get the health care they seek, either voluntarily or by necessity
Certain undesirable elements have entered the community, namely drugs and a criminal element
205. ? 204 Community Profiles Mike—Community Leader In Mike’s eyes, the top three priorities for the community are:
Education
Jobs and economic stability
Adequate health care
The Facts
When asked to identify what the top priorities should be for Muscatine County, poverty was seldom mentioned, and child abuse, teen pregnancy, the dropout rate, and domestic violence were mentioned by only one community leader in an unprompted open-end question. In fact, many said these issues were not problems within the county. Yet:
Over 11% of county residents live below the poverty level
The county has a teen pregnancy rate of 10%
There is a drop-out rate of 18% in the high schools, and 82% of county residents don’t go on to college
Child abuse climbed 26% between 2000 and 2005
Muscatine County has one of the highest divorce rates in the state
206. ? 205 Community Profiles Meet Rosa—Local Resident Rosa doesn’t speak much English. She has been living in Muscatine County for about 12 years now, but stays fairly insulated within the Hispanic community, so she has had little need to learn much English. When absolutely necessary, her oldest daughter, Maria, translates for her.
Rosa feels very fortunate to live here. She is happy with the opportunities she has in Muscatine, and feels accepted—unlike some of her relatives who settled elsewhere in the U.S.
Still, life isn’t exactly easy for Rosa.
207. ? 206 Community Profiles Meet Rosa—Local Resident Rosa’s husband had a substance abuse problem and was abusive to both her and their children. She’s actually glad he disappeared 3 years ago, but things are hard financially for her as a single mother.
Rosa works the night shift at a local factory. Since she doesn’t think she can afford day care, so Maria cares for the 3 younger children.
Rosa dreams of buying her own home and being able to send her children to college someday, but just paying the bills, putting food on the table and shoes on her children’s feet is a constant struggle. Most of all, she worries about Maria…both for today and for tomorrow.
The Facts
In Muscatine County, our survey results show that:
5,403 residents couldn’t afford housing.
4,503 residents couldn’t afford food for themselves or their families.
3,602 residents couldn’t afford shoes or clothing.
4,974 residents couldn’t pay their utility bills.
4,588 residents couldn’t find affordable day care.
4,631 residents needed help dealing with substance abuse problems, and 3,045 in dealing with violence and/or abuse in the home.
208. ? 207 Community Profiles Meet Maria—Teenager Maria has had to grow up too fast. She is mom to her 3 younger siblings every night while her mother, Rosa, works at the factory.
High school is hard for her…not because she isn’t smart, but because she thinks she just won’t graduate. She knows how much her mother wants her to go to college, but Maria is “too realistic” to think that will ever happen, so she starts slacking.
Maria doesn’t have the money some kids at school have to go to Davenport or Iowa City to the malls shopping for clothes, which leaves her a little isolated, and she tries to make up for it.
Lately, at night when her mother is working, Maria’s boyfriend, Josh, has been coming over to keep her company.
209. ? 208 Community Profiles Meet Josh—Maria’s Boyfriend Josh has been having behavior problems at school. His grades are bad, and he got kicked off the football team this year. School just doesn’t seem all that important when you live in a home where your father is gone working all the time and your mom is “checked out” with her own stress and anxiety issues.
There used to be a teen center in town where Josh would go when he felt like he just needed to get out of the house. Now it’s gone, so he’s taken to hanging out with either Maria or some people who are definitely a negative influence.
Lately, Josh has been smoking pot, doing a little drinking, has given up on being a role model to his younger brother and given up on college—especially now that his chances at an athletic scholarship are gone. Maria helps him keep his mind off his problems.
210. ? 209 Community Profiles Meet Ed—Josh’s Dad Ed works hard, and he has to, in order to keep up. In a world where it takes two incomes to pay the bills, he’s been trying to support his wife, Janet, and two sons, including Josh, on his own.
Ed’s wife has been diagnosed with depression and had to leave her job about three years ago because of her frequent panic attacks. Trying to manage her illness has been a huge financial drain on family resources. Ed has spent hours on the road driving back and forth to Iowa City to get treatment for Janet.
Ed works for a temp agency, and is putting in a lot of hours because the pay isn’t that great. Meanwhile, the benefits are non-existent. He’s hoping to find a permanent job that will offer health insurance.
Ed never finished college, and now he’d like to go back to school so he can get a good job that offers some security. But he has no idea how to do that and keep a roof over his family’s heads at the same time. Right now, though, Ed is worried about Josh.
211. ? 210 Community Profiles Ed-Josh’s Dad Ed’s oldest son has been in lots of trouble at school lately. Ed is afraid Josh is getting into drugs. Since he’s working all the time and he knows Janet isn’t keeping tabs on their son, he worries about Josh’s future too—especially now that the hopes of a college scholarship have dried up. Worse yet, Josh doesn’t even seem interested in his own future.
Like the majority of Muscatine County residents, Ed sees economic growth, services for teens and jobs (keeping them in town and providing a living wage) as top priorities for the community. He also struggles to find the resources he so desperately needs, though many are right here in his own community.
The Facts
In Muscatine County, our survey results show that:
7,333 residents needed assistance dealing with teenagers or children with behavior problems.
5,403 needed help for a teenager at risk of dropping out of school because of behavior problems, and 4,760 because of academic problems.
6,990 couldn’t find a job.
5,532 indicated they couldn’t afford the education they needed to help them get a job.
14,537 residents suffered from anxiety or depression, and 5,746 said they couldn’t afford mental health care.
212. ? 211 Community Profiles Josh and Maria Two kids with plenty of unsupervised time on their hands
No place for them to go; nothing for them to do
Lots of problems they don’t want to have to think about
Maria ends up pregnant
Josh tries to decide if he should step up or run away, and decides he’s not ready to be a dad. Now he has more “reason” than ever to remove himself from reality, and just can’t see any reason to keep going to school
Rosa now has another mouth to feed
Ed has another family member desperately in need of help that either isn’t available or accessible
213. ? 212 Community Profiles Meet Susan—Social Worker Susan works for a local social service agency. Her job is daunting. Each day she deals with a myriad of problems facing her clients. She is often overwhelmed because the needs far exceed the availability of services.
Susan and other service providers in Muscatine try to network, but there isn’t any formal means of doing so. There is frustration that various agencies are wasting precious resources by duplicating efforts. Susan would really like to see some kind of coordination to help local service providers address local needs as effectively as possible.
Susan is often frustrated by what she feels is a group of community leaders who are well intentioned, yet sometimes very much out of touch with the reality of local residents’ needs.
214. ? 213 Community Profiles Meet Susan—Social Worker Susan and other service providers with whom she networks have somewhat different ideas than local community leaders about where the focus should be in Muscatine County as far as allocating resources to provide services.
While community leaders and local service providers agree that health care and jobs/economic stability are top priorities, Susan feels that community leaders are completely missing the huge crisis Muscatine faces regarding teen and youth issues such as teen pregnancy, the dropout rate, drugs, and the lack of programs for local teens.
In addition, Susan thinks that community leaders are out of touch with poverty issues and families in crisis without resources to assist them.
Sometimes the most frustrating thing is that when there are services available for local residents, they either don’t know about them or don’t have the means of transportation to get to them.
Susan acknowledges that there are plentiful resources within the community, but sees a huge gap between what needs are, and how resources are allocated to meet those needs in Muscatine.
215. ? 214 Findings – Meeting the Need (Appendix C: Service Providers’ Study)
216. ? 215 Findings – Immediate Challenges (Appendix C: Service Providers’ Study)
217. ? 216 Community Profiles Local Volunteers and Activists x
218. ? 217 Community Profiles Meet Local Volunteers and Activists Muscatine County is fortunate to have many, many local residents who care about their community and those in need.
85% of residents have donated money to a local non-profit or community organization in the last year
Well over half have volunteered their time within the last year
Almost 75% would be willing to volunteer their time, and over 70% would participate in community and community-building activities in the future
Volunteers would most interesting in being involved in:
Protecting the environment
Services for the elderly
Services for young children
Services for people with disabilities
Services for low-income residents
Services for teens
Services for minorities
219. ? 218
