United Way launches first community needs survey

Always looking for new ways to help Sampson residents, the United Way of Sampson County and its board of directors recently launched its first community needs survey, a move it believes will help it, its agencies, and local do-gooders better meet the needs of others in the community.

?United Way?s Board of Directors thought it was needed, that it would be a good way to get a pulse on what people in the community think are the major issues,? said UW executive director Nancy Carr.

To create the survey, United Way held a meeting in late February that involved the local Police Department, Sheriff?s Department, Department of Social Services, Health Department, Clinton City Schools, Sampson County Schools, 4-H, Sampson Regional Medical Center, and the Department of Aging.

According to Carr, the feedback from these entities helped United Way develop a well-rounded survey, touching on everything from education, workforce, and health care to household finances, public safety, and senior services.

The UW director shared that other agencies and departments, such as the Health Department, also do surveys but that United Way?s tends to be ?broader? in its scope.

However, ?we hope to partner with the Health Department in the future on surveys,? she stressed, noting that the Health Department?s surveys are full of valuable information. ?(Health Director) Wanda Robinson was very receptive to the idea when we spoke to her about it.?

The UW survey will be used in conjunction with a statistical analysis to get a better idea of what the community?s most pressing needs are. Included in the statistical analysis is information such as teen pregnancy rates and school drop-out rates.

?Between the two we should be able to filter down what areas need the most attention,? said Carr. ?It will help us to better measure the impact we?re having and show us if there are needs out there that are not being addressed.?

?It could turn out that the results say we are doing a good job,? Carr continued. ?But that?s what we want to find out.?

The survey results will be especially helpful to those agencies seeking financial support from United Way. ?When new agencies come to us and apply for funding, they will know what we are really focusing on,? said Carr. ?Our existing agencies can also tailor their programs to better fit the needs of the community.?

But the survey results are not just for United Way?s use, Carr stressed.

?The information that is gathered will be shared. It will let everyone ? agencies, non-profits, civic groups, churches ? know what the major needs are. It?s not just about United Way doing everything. We want to collaborate with others,? explained Carr. ?It will act as a springboard for working with other agencies and programs, maybe even getting some here that we don?t currently have in Sampson County but that there is a need for.?

The survey, which comes in both English and Spanish and will be available online, has already been open for a couple of weeks. It will continue to be available through United Way, their agencies, and some local churches for approximately four more weeks.

?We?d like to have it wrapped up by August 15,? noted Carr.

Carr hopes that Sampson residents will take the time to complete the survey, which United Way hopes to run every three year from now on, and share their feedback with United Way. ?We want to reach into those rural pockets of the county. We want it to cross all ethnicities. It?s important to us that it to be as reflective of Sampson County as possible.?

?Undoubtedly, this survey will give the United Way a better understanding of what the citizens of Sampson County view as being areas of importance and priority. This survey will be a valuable tool in helping the United Way align the allocation of funds to needs identified by survey participants. Moreover, the more participation we have in completing these surveys the more effective we will be in meeting our objective,? United Way president Kenny Cabral pointed out, ?so we ask that you take a few minutes to provide your input.?

?Through the community needs assessment, United Way of Sampson County is seeking public input to identify current and emerging needs facing Sampson County residents. It is my hope that we have good participation throughout the county,? added United Way board member Sarah Bradshaw, who also serves as director of Sampson?s DSS.

?We all have ideas and concerns about the needs of Sampson County. Some of them are from our own experiences, some are from things we witness, and others are from stories we hear. All of these, however, are anecdotal and do not provide the complete picture of needs in the county,? shared fellow United Way board member Shawn Purvis. ?No one knows the entire story or needs of each of the county?s 64,000 individuals. The stories are needed and they help put the needs in perspective, but we also need the quantifiable aspect to complete the picture. We hope the survey will fill in the gaps and provide us with information about what the residents of Sampson County truly feel the greatest needs are.?

Residents are already heeding this call for participation. ?Quite a few surveys have already been coming in,? shared Carr, noting that the United Way board is anxious to find out the results.

?We are very results-oriented,? Carr said. ?We want to make sure that the dollars that are invested into United Way are used wisely, and we want those people who are investing to see results, measurable outcomes.?

?The United Way board is committed to utilizing the results of this survey as future funding allocation decisions are made. I feel this is an excellent opportunity to collectively align resources with the efforts best positioned to meet the most pressing concerns within Sampson County,? Bradshaw added.

?The main thing is that it will be used to guide United Way in improving the lives of people in Sampson County; that?s what we are all about,? shared Carr. ?So many in the community want to help. This will help them make more informed decisions about how to really make a difference in Sampson County.?

For more information about the survey, please contact Nancy Carr at 910-592-4263 or via email at uwaysampsonco@embarqmail.com. Also, visit www.unitedwaysampson.org.

Lauren Williams can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 117 or via email at lwilliams@civitasmedia.com.

Source: http://clintonnc.com/bookmark/23171370

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