A Report of Ten Factors Contributing to the
Overall Health of Kenosha’s Communities
The United Way of Kenosha County recently underwent a strategic planning process to evaluate its role, responsibility, and direction as a proactive and responsive community partner. One of the objectives the Planning committee set out to achieve was to identify areas of community need through an assessment process and use its results to affirm or revise currently funded focus areas, community goals and community objectives to ensure that they represent the most significant community needs that are most appropriate for United Way support.
A sub-committee, consisting of research experts, was formed in partnership with Kenosha County UW-Extension, Kenosha County Department of Human Services and the Community Research Development Institute of UW-Parkside. Members decided to approach the needs identification process in a three-fold manner. Data was collected from three general areas: a review of existing community reports and data sources (what had all ready been done?) and acquire input from community stakeholders and from community service providers (what do others say about the current community needs?). A framework for the needs identification process was established and 10 factors that contribute to the overall health of a community were identified. Health is defined broadly as a state of complete well being – physical, social and mental – and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
These factors became the “community well-being factors.” The 2004 Community Well-Being: A report of Ten Factors contributing to the Overall Health of Kenosha’s Communities report details the results of this research. The extensive use of data from original and secondary sources makes this assessment a valuable depository of human concern matters for our county.
Non-profit agencies are welcomed to use the report in developing grant proposals and strategic plans, and community service clubs use it to help set priorities for annual projects.
The United Way volunteers and staff are using the information as a first step in redeveloping long term community goals and objectives to guide United Way’s community impact efforts over the next three years. United Way’s next step will be to invite other local groups to work collaboratively on creating a community health and human services plan that will seek to make a measurable difference on a limited number of the area's most pressing needs. This work will involve developing new partnerships spanning the non-profit, for-profit, government, and faith sectors.
The following are links to 2004 Community Well-Being as well as the Executive Summary. You can also go directly to specific sections of the document using the links below. A complete report is also available at the United Way of Kenosha County office.
2004 Community Well-Being Report - Full Report (PDF file - contains 63 pages)
View Report by section:
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