For those who spend their lives helping others

Hunger and Homelessness in College

By Katie McFarlin, 211info Communications & Outreach Intern.

Recently, NPR ran a story: College Students Hide Hunger, Homelessness, that really got me thinking.

Every day, students at universities across the country have to deal with the harsh reality that they may not be able to eat today or have to sleep on a couch to be able to afford their education. It’s becoming more and more evident that getting a job without at least a bachelor’s degree is practically impossible.

The current generation is being forced to make some tough decisions about the value of college. The cost of living is steadily increasing, but the cost of college tuition is rising at an even faster rate, making it difficult to pay for necessities while getting an education. Current college students are now paying over 400% more than their parents had to for a college education (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Money is tight in college even if your household is above the poverty line; in impoverished households, there is rarely enough money to afford tuition, rent, food, and books. As a college student, I’ve noticed a lot of the students who struggle with expenses in college are first generation students. Their parents didn’t go to college and don’t think that it’s a necessary expense. I have friends that have a rocky relationship with their parents because they chose college against their parents’ wishes. They have to pay for all of their college expenses by themselves and may not be able to afford necessities like rent and food. They have to rely on federal aid and scholarships in addition to taking out huge loans. Even after scholarships, federal aid, and loans, college is still incredibly expensive.

In situations where the student can’t afford to continue college, there are generally two options: quit and get a job, or make some cutbacks when it comes to necessities. Students shouldn’t have to choose between having a place to sleep at night and receiving a college degree.

Most students don’t realize that there is help out there or are afraid to admit that they need help.  More and more students are struggling with college expenses, sometimes having to quit school for a semester or a year to work. Receiving assistance with basic needs like food, shelter, and rent can significantly increase the likelihood of future success for students who struggle with expenses on a day to day basis.

As students, we all have to be aware that our friends or someone sitting in the desk next to us could be facing these issues. The trick is, making sure everyone has their antennas up and making sure everyone knows that services exist.

Broad knowledge of 2-1-1 is a start, but what else could we do to reach out to this population?

Katie is a junior at Graceland University in Lamoni, IA, majoring in history with minors in art and biology. She is from Vancouver, Washington.

30.07.2010 Uncategorized No Comments

2-1-1 service: Emergency response we can all count on

Published in The Oregonian, In My Opinion section, Monday July 19, 2010

By 211info Board Members J. Michael Schultz and Martin Taylor

Indelible images of gushing oil thousands of feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, along with crude-soaked birds and the anguish of shrimpers with dashed dreams have undoubtedly been in the thoughts of every American. But with our sadness for those in the Gulf comes a realization that all of our communities are vulnerable to disaster. To coordinate disaster and public health response efforts in Oregon, we would be well-served to create a statewide 2-1-1 system as a companion to crucial government services. With 2-1-1 legislation before Congress and a groundswell of nonprofit, foundation and government organizations working to bring 2-1-1 to counties throughout the state, now is the time to act.

Just as 9-1-1 connects callers with emergency services, 2-1-1 connects people to important human services, from private nonprofits to government and faith-based agencies. This easy-to-remember phone number saves time and frustration by eliminating the need for callers to navigate a maze of agencies and help lines.

While 9-1-1 and emergency management agencies are focused on life-threatening crises, 2-1-1 provides vital information and resource referrals. Nationwide, during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the San Diego wildfires and recently during the Gulf oil spill, 2-1-1 has filled this role.

Locally, a group called 211info — the Oregon and southwest Washington nonprofit in charge of 2-1-1 — played a role in responding to the extreme winter weather of 2008. Last year, 211info helped more than 260,000 people through its phone lines and online database. The nonprofit currently serves seven counties in Oregon, totaling more than half of the state’s population.

211info also plays a role in securing public health. During the recent H1N1 epidemic, it partnered with the Oregon Department of Human Services to quickly ramp up efforts to act as the state’s H1N1 and influenza hotline call center. At the peak of the crisis, we handled 1,200 calls in a single day. And from Oct. 12 to May 31, we received almost 21,000 calls — 85 percent of which came in during the first 45 days.

Congress has a bill, the Calling for 2-1-1 Act, that would build upon an extensive 2-1-1 infrastructure that currently reaches more than 80 percent of Americans. The bill would close the gaps in the nationwide 2-1-1 service. A broadly bipartisan group of 243 representatives and 61 senators agrees that all Americans should have access to 2-1-1 service. But we need the help of the entire Oregon delegation — particularly Sen. Jeff Merkley, who sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee — to urge leadership to bring the act to a vote.

In addition to federal legislation, 211info is also working to bring 2-1-1 to every Oregonian by 2013, and leaders in the 22 Oregon counties without 2-1-1 need to step up and demand service for their communities.

Today in the Gulf, when victims of disaster need help finding relief after unemployment they have a place to turn. When the San Diego fires blazed in 2007, that city’s Office of Emergency Services had a number it could tell people to call for non-emergency, disaster-related information such as evacuation updates — serving 122,000 people. And when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated New Orleans, 2-1-1s from around the country — including 211info — pitched in to coordinate volunteer efforts and provide assistance referrals.

Oregon deserves a comprehensive relief effort if disaster strikes. A statewide emergency response system coupled with a 2-1-1 system is the way to make that a reality.

Original post: http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/07/2-1-1_service_emergency_respon.html#modk_smoref_twitt

Note: there is an error regarding the organizational affiliations of Mr. Schultz and Mr. Taylor in The Oregonian. Both authors are staff at Legacy Health Foundations and CareOregon respectively.

19.07.2010 About 211info No Comments

211info Supporters Media Consumption Survey

In June 2010, 211info set out to analyze the media consumption behaviors of our supporters. Our goal was to more effectively communicate with them, in the places they consume information.

Below are the results from 200 participants. We used out email list, Twitter and Facebook to distribute the survey. Gift card rewards were offered to a random sampling of participants. This is by no means a scientific or professional survey, but merely a chance for us to learn more about the folks we serve.

Feel free to use the data in your own work, if you find it useful.

Feedback

Generally feedback was positive for the manner in which we communicate with supporters. Almost unanimously people preferred to hear from us via email. And among the areas for improvement were including more specifics about resources in each community (especially with an emphasis on resources outside of the Portland area) and a clearer delineation between types of emails.

We also heard feedback that sharing information about 211info through materials should be easier and that we should be more present in advertising and traditional media.

211info Action Items

Based on your feedback here is what we are working on changing in the next 6 months:

Emails:

In the coming week we will be shifting the service we use to distribute emails. This, in combination with a new website launching Fall 2010, will help us provide more of the information you need. We will be offering more regionally focused email updates. When we hear about a new social service or an existing one that changes in your region – if you are subscribed – you will hear from us via email. We will also give you more email options such as receiving an email every time a blog is posted. We will also be working to provide more community data. You will be able to sign up for those emails, too. All emails will have a slightly different look and feel, so you can tell what you are getting. And at any time you will be able to control the number of emails we send you.

Spreading the Word about 211info:

A primary feature of our new website will be what we call our “Action Center.” Any time you want to download materials, share your stories, submit a blog post, video or picture, and give or volunteer – you will have one place to go on our website. Our primary goal as an agency is to connect the people of Oregon and Southwest Washington to the community services they need. You will be hearing a lot more about these services. Sometimes we’ll do this with a quick tweet, but sometimes with in-depth blog posts or videos. We need your help, however, to get information distributed. We are a relatively small agency (about 30 people with an outreach staff of two). We can’t be everywhere at once, but with your help we can reach all the people who need these services.

Survey Highlights

A majority of respondents were from Portland (98), however Vancouver residents had a good showing as well (39). Almost every respondent could be placed into the broader category of social services. If I had to do the survey again, I would offer suggestions of fields and not have it be an open-ended question.

Trainings

I was surprised by the number of people who prefer out-of-office trainings (61.8%) vs. in-office or webinar trainings. This will greatly aid us in our outreach strategy.

Mobile

Nearly half of respondents did not own a smart phone, while those who do own such a device don’t rely on it heavily for Internet use.

Newspapers

The division in print newspaper consumption was interesting with 25% reading the paper every day, 22.6% reading it less than once a week and 22.1% not reading  it at all. Almost 45% of respondents seemingly don’t rely on print newspapers as a source of information. Of the newspapers people did read, The Oregonian was most read (88) and The Columbian was second most read (26).

Online newspaper consumption is slightly more popular, with 33.6% reading daily or more than once a day. 21.4% did not read online newspapers. The Oregonian was most read online, with The New York Times coming in second.

Trade Publications

More than 60% of respondents did not read online or print trade publications. And there was no consensus among those publications that were read.

Radio

68.1% of respondents listen to the radio once a day or more. Oregon Public Broadcasting/NPR received the vast majority of news station listeners.

TV

A note on TV: We did not ask about the TV consumption behaviors of our supporters, because quite frankly we can’t afford to have a paid TV presence. In retrospect, not asking about this was short-sighted I should have focused on news consumption behavior.

Social Media

40.2% of respondents spent time on a social media website at least once a day. However, a surprising 22.7% spent no time on such sites. Of those who participated in social media, 59.8% indicated they didn’t use it to gather information about their professions. Here is the breakdown of the big three social media sites:

Facebook 110
LinkedIn 32
Twitter 15

Online Consumption of Professional Information

70.2% of respondents spent 1-2 hours online every day to get information about their professional, while 20.8% didn’t go online at all. This latter number was surprisingly high. 70% of respondents did not read information from a blog or rarely read information from a blog. I would like to explore the general understanding of blogs among this community.

46.6% of respondents find their information online through links on search engines, websites or emails. I would like to break this down more specifically next time around.

Email

62.6% of respondents use their email to get professional information at least once a day. 74% of respondents read emails from third parties at least once a week. List serve usage was also high. 67.6% read list serves at least weekly, and the majority of this group read them multiple times a day.

Thanks so much to those who filled this survey out! You helped us get better as an agency for doing so (and some of you got a nice little gift card for your troubles).

Here are the reports to download if you would like to look at the data.

Report Summary - MediaConsumptionResults_June_2010 (PDF)

Respondents Fill In fields – MediaConsumptionResponses_Public (PDF)

Open ended responses on 211info communications – Last_question_responses (PDF)

Once again, I am not at all trained at crafting surveys and would love any feedback or advice for next time around. Either way it was great hearing from supporters!

15.07.2010 211info grants No Comments

5 ways you can help children avoid hunger this summer.

By Sally Eliason, MSW, Child Nutrition Outreach, Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon/Oregon Hunger Task Force

Oregon’s hunger needs are well documented. One aspect of this tragedy that many are unaware of is the number of children who go hungry in the summer, when school is out, despite resources that exist. But the good news is you can help reverse this trend today.

Our organization, Partners for a  Hunger-Free Oregon (PHFO), reports that just 26 percent of Oregon children who relied on free and reduced price school lunches during the 2008-09 school year accessed summer feeding programs.

Did you know that approximately one in five children in Oregon are food insecure, meaning they have limited or uncertain access to safe and nutritious food? Over the past year 81% of all school districts across the state saw an increase in the number of children who qualified for free or reduced price meals.  Families are relying on school meals more than ever, but what happens to these children during the summer?

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) serves children healthy meals during the summer months when school is out. SFSP is federally funded and open to children and youth aged 1-18 years. There is no paperwork to fill out and all children are welcome.

Why is it so tough to reach kids during the summer? PHFO has been asking this question and working to expand participation in child nutrition programs, including SFSP and the After School Meal and Snack Program, for several years. But we can’t do it alone.

5 ways you can help children avoid hunger this summer:

  1. Help spread the word: Pass out flyers, include information in your newsletter or write an article.
  2. Volunteer at a meal site: As an individual or group, offer your time at a local summer food site.
  3. See if your organization would like to sponsor a meal site: Organizations that provide services to youth and have the capacity can administer a Summer Food Program. Lower-capacity organizations can host a meal site under the supervision of the site sponsor.
  4. Provide funding, equipment or enrichment materials to meet the needs of small or start-up sites.
  5. Advocate expanding the programs to all eligible areas. If nothing is currently available, work to recruit a sponsor and find an appropriate meal site

Though federal funds are available to reimburse organizations for meals served to hungry kids, it is often not enough to cover their costs, especially in rural areas. Schools and nonprofit organizations often end up subsidizing the program, leaving SFSP increasingly vulnerable to program budget cuts and closures.

PHFO has responded to 2010 Summer Food Program budget holes by awarding $121,000 to 53 organizations across the state, with the generous support of Providence Health Systems, Kaiser Permanente Foundation, Qwest and other donors.  Funds will be used to purchase equipment, hire staff and cover transportation costs to enable programs to expand service to new neighborhoods and communities.

We are also working with local and national partners to urge members of the Oregon Congressional delegation to provide substantial and positive new investments in child nutrition programs, including $10 billion over 10 years in additional funding, through the current Child Nutrition Reauthorization.

Advocate for improving child nutrition programs: For opportunities and information visit -http://oregonhunger.org/federal-child-nutrition-reauthorization

To find a meal site near you, call 1-800-SAFENET (toll free) or visit www.SummerFoodOregon.org. This online resource has maps of summer food sites across the state, serving times and local contact information

For more information contact Sally Eliason, Child Nutrition Outreach Specialist at 503-595-5501 ext. 301 or Sally@oregonhunger.org.

09.07.2010 community resources 4 Comments

Portland Metro and SW Washington Cooling Centers

Multnomah County:

Portland Parks and Recreation has three air-conditioned community centers:

East Portland Community Center 740 SE 106th Ave. 503-823-3450
Southwest Community Center at Gabriel Park 6820 SW 45th Avenue  503-823-2840
University Park Community Center 9009 N Foss Avenue  503-823-3631

The Salvation Army Rose Center for Seniors  211 NE 18th Avenue  503-239-1221  8:30-3pm M-F

Loaves & Fishes Centers, The Meals-On-Wheels People is again asking for donations of fans to help keep homebound seniors cool and health as temperatures are expected to exceed 90 degrees this week.

Fans can be brought to their  headquarters at 7710 SW 31st Avenue in Portland or to any of their 33 meal sites in Multnomah, Washington and Clark counties.

Multnomah County Library does not plan any additional hours at their branches at this time.


Washington County:

Hillsboro Senior Center 750 SE Eighth Ave., open 9am-5pm Monday-Friday
Hillsboro Public Library 2850 Brookwood Parkway 503-615-6500  10am-8pm


Clackamas County:

Wilsonville Community Center  7965 Wilsonville Rd.  503-682-3727  open 8am-5pm

Clark County:

Battle Ground Community Center
912 E. Main St.
Battle Ground, WA 98604
Wednesday to Friday, July 9 – 8 AM to 9 PM
For more information call Battle Ground Parks & Recreation at (360) 342-5380

Camas Public Library
625 NE Fourth Ave
Camas, WA 98607
Monday to Thursday, 10 AM to 9 PM
Friday and Saturday 10 AM – 6 PM
For more information call (360) 834-4692

Water Sprinkler!
Hamllik Park
City of Washougal
4285 Addy St.
Washougal, WA 98671
Thursday – 1 to 4 PM

07.07.2010 community resources No Comments

Tax Help Still Available

By Matt Kinshella

Bennett. Christian Science Monitor

As the saying goes, taxes are one of the two guarantees in life. However, once April 15 passes many people assume free tax assistance is no longer available. Well, our friends at CASH Oregon and AARP Tax-Aide beg to differ. They also offer off-season tax assistance. See the details below and help spread the word!

Do you have customers who need help with their taxes?

  • Do they still need to file their 2009 tax return?
  • How about tax return for 2008 or earlier?
  • Or make changes to an already filed tax return?

Not to worry! CASH Oregon and AARP Tax-Aide are offering free tax assistance after April 15 at the Lloyd Center!

Upcoming Dates: Friday and Saturday

July 16 & 17

August 20 & 21

September 17 & 18

October 8 & 9

Hours: 9:00 – 4:00

Walk-in taxpayers welcome.

Appointment recommended, especially for years prior to 2009.

Call (503) 243-7765

For more details and a flyer go to http://www.cashoregon.org/news.htm, then click on “click here for printable copy of off-season flyer”

01.07.2010 Uncategorized, community resources No Comments

Building a great nonprofit board of directors

Joan Lewis, 211info Board Chair

What makes a great nonprofit board of directors? 211info Board Chair Joan Lewis answers: relationships and diversity.

Joan has been on the 211info Board of Directors since 2007. She was executive director of Washington Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) HelpLine. Joan also served on several boards, including Washington Latino Health Network, the National Council on Aging Benefits Check-Up Advisory Board and the national State Health Insurance Counseling and Assistance Programs (SHIP) board. Previously Joan spent many years as a trainer and counselor for youth and adults in social service settings.

Or, as Joan put it: “I’ve spent nearly my entire career in the social services world.”

It’s clear about two seconds into a conversation about board management that Joan is a big picture thinker. She takes her legal obligation to oversee the organization’s by-laws and finances seriously, but she didn’t become animated until we started talking about relationships.

“Beyond legal and fiduciary responsibilities, my primary responsibility to the organization is to work with the CEO who reports to me,” said Joan. “But a large part of that is providing feedback and allowing her (211info CEO Liesl Wendt) to be creative and responsive to individual community needs. I used to have a sign on my door that said: ‘It’s OK to say no to the boss providing, of course, that you have a better idea or a sound reason.”

“It’s about having that genuine, non-threatening, two-way conversation. The ability for the CEO and staff to try things out on me is important. I’m a pretty open book and believe everyone comes to the table with their own perspective and ideas, many of which can contribute to success for the greater good.”

Although internal communication is crucial, the recent work Joan, the CEO and existing board members have undertaken to build 211info’s board of directors is also about relationships.

“People have to be able to help us be known and connect us to people in their communities that are conduits to helping others,” said Joan. “We are all in the business of relationships.”

The existing board has worked diligently to expand the board of directors in recent months. “We have added board members from across the state, with varying expertise – and of course we were after the best possible people we could get,” said Joan.

New board members include:

Randy Blackburn, Project Director
Department of Human Services, Director’s Office

Mike Fieldman, Executive Director
United Community Action Network

Lee Girard, Community Services Manager
Aging & Disability Services Division, Multnomah County

Craig Opperman, CEO
Looking Glass Youth and Family Services

Martin Taylor, Health Policy Senior Manager
CareOregon

Joan is excited about the array of talents brought by the latest crop of board members. In particular, she cited experience with the legislature, government entities, rural communities and aging communities as significant gains. But she is also clear-eyed about what the 211info Board still needs: “It’s critically important that we get broader representation, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.”

“Listen, I know I’m not going to be board chair forever. That’s why I’d like part of my legacy to have built a board with a foundation of diversity in the truest sense of the word.”

Joan mentioned the need for diversity in sex, ethnicity and geography in all nonprofits. It was a crusade she embarked upon as a manger and its one she is clearly intent on ingraining in every aspect of 211info’s work — for a simple and concrete reason.

“There are just some cultures I don’t know how to reach as well as others do,” she said. She also thinks there is room for improvement on the staffing level – in particular when it comes to capacity for speaking different languages.

“When it comes to diversity, I don’t think you can lose,” she said. Every opportunity we have to understand someone else’s culture will help us to be more effective in providing helpful services.

When it comes to building a board – if you work diligently to recruit a diverse group, with a wealth of experiences and points of view, strong relationships with their communities and respect for each other, we are more capable of meeting the needs of those who seek partnership with us and those who need our services.

Looking for a great resource on nonprofit board development? Check out Board Cafe on Blue Avocado.

How has your organization strived for diversity and relationship building on the board and staff level?

22.06.2010 About 211info No Comments

Mortgage Fraud Press Conference Re-cap

by Matt Kinshella

Since last summer, 211info has been involved with preventing mortgage fraud and foreclosure through City of Portland and Oregon state partnerships. We were honored when the Department of Justice and the Portland Housing Bureau contacted us because they wanted to recognize our work by hosting the Operation Stolen Dreams press conference at our offices.

See video coverage of the event below.

18.06.2010 community resources No Comments

Six steps to get you through difficult conversations

By Timothy Kelly, Call Center Specialist

Answering calls from Oregonians and Southwest Washingtonians in need can be a rewarding job, but sometimes it can be tough.

There are many social service providers that deal with difficult conversations on a daily basis, especially in this economy . Having strategies to get through the difficult conversations opens lines of communication and brings about the results we all desire.

One of the harder things I cope with in this job is frequently being the person who tells someone there are limited resources available for their need.  We work hard to maintain up-to-date information about community services, but the reality is there is more need than there are services.  Giving people the most accurate information means sometimes explaining that some things are not available.  This can be the most difficult part of the job.

Here’s a list of some of the strategies I use to navigate these conversations:

Give bad news upfront. Tough messages should be simply and clearly stated in the first sentence.  It can be hard to be the bearer of bad news, but by keeping it real we can help people refocus on alternative solutions.

Mention what you can do. If what someone is asking for isn’t available, be sure to mention alternatives that are.  If someone wants to be enrolled in Medicaid but isn’t eligible they could be referred to free/ low cost clinics or prescription assistance programs.

Paraphrase. To create clarity and to let people know you’re genuinely listening, summarize what they’re telling you.  It’s important for people to know you understand what they are asking for.

Keep larger context in mind. It can be overwhelming to hear desperate stories from so many people in need.  At times compassion fatigue can set in, and we begin to blame people for their difficult circumstances.  It can help to keep in mind that there are circumstances beyond people’s control that create their situation.  Poverty, racism, sexism, and many other oppressive circumstances contribute greatly to the problems people face.  Remembering this can help us maintain our perspective, and our compassion.

Be prepared for bad reactions. Finger-pointing, denial, arguments and tears are all possible outcomes of tough conversations. You cannot control the other person’s reactions, but you can anticipate them, and be emotionally ready.

Remember self care. This work is tough!  It’s important to take care of ourselves to maintain our ability to do it well.  Check out this post by my colleague Lily Gael about combating compassion fatigue.

Interested in learning more about dealing with difficult conversations?

Registrations are still available for the June 25th Regional 211info training,  “Difficult Conversations.”

Presented by a highly qualified mental health professional trainer, this will be an especially valuable training for those working with angry or volatile clients, and others in life situations impacting their ability to communicate appropriately or effectively.

Presenting will be Marlene Sassali Burrows, Crisis Team Manager for Clark County Community Services/Mental Health. She will provide information about responding  to a wide range of stressful client situations, and communication tools to assist in the challenges of meeting difficult client needs. Her professional background information is described below; she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this excellent training opportunity.

Trainer Professional Background:  MARLENE  SASSALI  BURROWS MS LMHC, holds a Master of Science Degree from Northern Illinois University in Community Mental Health. Her thirty years of work experience is diverse, including child protective services, adult corrections, inpatient psychiatric treatment, and adolescent residential treatment. Since moving to the State of Washington she has been employed as a Designated Mental Health Professional for over 12 years and did hospital emergency department crisis intervention for 13 years.  Marlene has been involved with Crisis Intervention Training for law enforcement in Clark County since the formation of the team in 2003 as Mental Health Liaison.  Currently, Marlene is employed by the Clark County Department of Community Services as the Program Manager for the Clark County Crisis Team.

16.06.2010 Community Service Tips, Uncategorized 3 Comments

Equity in Oregon

By Matt Kinshella

I’m just coming back from a great meeting of advocates looking to create opportunities for Oregonians to prosper. Oregon Thrives is chaired by Jerrallyn Ness who is also the Executive Director of Community Action Organization in Washington County. Oregon Thrives is also organized by other folks such as Janet Byrd from Neighborhood Partnerships and Patti Whitney-Wise from Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon.

There were many in the room addressing the issues of income, jobs, housing, health care, education, hunger and accountability. But the one thing we all had in common was the notion of equity. Not equity in the sense that  everyone should have exactly the same things, which seems to be a common misconception when the word is used, but equity in the sense that everyone should have the opportunity to advance their own well-being.

That notion is certainly at the core of what 211info does. Not purely because of altruism, but because we understand that when our communities are healthy and safe, ourselves and our families are healthy and safe.

Jill accepts CLF's award for community based organization

Unfortunately, though, healthy and safe communities don’t spring up from the ground. They take hard work to build. That is why I am excited about the Equity Atlas Project. The project is lead by the Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF) and they summarize it as:

The Regional Equity Atlas maps equity conditions in the greater metropolitan region (Portland). By measuring access to opportunities like affordable housing, transit, parks and grocery stores, the Atlas illustrates which people and places have the best access and which ones have the worst access to these important assets. Dozens of non-profits, government agencies and businesses have all used the Equity Atlas to help inform investments, strategic planning, fundraising and much, much more to help ensure the right of every person to have access to opportunities necessary for satisfying essential needs and advancing their well-being—as a key component of the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region’s approach to development.

I think its a pretty cool concept. And one that will only improve with 2010 census data. Before that data becomes available, Jill Fuglister of CLF is asking folks to fill out a survey that will help identify what equity indicators should be included in the 2.0 version of the Equity Atlas. Please take some time and complete the survey.

And when you are through, come back and let us know what you think makes a good equity indicator. And share how you think your community could be more equitable.


11.06.2010 community resources 3 Comments

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