Watertown Community Foundation
October 16, 2008
2008 Community Needs Assessment Report
Executive Summary: There was a strong consensus at this meeting regarding the urgent need for a community resource coordinator in Watertown, and tremendous concern expressed that given the current economic circumstances many more people will fall through the cracks in the service providers’ systems if this need cannot be met. There was a strong call to re-establish this function, which was at one time fulfilled by the Multi-Service Center.
Setting: In 2008 the Watertown Community Foundation focused its second annual Community Needs Assessment on frontline service providers, to elicit and understand their perceptions of conditions and needs on the ground given the recent economic downturn. We met for two hours in mid-October at the library. Over thirty people attended, representing many local nonprofits and town offices. (Please see the attached list of attendees and their organizational affiliations.)
The meeting was primarily a facilitated discussion of community strengths, emerging economic conditions, the resulting challenges, and action steps we can take as a community. Andrew Bundy, Vice President of the Watertown Community Foundation, facilitated. This report summarizes our discussion.
Key Strengths in Watertown:
· PEOPLE -- the citizens, the nonprofit and public sector staff, the volunteers
· ORGANIZATIONS -- including the Housing Authority, Police, Fire and Health Departments; Council on Aging, the Schools, churches, Wayside Multi-Service Center, the Watertown Family Network; the Watertown Youth Coalition; the food pantries, the PTOs, and more!
· INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS-- such as the New Moms at the WFN, Jail Diversion with the Police; Teen Healthy Living at Wayside, Diversity Day at High School
· SPECIAL FUNDS – grants and small funds from Commission on Aging, Helen Robinson Wright Fund, Miller Tracy Children’s Fund, Marshall Home Fund, St. Vincent Societies and other church funds; Watertown Community Foundation and Harvard/O’Neill Fund grants
· TRADITIONS OF HELPING-- This is a community where people help, collaborate, pitch in
The New Reality:
· Less funds, due to budget cuts and potentially less giving
· Budget Cut in Early Childhood Education and Community Policing
· Uncertainty, stress, fear
· Increased needs for food, fuel, work
· Changing housing market, esp. impacting renters: many foreclosed houses are rental units
· New immigrants, new languages
· Social isolation due to stress and overwork – although…
· There are opportunities for community building when there is less money available
· Need to be prepared to take advantage of opportunities which will be different from the way we have worked before. Need to learn new skills, new ways of seeing and planning. There will be incentive packages offered.
Major Challenges:
· Help (funding, institutionalized support) for community organizations which serve citizens
· How to get people information in useful ways; in increments which do not overwhelm, and which do not presume resources. People need help learning the process, as well as getting funding or specific help.
· Triage system for emergency needs such as fuel, utilities, rent, and food. A point of contact person for information and referrals. Where to go for help is haphazard and by luck. Need a way to share the knowledge across town.
· Often people on the front lines -- seeing the issues -- are overwhelmed; and some -- particularly school guidance staff -- are not aware of resources in town
· the fewest services are available to adults age 18-60 with no disabilities, but who have few financial resources
· need more affordable child care and after school programs; especially programs for teens which offer safe, enriching and/or healthy places to hang out; emotional support
· lack of affordable legal assistance
Action Steps:
1. Define a place and a person as the point of entry for those seeking help. Newton had a City Hall social worker who helped connect and coordinate. The position envisioned here would be a resource coordinator, taking advantage of existing services. For example, for seniors the main contact is the Senior Center, and there is a caseworker available. There is a social worker in the school system as well. Creating a flow chart of information and referral services, from food, fuel, housing, medical care, treatment programs, language services and publicizing it to all.
2. Tackle funding for such a position. Grants are usually restricted to very specific tasks. Perhaps a public/private partnership could be explored. The Federal anti-drug program which is about to be housed in Watertown might provide an opportunity to revenue.
3. Identify the point people. Create a list of the places people turn to for help, whether they are part of a formal network or not. Get those people the information about resources to share.
4. Define and use a process to educate providers and front line staff about the Watertown Community Housing Resource Guide, how to access it, and the wide range of information contained in it. Some ways to accomplish this:
A. Post on Town Website -- Bob Erickson, Town’s webmaster, is also the Veteran’s Affairs Officer. He points out that 1/3 of residents are connected to a veteran. Bob expressed great willingness to use the website in any way which would help coordinate efforts, and needs a contact person from whom to receive information
B. Post on library website
C. Create refrigerator magnets in many languages and stock them for distribution at places across town -- schools, houses of worship, health care providers, Town Hall, Food Pantries, 12 step meetings
5. Create a database for volunteers, especially translation services.
(Some of those resources are Sue Viskin and Project Literacy, the High School and English Language Learners program, the police, Mt. Auburn hospital, the Multi-Service Center Staff, the local universities.) Another important source of volunteers are youth, especially the Peer Leaders. They have been helping with ELL at an elementary level, and assisting elders with tasks like shoveling as well as navigating the bureaucracy around food stamps.
6. Sponsor a forum in which there are regular (monthly) conversations among key agencies (Housing, Senior Center, Health Dept., Fire Dept., Police, Veterans Services, Emergency Preparedness) and begin facilitating coordination of care. Where will the center be if basic community services are cut? Bring to the table the values implicit in comparing situations and ranking response -- those who are losing their home versus those who live in public housing; immediate needs for food, fuel versus long term plans. Providers who serve different populations may not be conscious of differing perceptions of need. True emergency needs are 24 hour and cannot be referred to an appointment a week away.
Additional Ideas for Action:
· Widely distribute the World in Watertown multilingual resource map.
· Create support groups to practice speaking English.
· Set up after-school study clubs for teens.
Report compiled by the Watertown Community Foundation, Fall 2008
Roberta A. Miller, President Andrew Bundy, Vice President
William B. Ford, Treasurer James McDermott, Clerk
Brett Dean Andrea Greenwood
Jonathan Hecht Susan Musinsky
Robert P. Shay Donna Smerlas
Executive Director: Elizabeth Zwick
2008 WCF Community Needs Assessment Report, page 3