Community Assessment - Moving from Response to Engaged Transformation

Posted by Dan Doherty Assistant Rotary Coordinator Zone 28
We often discuss why people join and stay in Rotary, and the conclusion inevitably suggests fellowship and community service. A District 5360 survey led to a new understanding of “Why” people are leaving. Two of the primary reasons included Rotary’s structure/cost/meetings, as well as our broken culture that is often cited as male, pale, and stale. Finally, many that left Rotary felt that we had become “responders and cheque writers” and had lost our ability to proactively engage in our communities.
 
 
These observations underscore the importance of Community Assessments for determining Rotarian Service. The foundational premise behind a community assessment is to have those with “lived experience” in the room with Rotarians as we develop a strategy to Serve. The people who are living with the challenges identified need to be engaged as partners and collaborators in mapping out the full range and extent of the needs and potential solutions. What would have to change in the lives of these people to improve the outcomes that are problematic? Which strengths are there (either active or potential) within this group to build upon? Who else is working with this group and what are they doing? Where are the gaps in services and in the approaches being taken by those who are trying to help?
This Community Assessment process involves the intended beneficiaries and actively engages Rotarians and service providers who know and work with the target group. Several Rotary Clubs in Calgary, in collaboration with The City of Calgary Social Services, United Way, Provincial government and corporations, are working through this process with the South Sudanese community. Many are living below the poverty line; have food insecurity concerns; have been impacted disproportionately with COVID; have mental health issues; are linguistically isolated; and many lack the learning required to be successful economically (either to get a job or to start a business). There is a high level of frustration, with high levels of alcohol and drug use, and numerous families are already breaking up.
 
It seems like an exhaustive list of issues, however by having Rotarians working alongside, a very clear strategic plan is evolving to build off the strengths of the South Sudanese Community. The engagement of Rotarians in supporting the process and the initiatives has expanded dramatically. A Rotarian led agency is now working with the Sudanese Community and the Food Bank, delivering cooking courses and creating a culturally appropriate Food Guide. This is in response to the concern of this community that the Food Bank provided food was “Culturally Inappropriate”, which was party true. However, the largest issue was the families did not understand how to cook and use the food provided.
 
Of course, the obvious benefit that the active engagement of Rotarians with the community increases the outside awareness of the work of Rotary to others who might one day join a club! Let’s work together to move from being Responders to an Engaged Transformative Community.