Community Impact: Where We Are Now

United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community.Everyone deserves opportunities to have a good life: a quality education that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family through retirement, and good health.

Community Impact is less about helping one person at a time and more about changing systems to help all of us. We are all connected and interdependent. We all win when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable, when people are healthy.

In 2007, the Community Impact Team, comprised of representatives from PRO-Muskingum, United Way of MPM, Muskingum County Job & Family Services, the City of Zanesville, the Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center, the Muskingum County Library System, Resource Systems, Coburn United Methodist Church, Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department, Muskingum Valley Health Centers, West Muskingum Schools, and the American Red Cross conducted the “What Matters” Survey.  This survey asked community members to identify areas and ways in which to make our community a better place to live.  Based on the results of the survey, the Community Impact Team deems the building blocks for a good life to be:

Financial Stability – Promoting Financial Stability and Independence

Education – Helping Children and Youth Achieve Their Potential

Health care – Improving People’s Health

 

In 2009, members of the community participated in the I-wheel process, which probed possible outcomes from the three pillars of Income, Education and Healthcare.  This process included broad representation from multiple sectors of the community.  From this process community indicators were identified, then ranked by the Community Impact Team to identify the intersection of what outcomes are attainable and what outcomes have the most impact. A need for leadership alignment was also identified.  

Additional partnerships have been identified, such as the High School Distance Learning Series, the Free Tax Preparation clinics, and the new Lifelong Learning Initiative, which will focus on educational opportunities for all ages.

As the Community Impact Team moves forward with initiatives and programs designed to better our community, it is important to first know where we are now.  Our current community indicators stand as the basis for measuring future success.  Some of the selected indicators for Muskingum, Perry and Morgan Counties are below. You can also view indicators by choosing the specific pillar under the Community Indicators on the Home Page. 

In 2016 we started having conversations with our communities to define what metrics we should be looking at and how we can effectively monitor and communicate them. We met with community leaders, in the areas of health,education, and income. We have asked questions about our goals for the community, our message, and where we can fill gaps in services. Check back here often for updates in the coming months.  United Way fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community and our community impact is the story of how we are diong that. It is important to measure and share the work being done.

Here are the Metrics we are currently looking at based onthe conversations we have had.

Health                                     Muskingum          Perry             Morgan            Ohio

Smoking                                      22                     21                    21                 21

Uninsured                                    13                    18                    18                  13

Obesity                                        33                    36                    33                  33

Infant Mortality                         7:1000               7.7:1000          n/a              8:1000

 

Education                               Muskingum            Perry           Morgan             Ohio

3rd Grade Reading                     94.10%              92.50%         85.80%             95.80%

2-6 yr College Degree                25.50%            16.30%          17.80%               23.80%

High School Graduation               91%                  89%              83%                      83%

 

Financial Stability                  Muskingum           Perry           Morgan           Ohio

Median Income                        $41,800             $43,300     $37,900        $49,300

Eligible for Free lunch               47%                   43%               52%              33%

Livable Wage/hr                       $13.10                $12.80        $10.00                       

 

Metrics taken from : 

Ohio Board of Education

Ohio Department of Health

Childrens Defense Fund of Ohio

Job and Family Services

 

 

If you want to be part of these ongoing conversations or want more information please contact Becky Clawson, Community Impact Director 740-454-6872 or bclawson@unitedwayofmpm.org