Community Impact: Where We Are Now
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:
Income – 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