For more information on this project, contact Frank Kruppa, Environmental Health Director, or Emerita Denefield, PACE EH Coordinator at the Highlands County Health Department.
HIGHLANDS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
February, 2007 PACE EH Progress Report
Date: February 27, 2007
To: Daniel Parker, MSP
Assistant Division Director, Division of Environmental Health
From: Emerita Denefield
PACE-EH Coordinator
Through: Frank Kruppa
Environmental Health Director
Subject: Highway Park PACE EH Project
Knowledge about the community and its residents improved due to frequent interaction with the volunteers, completion of the baseline community survey, and observations gathered while attending organized group meetings in the community. Following is very significant information.
Highway Park has 260 resident families, 62% of which have lived there for over 40 years while 21% have residency of over 20 years but less than 40. This is a relatively old community that started off in the distant past with a good reputation, having doctors, lawyers, businessmen as residents. Over the years however, the succeeding generations failed to carry on the reputation, the image started to go from bad to worse from year to year, and now it needs help. Despite the highly eroded image, survey data showed that 90% of the families are proud of being a resident of Highway Park and living there is their choice.
Without doubt most of the residents would like to recapture the early reputation of the community. Some have started to organize and influence others to make Highway Park a better place to live in. They are ready for the change and willing to take on the challenge. PACE-EH came in at the right time. The initial activities though with hitches were done with ease. So far, the cooperation, reception and involvement were significant. We mean to keep it this way and more.
2. Work Plan and Process Update |
| EH Tasks |
Action |
Outcome |
Target Date |
| Task 1: Determine Community Capacity |
1. Continuing effort to invite residents and organized groups to become PACE-EH volunteers |
Volunteer Percentage increase= 45% |
Ongoing |
| 2. 3 more church leaders had joined the group, we now have 5 of the 9 present in the community |
Enhanced Credibility & Influence |
Ongoing |
| 1.3. Identification and coordination with the organized groups in the community together with the key individuals regarded as with influence to mobilize actions |
3. Continue to attend meetings of various organizations like the Highway Park Enhancement and Preservation Council, to get a good understanding on what is going on in the community, what specific organizations do. |
On-going, monthly |
| 4. Addressed the need to motivate and provide a sense of recognition by publication of a monthly newsletter, aptly name as ?Highway Park?. |
A solid / deeper understanding of the dynamics, level of concern among residents, focus of interest. Definite improvement on relationship Very well received by the volunteers, this made them HAPPY! |
Completed |
| Task 2: Define and Characterize the Community |
1. Took baseline shots of the community |
Completed ? will serve as reference during and after projects. |
Will update as necessary |
| 2. Evaluated the baseline community survey results |
Results provided a deeper understanding of what the community needs |
Mid February |
| Task 3: Assemble a Community-based environmental health assessment team |
1. Distribution/collection of survey forms. |
30% return |
Completed |
| 2. Discussion, validation of survey results through a General Meeting conducted Feb 22, 2007. |
Clarification of 15 survey item results and prioritized 6 for possible focus. |
Completed |
| 3. Discussion and validation at community level schedule for next month. |
Not yet |
March 15 |
| 4. Commitment Form drafted and presented to the volunteers during the meeting for their comments. To be finalized during a separate meeting. |
Initial feedback on content is positive. Sample attached. |
To be scheduled |
2.1. Getting the volunteers in one place for general discussion of issues and concerns is difficult. To overcome this situation we have decided to do smaller group meetings and just process the information into meaningful whole once a good majority of members are covered.
2.2. Requests had been made to have the Highway Park newsletter circulated to all households in the community. This is not possible due to the printing cost implication on the Environmental Health Division?s budget. We are looking for possible alternatives on how this can be done.
3. Outstanding Issues/Concerns |
Things are going on as planned, the community reception is positive and so far activities are being done with significant enthusiasm.
January, 2007
|
