Community Survey--Residents

Who Completed the Community Survey?
  • 360 interviews
  • 462 paper surveys
  • 140 web surveys
Of those who indicated the county in which they lived,
  •  49% lived in Richland County
  • 51% lived in Lexington County.
  • 69% were female.
  • 51.2% were 44 or under.
  • 51.3% have household incomes less than $25,000.
  • 39% were married.
  • 36% single, never married.
  • 17% separated or divorced.
  • 8% widowed.
  • 40.7% were African-American, 48.3% were Caucasian and 8.3% were Hispanic.
  • 49.8% own their homes.
  •  37.8% have some high school or a GED/Diploma.
  • 30.3% have 4 year college or graduate degrees.
  • 62% have a job.
The community feedback from initial discussion groups was used to generate items for a community survey to be placed in sites across Richland and Lexington counties. A total of 962 community members (49% lived in Richland County and 51% lived in Lexington County) took the survey.

Top Problems as Rated by the Community:
■ 51.2% said not having money for gas for a car was a medium or big problem.
■ 46.6% said not enough money to pay utility bills was a medium or big problem.
■ 45.2% said not enough money for legal help was a medium or big problem.
■ 43.8% said not enough money to pay for dental care was a medium or big problem.
■ 43.6% said not having enough money for a car was a medium or big problem.
The top service needs were those where the community said that they needed help, but were not getting any:
■ 26.3% were not getting the help they needed fi nding a good job.
■ 25.9% were not getting the help they needed paying rent and/or utility bills.
■ 25.7% were not getting the help they needed fi nding money to go back to school.
■ 25.2% were not getting the help they needed fi nding health care they could aff ord.
■ 25% were not getting the help they needed with rent or light bill deposits.
Why People Don't Get the Help They Need:
■ 43.1% Don't qualify/Make too much money
■ 39% Did not know the help was available
■ 37.8% Can't aff ord to pay for the help
 

 Community Survey Process

The community survey contained four sections; issues and problems, services you need, why you are not getting services and demographic information. 
■ In the first section community members were asked to rate 34 problems by choosing if each is "Not a problem for you", "A little problem for you", "A medium problem for you" or "A big problem for you".
■ In the second section community members were asked to respond to 33 items about services. They could choose from responses of "Yes, I am getting the help I need"; "I am getting some help but need more"; "I need help and I am not getting any"; or "Not a need for me-don't need help".
■ In the third section participants were asked to check off the reasons why they were not getting the help they needed.
■ In the last section of the survey, community members were asked questions about themselves and their household such as race, income, gender, job status, and zip code where they lived and worked.
 
 The community survey was distributed across Richland and Lexington counties through three methods.
■ First, 360 face-to-face surveys were conducted outside 14 grocery stores in Richland and Lexington counties by a group of volunteers trained by the consultant. Participants were given a $5 gift card to the grocery store for their participation.
■ Second, copies of the surveys and drop boxes were placed in 50 sites in key public places during the weeks of August 4 and August 11, 2008 and resulted in 462 completed surveys. Those places included all Richland and Lexington public library branches, The Salvation Army, Lexington County Senior Centers, Senior Resources, Cooperative Ministry, Columbia Housing Authority Sites, Legal Aid Services in Richland and Lexington counties, Lexington County DSS, The Free Medical Clinic, Eau Claire Cooperative Health Care Sites, and The Mental Illness Recovery Center (MIRCI).
■ Third, a web-based survey was available on the Facing Facts website and there were links placed on other partner sites. The survey was available the weeks of August 4 and 11 and there were 140 surveys completed.
The survey was available in both English and Spanish and there were Spanish speaking volunteers collecting data at the grocery stores. The survey was marketed through e-mails to various providers, flyers placed in community agencies and a state newspaper article.