August 1, 2000
Funding Partners, United Way Board of Directors, and Citizens of Southwestern Indiana:
This document is the product of our communities in southwestern Indiana. Although the United Way of Southwestern Indiana coordinated the design and implementation of the study, it was truly a community effort involving many local institutions and thousands of persons in Vanderburgh, Warrick and Spencer counties.
When the study commenced in the Spring of 1999, we had little appreciation of the wealth of information to be collected, analyzed and acted upon through this process. The Steering Committee made some significant changes in the methodology of the triennial needs study: the inclusion of more citizens and ‘people in need’ through the use of qualitative focus groups, and a community strategic planning process. These two changes produced new information and understanding about our community and its needs, and will hopefully prove an invaluable tool to those institutions and organizations striving to improve the quality of life in our communities.
I want to thank the United Way Board of Directors for giving me the opportunity to serve as Chairman of this study. It was an educational and challenging position.
A special thanks to all the community funding partners who participated not only with funding support, but also through their participation on the Study Steering Committee. Their insights and involvement are much appreciated.
We also appreciate the many hours of service and guidance provided by the participating team of research professionals: Sue Ernspiger of Research Systems, Jim Knauff of Knauff-Gore Research, Dr. David Westhuis and Dr. Martha Raske of University of Southern Indiana, and Dr. Marie Driever and Mary Schoessler of Providence/Portland Medical Center. A thanks also goes to Angela McEllhiney and Jo Anne Gottcent for assisting in the editing of the final document.
A big thank you to the over 2,000 persons who participated in some aspect of the study: the 650 community volunteers involved in studying our needs and developing the strategic plans, the 258 participants in the focus groups, and the 1,784 persons who responded to the critical issue survey. Your participation truly made this a community project.
Last, but not least, I appreciate the many contributions of Dan Hayden and the United Way staff who organized and directed the study and prepared the final report. I offer them my sincere thanks.
Sincerely,
Thomas O. Magan, Chairman
1999-2000 Comprehensive Community Assessment