4RHC Launches Community Recreation Survey

Ford Institute Director Roque Barros and Associate Director Max Gimbel recently met with a community action team in Ontario as part of the The Ford Family Foundation's (TFFF) community based change program. After deliberation the group decided to move ahead with a family recreation center (a project identified by local participants during a Ford Institute Alumni Celebration).

They drafted a 90-day work plan, which included a pledge to listen to 1,000 community residents. The team tasked Four Rivers Healthy Community to facilitate the survey.

"We are excited to be a part of the community based change model brought to the Treasure Valley by The Ford Family Foundation," Four Rivers Healthy Community Executive Director, Casey Clark Ney said. "After collecting the requested responses, we will contact TFFF and ask them to come back to Ontario to celebrate our success and incorporate the second phase of the model which is 'Engage to Mobilize.'"

The Community-Based Change approach puts communities at the center by starting with where they are and building on their assets. It focuses on action-driven work while honoring the pace of the community and includes all community segments. More importantly, it focuses on creating the change the community wants, celebrating success and remaining flexible enough to adapt as the work progresses.

"The Action Team feels condifident it can reach 1,000 responses in a short amount of time," Ney said. The survey question is simple, 'Who do you belive would benefit from a community recreatin center?' The point of this first phase is to 'listen' to the community through the survey responses. This is a very broad question in the beginning, as we move forward the exact vision of the project will become clearer with the input of the community."

To take the survey CLICK HERE.