Executive Summary

Five students from the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, conducted a community diagnosis of the Latino community of Fuquay-Varina, under the guidance of a preceptor from Wake County Human Services, during the 2001-2002 academic year. The aim of this document is to describe this process and its results.

The students gathered data about the community through examination of secondary data and through field observations, interviews, and focus group discussions with the insiders (Latino community members) and outsiders (service providers and non- Latino community members). The document provides a brief introduction and history of the community, followed by an overview of pertinent secondary data. Primary data is then presented by describing the frequently mentioned issues or themes pertaining to community life from both outsiders' and insiders' perspectives. The main topics discussed are access to public services, transportation, housing, issues pertaining to youth, and language and cultural barriers. A description of the methodology, including secondary data collection, methods of key informant selection, primary data collection, and data analysis, is then presented. This is followed by a report on the community forum, an event organized by both the students and a committee of concerned community members and service providers (called Uniting Communities Toward Change), that provided an opportunity for both presentation of the project findings to the community and dialogue between diverse groups. A summary of planned steps of action based on discussions at the forum is presented. Conclusions and additional recommendations for future community actions bring the document to a close.

While the Latino community of Fuquay-Varina faces many challenges, it is clear that numerous strengths lie within its members. As these assets are tapped, and as people from diverse groups continue to show a willingness to work together toward improving community life, a strong multicultural community in Fuquay-Varina will develop. It is the student team's hope that this document will serve as a useful resource to Uniting Communities Toward Change and other individuals and organizations working toward making Fuquay-Varina a better place for everyone to live.

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Acknowledgments