Chapter Six: Health
Chapter Eight: Sense of Community and Reputation"We need to build on the strength in the community. People [in Trinity Court and Pritchard Park] don't realize how strong they really are."
-Service Provider
One of the goals of the community diagnosis process is to gain a greater understanding of how communities function. In order to understand the ways in which a community operates, service providers should examine the existing resources and assets, rather than concentrate solely on the deficits of the community. This chapter gives a brief overview of established resources for education, transportation, social support, recreation and other community activities available to residents of Trinity Court and Pritchard Park. A sample of informal resources and assets are also included here. However, strong assets and resources such as the Family Resource Center (FRC), the children, and community participation are described in greater detail in later chapters (Chapter Nine: The Family Resource Center; Chapter Ten: Children - Providing a Strong Foundation; and Chapter Thirteen: Community Action and Involvement). Services specifically addressing health, are included in Chapter Six: Health. Additionally, a list of organizational resources is available in Appendix E.
In examining communities from an assets-based approach, Kretzmann and McKnight (1993) point out that, "Each community boasts a unique combination of assets upon which to build its future." The formal resources include institutions located within the community such as schools. Individual and community level associations are assets that may be more difficult for those who are not familiar with Trinity Court and Pritchard Park. These two public housing communities possess resources at the individual and institutional levels that can be used positively to serve the communities.
Formal Resources. The location of the Trinity Court and Pritchard Park public housing communities within an affluent university community offers some advantages. Educational facilities and transportation, services that are designed to serve the University community, are also accessible to residents. Trinity Court and Pritchard Park are located near downtown Chapel Hill, where "there are lots of opportunities …for work and more educational opportunities," said one service provider. Residents overwhelmingly agreed that their children attend good schools. As discussed in Chapter Ten: Children - Providing a Strong Foundation, residents of both Trinity Court and Pritchard Park are proud of the Chapel Hill - Carrboro City School system.
Another benefit of being surrounded by the University community is the public transportation system. As discussed in Chapter Eight: Sense of Community and Reputation, only a few residents have their own vehicles. Therefore, a majority of residents from both communities rely heavily on the public transportation system. Triangle Transit Authority provides service to points in the Triangle including Durham, Research Triangle Park, Raleigh, Cary, and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The local transportation service, Chapel Hill Transit, has routes throughout Chapel Hill and Carrboro and includes a door-to-door service called the EZ Rider at a reduced cost to people with disabilities. Residents reported that these services are adequate and operate frequently enough to serve their transportation needs.
Many recreational activities are provided through FRC programs as well. The Chapel Hill community has a wealth of opportunities for leisure activities. Franklin Street, the major commercial avenue running through downtown Chapel Hill, is lined with restaurants, bars, movie theatres, bookstores, a museum, and a planetarium. In interviews, residents cited the University community as a source of employment only. No community members mentioned the University community for its recreational resources, even though these resources are available to them. However, the Hargraves Recreational Center was named as one of the places where residents congregate.
Informal Resources. Often, it is difficult to readily identify resources within a community when the resources are not affiliated with an organization. Interviews with residents and service providers revealed some of these informal resources and networks that exist in Trinity Court and Pritchard Park. We asked, "Who from the community would you involve in a project to make it successful?" Residents and service providers were readily able to identify key individuals within the communities as reliable resources. These individuals were identified as people who are able to plan programs, listen, participate, and problem solve. Within both communities informal leaders have emerged whom the community counts on for various needs. Chapter Eight: Sense of Community and Reputation and Chapter Thirteen: Community Action and Involvement further discuss residents as assets to their communities.
At the time of this writing, the idea of establishing a resident or community support group as an additional resource for residents was being considered by the FRC Board. The purpose of the group, identification of a community member who would act as coordinator, and allocation of funds and other materials necessary to support this effort have not yet been fully developed.
Trinity Court and Pritchard Park residents have many formal and informal resources and assets from which to draw when addressing a variety of needs, though some resources are more salient than others. Kretzmann and McKnight (1993) state that "All the historic evidence indicates that significant community development takes place only when local community people are committed to investing themselves and their resources in the effort." In order to make effective changes, residents and service providers must be aware of all the resources available to them.
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Chapter Six: Health |
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