Community Foundation Grey Bruce invites your help in shaping the direction of its forthcoming Vital Signs report. A public meeting on Wednesday, June 3 from 7 to 9 pm will provide an opportunity for Owen Sound citizens to help the Foundation determine the areas of interest for in-depth study and analysis that reflect the most important issues relating to the community's well-being.
Vital Signs© is a national initiative undertaken by Community Foundations across Canada. The report highlights and comments on a number of quality of life indicators that measure and grade the vitality of each community. Through a combination of data review and comparative analysis, Vital Signs© is a tool for aligning community goal-setting, promoting civic engagement, and measuring collective community well-being.
The meeting, to be held at the Harmony Centre, 890 4th Ave. East, will introduce the Vital Signs project and engage discussion with the community around the areas of interest that may be studied based on local input. There are approximately 11 categories for consideration including education, employment, housing, transportation, poverty, food security, the environment, etc.
The public will be asked to engage in conversation with each other and the facilitators, as well as fill out a survey that has been crafted to gauge community interests. The conversations sparked at the public meetings combined with survey data will determine the future focus of the Vital Signs report. A teaser study will be released in fall 2015, and the full report will be released nationally in the fall of 2016.
The steering committee consists of stakeholders with a variety of expertise. Three Foundation board members lead the committee: Joan Eaglesham (Grant Review Committee Chair), Donna Elliott (Past President), Maureen Solecki (former CEO Grey Bruce Regional Health Services) with support from Executive Director Aly Boltman. The team is also thrilled to have Francesca Dobbyn (Executive Director, United Way), Alanna Leffley (Senior Epidemiologist, Public Health), Gemma Mendez-Smith (Executive Director, Four County Labour Market Planning Board), Trish Meekins (Counsellor/Trainer), and Jill Umbach (Grey Bruce Children's Alliance/United Way).
"We are extremely conscious that community input is an integral part of the success of this project. The public can help us focus our lens as we dig deep into local issues. We hope that the meetings will offer unique insight and vision as we move forward as a community" said Kimberley West, Community Foundation Grey Bruce Chair.
source: media release, Community Foundation Grey Bruce
