I am needing to write a paper on my community to assess the population. For defining the community, the following are given to address. My community chosen, boundaries, etc are in all capitals. My problem is that I cannot find statistics. Any tips are appreciated. Thank you! Mary
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your question. A necessary first step in working towards community change is being able to define and describe the communities we hope to work in and change. Defining and describing a community frequently includes many of the elements you've included in your question, like identifying (and explicitly naming) the community chosen, what defines and bounds the community, and descriptions of the individuals make up a community. Whether you are working towards providing this information in a paper for a class assignment, a presentation to a potential community partner, or a proposal for a funder, providing information on the community with which you plan to work is critical.
I recommend you review Chapter 3, Section 2 of the Community Toolbox. It focuses on "Understanding and Describing the Community," and includes information on how to define a community, the importance of understanding and describing the community, types of information to gather, and where to find such information. This section also contains links to specific online resources where you may be able to provide statistics and other information specific to your community.
I hope this helps!