these individuals and families should be included in the solution making process. They also suggest trauma informed care skills are needed for all social service providers. Morrow County Morrow County community members said the top three needs in the last twelve months were financial assistance, home repair, and dental services. Lack of childcare, mental health problem, and other health issues were the top three reasons for unemployment indicated by Morrow County community members. Nearly a quarter of the respondents said they would participate in some type of financial literacy services. Mental, vision and physical health were the top three healthcare services that were hardest to access in Morrow County, with the hardest to acquire being counseling services for depression. Five individuals state that they or their family have recently experienced barriers or challenges with support systems. Access to stores that sell fresh fruits and vegetables were issues for seven in their community. When asked whether there are enough opportunities for children and youth in their community forty-two percent of respondents disclosed there are not enough while another twelve percent said they didn’t know. Regarding affordable and adequate childcare, thirty-seven percent said ‘No.’ Rent assistance was the top housing service indicated as most needed. Sixty-five percent responded that improve public transportation was the one transportation service most needed. Morrow County’s community partners feel that not only community partnerships, but also the support of the community supporting each other is their greatest strength. The greatest challenges for Morrow County include the rural setting which limits the availability of acquiring resources in a timely manner. Other issues revolving around acquiring resources are lack of privacy from community members living and working so closely together, and the struggle to create equity and diversity in the workforce. Community partners also commented that they would like investment in affordable health care, collaboration, job skills training, and equity. They would like to see investment in adult education and job skills training as well as affordable housing. Sherman County Home repair, youth programs and financial assistance are the top three needs in the past twelve months for community member’s households in Sherman County. Eighty-three percent of community members who responded are not familiar with CAPECO’s services for low-income households in their community. One third say transportation has been a problem in the last twelve months because of inability to afford car repair and inability to afford gas. Willingness to participate in financial literacy services was indicated by one third of the participants. Mental health services were selected as the hardest services to receive in Sherman County while counseling services are most difficult to get. All respondents said there are no, or didn’t know about, opportunities for children and youth in their community. Thirty-three percent are unaware of any socialization opportunities for senior citizens. One third of the community members say repair assistance is a housing service that is most needed in Sherman County while fifty percent indicate the most needed transportation service is improve public transportation. Although there were no responses from community partners who consider Sherman County their primary place of work there are thirteen community partners whose organizations provide a myriad of services for low-income residents in this county. CAPECO | Community Needs Assessment Report | 2021 14
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