Casino Road Initiative and Community Volunteers Participate in Annual National Night Out

During the first year of the Initiative, our core work focuses on connecting with and learning from the Community. We know it's essential that we build off of the incredible work already going on in this community and listen to those who know best about the strengths and needs of Casino Road - the people that live here. Various organizations have come before us to start this process with several surveys and focus groups. While this information is invaluable, we wanted to have a more up-to-date understanding of the current strengths and needs of the community.

With that mission in mind, the Initiaitve worked with the United Way of Snohomish County to design a survey intended to capture both the things residents like and dislike about their community. With both child and adult versions in three different languages, we were ready to take it to the community! Community volunteers received a brief training on the purpose of the survey, how to ask the questions, and how to record responses.

On August 1st, several Leadership Council members along with over 10 dedicated community volunteers had a fun evening attending the annual National Night Out events hosted at the Evergreen Library and the Casino Road Boys and Girls Club. These events have a history of drawing large crowds, mostly due to being located at safe, family-friendly places that have strong connections to the community. In addition to getting to know our community member better, the group collected over 130 surveys addressing community needs in Casino Road. The results of these surveys will be analyzed by a data specialist and will play in important role in guiding the plans and strategic direction of the Casino Road Initiative.