Results of an Open Meeting of Residents and Leaders of Local Public and Non-Profit Community

Watertown Community Needs Assessment

Results of an Open Meeting of Residents and Leaders of Local Public and Non-Profit Community Agencies Watertown Free Public Library, November 1, 2007

Convened by the Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) Facilitated by Roberta Miller, President, WCF

Taking Stock of Town Needs and Opportunities

The Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) promotes a strong, close-knit community by fostering connections, mutual respect, and support for those in need among Watertown's diverse residents. As a part of this ongoing effort, on November 1, 2007 WCF convened a meeting to take stock of Watertown’s community and neighborhood life, and to gather data to inform its donors and others in the philanthropic community of potential areas of fruitful activity.

Nearly forty town residents, leaders of community-based agencies, and public sector leaders in education, housing, health care, mental health, child care, social services and public safety gathered together for this meeting. The goal of the meeting was to identify needs in the community that concerned philanthropic leaders could review and consider as a part of their planning and future grantmaking deliberations. This report highlights the thinking of the many diverse participants and the organizations and institutions they represent, and suggests some key areas of focus for future philanthropic work.

High Level of Participation: Signal of a Core Strength of the Town

Including board members of WCF, 38 people were present at this two hour meeting held on the evening of November 1 at the Watertown Free Public Library. Ranging in age from teens to octogenarians, the great majority were Watertown residents; many people present also work in town, in either the public or private sector. Most people in the room were active in more than one local non-profit, civic association and/or public sector agency.

Without deliberately setting out to do so, this event and its robust turnout served to highlight some of the most significant assets and resources available to the town – in particular its many civic and community leaders, both formal and informal, and its many human services, civic, and community based organizations. Appendices to this report identify the individuals present, some of the organizations and populations they represented, and some of the programs and activities their organizations offer. Watertown Community Needs Assessment November 2007 Page 2 Many Dynamic Changes Underway in Town

Participants considered the changing demographic and economic face of Watertown, and identified the following trends:

Decrease in number of schools and students. There are now approximately 2500 students in the system, Pre-K through 12, and three elementary schools. A generation ago, the Watertown Public Schools (WPS) had 7,600 students and seven elementary schools.

Increase in the number of languages spoken by WPS student families; people are coming from a more diverse range of countries. Approximately 30 languages other than English are native to the WPS school population.

Families moving out of town as children get past preschool age.

Increased homelessness: more families doubling up in housing: young families with grandparents, adult children with elders; when two families are sharing, the situation of one of them often meets the legal definition of homelessness, but is rarely recognized as such.

Decrease in civic participation. Only one-third of registered voters show up at the polls, as compared with much higher numbers in decades past. Once the town had more resources and specific institutions (e.g., Abraham Lincoln House) to help people obtain citizenship and learn their rights and responsibilities.

Increased sense of isolation.

Extreme increases in price of housing; decrease in supply of housing.

Increased number of seniors living alone.

Increased numbers of parents needing support beyond the school day for their school age children; lack of programs to supervise children.

Increased number of grandparents raising grandchildren.

Increased number of immigrants and seniors at the Food Pantry; decreased number of families at the Food Pantry, because they no longer live in town.

Lack of affordable child care: waiting list at Creative Start; lack of scholarship money at preschools Increased numbers of children hanging out at library in the after school period, without much active programming to engage them or to support their development.

Police increasingly facing individuals and families in need of social services, and referring cases to the department’s social worker for intervention rather than pursuing legal intervention. Officers increasingly find themselves trying to respond to needs of families and individuals for social services and mental health supports.

Emergence of electronic communication; the H2Otown website and its popularity achieves direct communication from and among invested citizens.

Increases in building and development.

Loss of green space, open space.

Closing of churches, redevelopment as condos.

Increased number of cars (it was reported that Watertown had an increase of 1,000 cars in the past year).

Top Priorities, as Expressed by the Participants

Acting with very limited time, and responding with patience, humor and thoroughness, participants conducted a straw vote to create a sense of their collective priorities. Each person had up to four votes to cast among the many issues and the partial list of responses that they had generated (each “dot” stuck to the newsprint paper counted as one vote).

Although many specific ideas and challenges were presented, they cohere into three areas.1 Those three areas are:

 Social Services, including housing and programs for youth  Communication, both as a tool in coordination of services and resources, and as a way to promote activities and good will  Stewardship of the environment, including efforts to promote greener practices in transportation and in recreation.

Social Services Ideas (in order of priority)

A Town Social Worker -- (19 dots) (Police Chief Deveau reported that they currently have a social worker at the Police Department supported by outside funding. The position has grown from part time to full time but the demand is still overwhelming. The

1 It should be noted here that neither the Watertown Community Foundation nor the many participants in the meeting consider this brainstorming and straw voting process exhaustive, or in any way complete. To the contrary: these ideas represent the best thinking of the group over a short period of time, and suggest more a core sense of top issues than something comprehensive or analytical.

Executive Summary: Needs Assessment November 2007 Page 4 Dept of Public Health representative, Steven Ward, talked about the possibility of having a Community Health Outreach worker, but requires data to support the need in the budget. Also, a resource book, Down and Out in Massachusetts, was mentioned; it includes information on laws, services, etc in this arena, which could help get people out of crisis mode and into planning. A center or a social worker could both be conduits, helping to get this information in the hands of those who need it.)

Afterschool activities for youth 13+; a “Roving Youth Center” (15 dots)

A way to coordinate volunteers with unmet needs, from basic safety such as shoveling, leaves, rides etc to more skilled, such as translation services within the schools. There are willing workers but no way to know how to help ( 9 dots)

Housing: for families, for elders, affordable (2 dots)

More space for the Watertown Family Network (2 dots)

Access to recreation for children with disabilities (2 dots)

Counseling/ case management for uninsured and underinsured (2 dots)

Mental health services beyond police intervention

Affordable childcare

Cambridge at Home mentioned as a model of helping to keep seniors in their homes comfortably and safely

Information Ideas (in order of priority)

A central source of information about social services (library and Watertown Family Network do some of this) (7 dots)

Press coverage which is substantive and tells people all of the things that are happening across town. A local newspaper that really is local; an effective method for getting information out (4 dots)

Coordination between sources of funding and those who need it (2 dots) and between various institutions serving people -- schools, police, etc. (1 dot)

Collected, organized data to support the needs we experience (1 dot)

Ideas on Stewardship of the Environment (in order of priority)

Make the town greener; reduce the amount of asphalt. There are too many cars for the narrow roads; we need to encourage people to walk, take the T, bike. (12 dots)

Executive Summary: Needs Assessment November 2007 Page 5 A way to integrate the Charles River into the identity of the town; to develop this resource in an environmentally friendly, community-defining way. Preserve and use the green space we have to make the town more attractive and accessible for social or recreational activities (4 dots)

Safe ways to bike through town (3 dots)

Environment at the high school; does not inspire pride. Address heat problems, broken windows; focus on non-sport activities, etc. (2 dots)

Transportation, especially on north/south routes across town (2 dots)

Children without parent transport unintentionally excluded

Disseminate more broadly information about existing bike paths and bike routes

Parking

Off leash dog park

Farmer’s market

Creative Opportunism: Building on Strengths to Address Hard Challenges

Overall, participants offered a strong expression of a community that increasingly reflects the nation’s widening gap between those with adequate resources and those without. Although there are significantly fewer children in the school system and in the town than in decades past, the needs of those children and their families are bigger than they once were, and cover a huge range – from housing, food, and child care to translation services, legal help and health care. The ever-increasing diversity of the town– always a strength – offers a new challenge to schools and neighborhoods engaging in the process of supporting immigrant families in their efforts to thrive.

At the same time, the need is great for ties between us as neighbors, for inter- connectedness and community-building, regardless of income. Watertown is seeing a steady increase in the total number of households, number of households without children, number of households with multiple cars, and so on. Some recent development in town is in service to higher income individuals who may be here for the distinctive charm of the town, its diversity, and its many amenities, but who may not yet be fully integrated into the community.

The concerns expressed touch all those who live in town, and so do many of the proposed solutions or action steps. All residents share an interest in the care and enhancement of the town’s natural resources, and a lot of emphasis was placed on the many different ways that people and organizations can play a constructive role in that process. All

Executive Summary: Needs Assessment November 2007 Page 6 residents and businesses benefit when the police department recognizes and responds to the non-legal and non-law enforcement needs of people in crisis. All residents and many community agencies could benefit from increased intra-town communication and journalistic coverage of civic and community activity.

One idea for grantmakers is to look for those opportunities in town which seem to simultaneously build on strengths while responding to unmet needs. Here are some examples of ideas with this potential, each chosen for its responsiveness to the highest priority expressed needs of the meeting participants:

 Library-based Out-of-School Time Programming. At first glance, the news that some 30 or 40 students are filling up the available space at the library after school might be presented as a challenge to keeping order and meeting the needs of other library patrons. But look at it another way – the town is lucky indeed to have a library facility and staff who attract dozens of children every day. All that is needed is a strategy for ensuring their creative and constructive engagement in meaningful after school time activity. Increasing access to such out-of-school time programming can do meet many needs at once: it can keep employment options open for families by offering much needed child care coverage, it can offer children better chances for learning and healthy development, and it can enhance the quality of life in town by giving youth positive outlets and chances to learn and grow (and stay out of trouble), and it can afford all people, adults included, access to a library that accommodates the needs of the many while catering to the needs of youth in particular.

 Police-referred social work. At first, the idea that the police department might offer social work services seems a little unusual – it is the enforcers of laws, not a resource and referral agency for people in crisis. But the past year has convinced the Police Chief and others that this is a deeply sensible approach. Of the many people with whom the police interact, the neediest and least supported often lack health care, access to a support network, access to needed medication, and so on. The presence of a social worker within the WPD ranks has created a new approach among police, who so frequently refer people to the social worker that her time is now fully occupied: the department recently increased the hours she works from part-time to full-time.

 New ways of networking. People in Watertown need new and better ways to access information about resources for helping other people. While many of those in the room knew one another and were active in robust networks in the town, none could cite a source of reliable data on the other agencies, non-profit and public, which are a part of the town. Multiple purposes can be achieved with such a project:

o the creation of a database can provide consumers with new and improved access to resources o the development of a directory could inform those with philanthropy or volunteerism on their minds of the options available

Executive Summary: Needs Assessment November 2007 Page 7 o other forms of networking (listserves, websites, on-line community creation) can serve as potential ramps up to the emerging technologies of the coming few years

 Greening Watertown is a large, complicated, long-term job, with many elements Options are therefore plentiful, with high levels of interest in increasing foot and bicycle traffic, reducing the use of cars, preserving and planting trees, recovering and restoring the riverside land that runs through the town, and so on. WCF has made a substantial grantmaking and staffing commitment to the support of this and related work. There may be particular ways in which WCF is suited to roles that might include facilitation, showcasing, grantmaking, and communications about the successes and ambitious future plans of its grantees, allies and neighbors.

Conclusion

In its work as a convener, the WCF seeks to surface new information, encourage shared values and insights, and point out the potential opportunities for action. WCF celebrates the many positive attributes of the town, while identifying opportunities build on those assets and to serve the whole community. This report and its findings are offered in that spirit. Readers are encouraged to contact Watertown Community Foundation with questions, ideas, and feedback.

Watertown Community Foundation Elizabeth Zwick, Executive Director PO Box 334 Watertown MA 02471 617-926-1500 [email protected]

Executive Summary: Needs Assessment November 2007 Page 8 WCF NEEDS ASSESSMENT APPENDIX A

A partial list of the many organizations represented includes:

State Representative Kaprelian’s Office Watertown Town Council Watertown Police Department Watertown Department of Public Health Watertown Public Schools Trustees of the Watertown Free Public Library Watertown Family Network Project Literacy Parent/Child Home Program Watertown Youth Coalition Watertown Council on Aging Watertown Commission on Disability Watertown Historical Commission Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee Safe Routes to School Watertown Community Housing Marshall Home Apartments Watertown Food Pantry Clergy/Ministerial Association World in Watertown Marshall Home Fund Helen Robinson Wright Fund Bilezikian Family Foundation League of Women Voters Concerned Citizens Group Project Save Trees for Watertown Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety Perkins School for the Blind Watertown Art Association Watertown Arts Council Arsenal Center for the Arts Historical Society of Watertown

Executive Summary: Needs Assessment November 2007 Page 9 WCF NEEDS ASSESSMENT APPENDIX B

A partial list of the individuals present includes:

Irene Beach Dorothy Bowler George Donohue Kathy Kopp Marilynne Roach Roger Erickson Ed Deveau Carol Smith Berney Jennifer Van Campen Arlene Smith Will Twombly Kathy Tompkins Ann Kaufman-Frederick Jonathan Hecht Elizabeth Louis Fred Hewett David Neylon Mari Ryan Ruth Thomasian Mark Harris Sue Viskin Amy Seto Mary Burdick Dari Donovan Bill McCarthy Karl Neugebauer Deborah Kacep Steven Ward Raya Stern Susan Falcoff Becket Rhodes Ronit Velde

Executive Summary: Needs Assessment November 2007 Page 10 WCF NEEDS ASSESSMENT APPENDIX C

Populations Served and Programs and Activities Offered

Among the populations served by the groups represented at the needs assessment:

 the poorest and most distressed  quilters among us  photographers  those in crisis  those with disabilities  the elderly  those who walk  retirees  bicyclists  preschoolers  those who enjoy the Charles  children 0- 4, and their parents River  school age students  first time homebuyers  English language learners  preservationists  immigrants  library patrons  the Armenian community  Braille book readers  artists  others

Activities and programs conducted by those organizations and groups present include:

 the disbursement of emergency funds  provision of food  classes and workshops of many, many types: music, art, theatre, etc.  walks and bicycle rides throughout town  intergenerational activities  art exhibits  afterschool programs  youth activities  candidates debates and voter education  disability advocacy and education  advocacy for affordable housing  neighborhood planning  anti-bias education  English as a Second Language tutoring  emergency preparedness planning  grants programs to encourage activities celebrating the history and environment  The MLK Unity Breakfast  production of Community Guide  guides to local history  others

Executive Summary: Needs Assessment November 2007 Page 11