Community rallies around kickoff during PRIDE month
Kent State University has partnered with greater Akron community organizations to conduct the first comprehensive and specific LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment (CNA). Efforts of this assessment will focus on producing a better-informed public health system and improving the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community.
The project continues to gain momentum as a shift from pre-assessment to assessment takes place during PRIDE month 2021. Project Coordinator, Andrew Snyder, of Kent State University’s College of Public Health now leads 159 people from over 95 local organizations in Summit, Stark, Portage, and Medina counties to lean into the local strengths, weaknesses, and unmet needs LGBTQ+ community. Including an incentivized survey and focus groups, key stakeholder interviews, and community activities as a vehicle for data collection, Snyder strives to lead the community to equitably participating in the needs assessment process step-by-step. “It is a huge undertaking that no one person or organization could manage. I am impressed every day by the willingness of community members, organizations, government offices to lend a hand to help the project find success.” The project is currently on track to publish a final community report in August 2022.
The assessment is generously supported by lead sponsors: The Brennan Family Foundation, County of Summit, Kent State College of Public Health, City of Akron, Akron Community Foundation, Gay Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Summa Health and Summit County Public Health. For a full list of supporters and to learn how to participate, visit: https://www.kent.edu/publichealth/lgbtq-greater-akron-community-needs-assessment.