Community organizations are conducting county-wide survey

Alena Maschke
Naples Daily News
florida gulf coast beach at naples in late afternoon

A group of community organizations around the Schulze Family Foundation will begin conducting personal interviews on July 24 for a county-wide survey designed to assess community needs.

In cooperation with Miami-based consultancy firm QQ Research Consultants, the project will include quantitative research, such as census data analysis, and qualitative research in the form of surveys, starting next week.

"We wanted to get a picture of what Collier County looks like, from data but also from people's perspective," said Mary Beth Geier, Florida region coordinator at the Schulze Family Foundation. 

At least 2,500 people will be interviewed for the survey, with more opportunities to participate online in the second phase of the project.

"In order for the survey to be statistically valid, we need to literally touch each community," Geier said. Responses will be weighted according to the percentage of population in each area, to ensure all communities are represented appropriately.

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To ensure that all voices will be heard, the group is working with local organizations, who administer the surveys for participants with limited English proficiency.

In Immokalee, the Guadalupe Center will help provide access to Creole and Spanish-speakers. "It gives our community, the Immokalee community, a voice," said Dawn Montecalvo, CEO and president of Guadalupe Center.

For organizations like the Guadalupe Center, the survey is an opportunity to learn more about the needs and expectations of their community. "It allows us to focus our programs on what the needs are," Montecalvo said.

But it doesn't stop there. "As with any survey, the question is always: what needs to be fixed, and can we fix it?" Montecalvo said. For participating organizations, the survey is an opportunity to start that process.

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The project is also an opportunity for Collier County residents to find out were their time and donations are needed the most. "It will help the general community to figure out where they fit in," said Mary Beth Geier with the Schulze Family Foundation.

"We want to make sure that Collier County maintains that position as the best place to live, the best place to raise a family," Geier said.