The document discusses the results of community listening sessions conducted by United Way of Brazoria County in 2015-2016. Key themes that emerged from the sessions included: a desire for a thriving community with safety, education, and employment opportunities; the importance of inclusion, involvement, and diversity; concerns about the effects of poverty exacerbated by rapid population growth; and a need for better connection and collaboration between community organizations and residents. The report aims to inform officials and organizations about community needs and priorities to guide future efforts.

1. PURPOSE & GOALS
Brazoria County is a changing community, facing both positive
and negative impact from unprecedented growth. Its population
is growing and its resources are stretched. With these growing
pains, the needs of the community have changed and Community
Listening Sessions have never been more vital.
In 2015, United Way of Brazoria County (UWBC) made community
listening a priority. UWBC is working to stay informed, identify
issues that affect the entire community, create opportunities for
community-wide dialogues and find solutions that make lasting
change in the community possible.
UWBC volunteers and staff conducted eight Community Listening
Sessions across the county over the course of nine months from
2015 to early 2016. The Listening Sessions offered an opportunity
to engage dozens of community members in conversation. Each
group was asked the same questions and care was taken to record
exactly what the participants said in their own words.
Listening Sessions notes were then studied and compared.
Common themes in Listening Sessions across geographical,
economic, racial and age lines were identified. This report
presents these themes in detail. The data gathered from
Community Listening Sessions is valuable information for officials
and organizations across the county. What was heard in these
community conversations will also directly inform the future work
and direction of UWBC. The valuable qualitative data that emerges
from Community Listening sessions supplements the wealth of
quantitative information that exists about the community from
demographics, research, and analysis.
“When people and organizations turn outward,
efforts to solve challenges have a much greater
chance of having a lasting impact, generating
more support and resources, and creating a
community that is better equipped to sustain
the change - and tackle other challenges.”
- Rich Harwood
The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation
United Way
of Brazoria County
uwbc.org
COMMUNITY
LISTENING SESSIONS
2015-2016 REPORT ON

2. PROCESS
Community Listening asks residents what matters most to them about our community.
These are small, diverse groups that encourage intimate discussions among
county residents. Answers are candid and diverse, just like the participants.
The Community Listening process is designed to:
• Hear and understand the community’s concerns.
• Involve more, new and different people from across Brazoria County
who want to make a difference in their community.
• Join with Community Partners to craft a plan for everyone that includes
measurable results.
• Invite everyone to be a part of the solution.
UWBC volunteers and staff received specialized training from process
experts before planning and coordinating sessions. They conducted the
following activities:
• Created the list of questions that were used consistently in every
Listening Session.
• Solicited organizations to assist with conducting the Listening
Sessions, including, but not limited to, United Way partners, school district employees,
local businesses, etc.
• Determined target communities within Brazoria County based upon population and previous participation in UWBC activities, with a
prioritization on finding previously unheard voices.
• Promoted the project to others in the community, recruiting additional involvement when necessary, in order to facilitate the project
implementation and to ensure a positive response among community participants.
• Will report on the “themes” that were heard in the Listening Sessions to stakeholders, policy makers and community partners.
UWBC is deeply committed to engaging a diverse set of voices in the Community Listening process. These dialogues rely on including
participants with different experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, knowledge and circumstances. Participants included educational
professionals, parents, government officials, public safety officers, students and youth, business leaders, nonprofit representatives and
health care professionals.
THEME: A THRIVING COMMUNITY
Participants began their conversations with comments about the
importance of safety and education. They hope for a community
where children have a safe environment and access to high quality
education, enabling children to become successful adults with
adequate employment opportunities. Families and individuals
are healthy, happy and thriving in such a community and are able,
in turn, to contribute to the community’s success. Conversation
participants wanted opportunities to create this success for
themselves and also expected that their neighbors would work
hard, lend a hand when needed and be accountable.
• “We’re all looking for a good home, a safe area to raise our
families in – a place that has resources that will help us raise
our families: childcare, hospitals, doctors, schools, and law
enforcement.”
• “I would like a better school for my daughter. I want to be able
to put her in school and not to worry.”
• “Education extends to families and parents, too. You can’t
change the dynamic of families and community until you
educate people.”
• “What does it mean to a family when a member starts
working? What does it mean to the community? It makes a
permanent change when they have the skills to take care of
themselves.”
• “I’m hopeful for employment opportunities for kids. How do we
connect kids to what they’ll be doing next? There’s a gap that
is stopping them from reaching higher levels.”
THEME: INCLUSION & INVOLVEMENT
Residents value an integrated community in which everyone is
engaged, diversity is appreciated and volunteerism is encouraged.
In every session, they mentioned the importance of family
life, knowing your neighbors, spending time with people that
you identify with, faith-based networks and giving back to the
community in some way. These community networks are often
informal, but crucial to residents’ happiness and health. Likewise,
participants noted that a diversity of voices and perspectives
makes the community stronger. Efforts that encourage or organize
community volunteers of all ages deepen community connections.
• “I want a real sense of community here; opportunities to get
to know other people. When you know others, you feel safer.”
• “Sometimes we define ourselves in terms of what we’re not,
and I think there’s a tendency to do that here: define oneself
or a group in terms of what’s across the street, and I’m not like
that, not throwing rocks.”
• “A lot of our issues stem from people not understanding
one another and speaking negatively because they don’t
understand.”
• “We need to get people more involved, enthusiastic, and
wanting to do things in our communities.”
• “There’s nothing for kids to do in our community. We need to
engage them, maybe with programs or volunteering.”
• “I would love an attractive and engaging place for people to
get out – this would also be great for people to volunteer and
get involved.”

3. THEME: POVERTY IN TIMES OF GROWTH
Brazoria County residents value a community where opportunity is open to everyone, and where there are adequate resources to help
the most vulnerable become self-sufficient. There was a prevailing awareness of the effects that rapid growth is having on Brazoria
County. Though providing benefits for the local economy, growth has increased the divide between the “haves” and “have nots.” Many
participants described people that they know who are “just getting by,” and several talked about increased homelessness, particularly
among youth populations.
While conversation participants were keenly aware of the effects of poverty in their community and neighborhoods, they often
mentioned that it is not always a visible problem to everyone and is a reality for some that is hidden from the general public’s view.
This perception (or misperception) leads to a lack of resources available to address real needs. From housing, to health and mental
health care services, to education and child care resources, even time and money, shortages affect populations in which the needs are
greatest: children, young families, seniors, veterans, those with medical needs and those who are un/underemployed.
• “It takes one devastating event like a fire and costs of living suddenly go up. A medium income family also has needs and needs
assistance sometimes as well.”
• “Our population has changed. One in ten was on free and reduced lunch when I was in school. Now it’s 1 in 4. Even though we’re a
rich community, we have a deep poverty problem.”
• “The homeless count is tremendous – there are staggering statistics on homeless students.”
• “I’m concerned about housing for younger populations. Higher incomes are raising rents and making it harder for those who can’t
afford it. They can’t go to homeless shelters.”
• “When you get minimum wage and have four kids, there’s a shortage of housing. Families can’t always afford $1,200 a month. They
can get a job, but not a place to live.”
• “We need to meet people where they are – we’re not doing that. We have lots of services, but we’re not able to reach everyone.”
• “We need to deal with the demands that come with growth: education, health, housing, child care.”
• “We need additional resources for mental health, for substance abuse – for those at high-risk, especially students.”
• “I work in mental health, and we have a shortage of treatment options, support services for families in need.”
• “Not enough people know where to go for mental health services. Jail is the only option in some minds, and that’s just not right. You
don’t know what to do with them.”
THEME: CONNECTION & COLLABORATION
Brazoria County residents value access to knowledge and information about their
community and encourage local communication and collaboration. Across the board,
Community Listening participants felt disconnected from services, from information,
from activities, from the other side of the county and expressed desire to spread
knowledge to help others and strengthen the community.
Transportation challenges remain a big issue to many and exacerbate other
needs, such as missed medical appointments, inability to get to jobs, isolated
elderly, etc. Similarly, participants noticed that there is a lack of cross-sector
communication occurring, such as between education and business, and that
not many collaborations are taking place between community organizations.
• “I’d like to have conveniences local so we don’t have to go to Houston.
It’s nice to go once in a while, but to have the arts and sciences and such
closer… would be more stimulating and connecting to the outside world.”
• “Transportation is a problem west of the Brazos. We have to make an
appointment a week in advance, and we can’t always wait a week.”
• “We have a transportation problem; geographically we’re huge. We can
advocate and push for something better, but it’s not something that is
going to go away.”
• “There are silos between service areas; we need more of a culture
of collaboration. Collaboration is good, but when we get back to our
overflowing plates, it falls by the wayside.”
• “There is a problem of getting the word out. Our county is very large;
communication is difficult.”
• “The public doesn’t know where to go for this and that – it’s a big
piece we’re lacking. What services are available to them?”

4. THE
NEXT STEPS
MOBILIZING ACTION
Volunteers and staff of UWBC, as well as Listening Session
participants, have expressed continued enthusiasm and
dedication to the Community Listening process. There are more
voices in the community to be heard from and additional stories
to be told. The door has been opened for new allies, partnerships
and mobilization. Together, Brazoria County can build a
community that is focused on increasing
beneficial programs and connectivity,
as well as supporting families, youth
and those who need it the most.
UWBC seeks to foster relationships
by engaging the community in
a robust listening process and
ultimately acting as a catalyst for the
action necessary to create sustainable
solutions to the community’s challenges.
This information will be shared across the county
with those who participated in the sessions,
elected and public officials, chambers of commerce,
business leaders, community leaders, and others, so
that community members can learn from this process, as well as
take action.
Additionally, the information will be integrated into the
development of UWBC’s strategic plan and setting the direction
for future collaborations and programming. UWBC will continue
to work in “The Sweet Spot” of Public Life. This is where action is
taken on issues the community cares about in a way that builds
the conditions for change in the community at the same time.
UWBC will work toward finding sustainable solutions that address
some of the concerns in this report as well as build relationships
with Community Partners to make a lasting impact.
Without action – large and small –
conversations alone will not make
Brazoria County safer, mitigate the
real effects of poverty, house the
homeless or provide mental health
resources to those who need it.
Brazoria County needs to mobilize
around what unites them and what
they care about, to develop innovative
solutions to these and other problems.
UWBC will use the valuable qualitative data
collected from these sessions to further engage
the community, particularly where new connections
can be made, partnerships can be fostered and expertise can be
shared with others in order to make a difference in the community.
UWBC invites the community to be a part of the change – to give,
advocate and volunteer.
Community members want a chance to create
a better life for themselves, children, families
and neighbors. The community aspirations
and barriers outlined in this report cannot
be addressed by an individual or one group
alone. This report is considered a community
conversation starter for anyone and everyone
in this community.
United Way
of Brazoria County
uwbc.org