I. EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
The report identifies priority areas of need for San Mateo County
United Way. Included is an update to the 1 990 Needs Assessment with demographic data from
the 1990 census data and other community reports. Funding Emphases, now referred to as Interim
Priorities, are revised for application in the Fiscal Year 1994-95 (FY95) allocations
process. Results from focus groups, on perceptions of community needs, were analyzed
together with the demographic data to determine FY95 Interim Priorities.
The following is a summary of the key findings:
Drug & Alcohol Abuse is wide spread through-out the County.
It affects all socioeconomic classes and ethnic/racial groups.
Mental Health Crisis Intervention, Mental Health Residential
Treatment, and Health Education and Training were ranked as priorities. Mental
health problems and abuse of alcohol and drugs are closely related. Because mental illness
is increasing, public Health Education is needed to increase awareness and understanding
about the illness.
Youth Development was identified as a high priority by all
groups. The objective should be to provide pro-active positive developmental activities
for youths as alternatives to increasing gang activity, drug abuse, dropping out of
school, and crime.
The need for and lack of Child Care is
County-wide, affecting all populations and geographical areas. Subsidized care is the most
pressing need for women, female-headed households, teen mothers and their children. For
the middle class, quality child care and flexible service hours are needed.
Basic Need Services, emergency shelter food. financial
assistance, and clothing for those in need were identified as high priority.
Employment Services, Transitional Housing,
and Self -Sufficiency Services were given high priority for providing long-term
solutions to some of the social problems, such as poverty and homelessness. Areas where
the need is most acute are East Palo Alto, Redwood City, Daly City, and the City of San
Mateo.
The disintegration of the Family Unit and clash between the
traditional culture and the dominant culture is a serious concern of the Filipino and
Hispanic populations.
English Language Proficiency was identified as a high
priority service by Hispanics and Filipinos. Many immigrants do not speak English and are
also illiterate in their primary language.
Whites make up 71.95% of the overall County population,
57.1% of North County and 92.8% of the Coastside subarea. Most of the social problems
found in the County affect the white population. These include gang activity,
homelessness, unemployment, poverty, mental illness, alcohol and drug abuse, and lack of
affordable and reliable child care.
From 1980 to 1990, the Hispanic population increased
59%. Hispanics comprise 17.6% of the County population, and are the largest ethnic group
in the County. About one in nine Hispanics are living below the poverty level. A large and
diverse Hispanic population exists in North County, East Menlo Park, Redwood City, and the
Coastside.
English Language Proficiency, job training, employment services, low-income housing,
health and dental services, and recreational and educational programs for youth are needed
for Hispanics. These services need to be culturally and linguistically attuned.
The Asian & Pacific Islander population increased
94% from 1980 to 1990. Filipinos comprise the largest ethnic population in this category,
are the second largest ethnic/racial group in the County, and 80% live in North County.
Information, referral and access to social services attuned to their
culture is a top priority.
The foreign-born population, Immigrants & Refugees,
increased by 28%. An increase in anti-immigrant sentiment, and a lack of tolerance for
ethnic and racial diversity is causing fear for their safety and welfare and may prevent
some from seeking needed services.
Black/African Americans, the County's third largest
ethnic/racial group, have the highest school drop-out rate at 22.9%. Just under 50% of
Black/African Americans live in the city of East Palo Alto. About one in six live below
the poverty level. Among the services needed are job and entrepreneurial training,
employment services information networks, and local residential drug treatment centers.
Women & Girls. Over 60% of all women over the age
of 16 work; 31.5% have children under 18 years old. The most pressing need for women,
girls who become pregnant, and their children, is subsidized child care. Other services
needed include mental health care, prenatal care, and parenting classes.
Female-headed households account for 14.65% of all
family households in the County, and represent 21.2% of all households living in poverty.
North County has the highest percentage, 39.6%, of the County's female-headed households.
The Children & Youth school drop-out rate is 12.8%,
with the Black/African Americans having the highest drop-out rate at 22.9%. Gang activity
Countywide was expressed as a major concern. Gang activity is tied to lack of both child
care and after-school activities. Consequently, children and youth need a safe
after-school place that offers both educational and recreational activities.
The Elderly represent 12.4% of all persons living below
or at poverty level and they represent 6.2% of the elderly population in the County, Among
the services funded are adult day care centers and, in nursing homes, interpreters who
speak Chinese, Spanish and Tagalog.
Homelessness/Poor/MarginalPoor/Unemployed/Poverty.
Poverty is widespread throughout the County with over 40,000 persons, or 6.4% of the
population, living in households receiving public assistance. The problem is most acute in
the City of San Mateo, east of Bayshore, Redwood City, East Palo Alto, Daly City, and the
Coastside. The number of unemployed and homeless, and the at-risk population, has
increased. Service needs include basic needs, employment services, mental health, and
physical health care.
North County is the most populous (35.6%). and the
most racially and ethnically diverse subarea of the County. Eighty percent (80%) of the
Filipino population, and over 50% of the Chinese population, live in North County. Daly
City has the largest number of residents (14.2%) in the County.
North County has the highest percentage, 39.6%, of the County's female-headed households,
the greatest number of children 17 years and younger, 38.4%, and the highest percentage of
the County's population living in poverty.
Central County has 30.5% of the County's population,
is the second most populous subarea, and contains 37.2% of the County's elderly
population. The City of San Mateo is the second largest, 13.2%, city in the County.
South County has the largest concentration, 47.6%,
of Black/African Americans, primarily in the city of East Palo Alto. There is a perceived
lack of services and adequate transportation available for the subarea. The number of
Hispanics and Pacific Islanders is growing in the subarea. Black/African Americans and
Hispanics in East Palo Alto need assistance in dealing with the growing tension and
conflict among the two groups as the community's demographics change. Redwood City has the
third largest number, 10.2%, of residents in the County.
Coastside has to deal with a geographical barrier
that hinders access to social services. To access social services on the other side of the
Santa Cruz mountains, the commute time can be very long, especially with public
transportation.
The Volunteer Pool is declining. Cultural
differences and the need to work tend to limit volunteerism.
Staff Diversity is critical for accessing
populations needing services, Social service organization staffing does not mirror the
increased diversity of the County. Diversity training and Culturally and
Linguistically appropriate services are needed.
Financial Fragility is a problem for many agencies.
Severe budget cuts have put agencies, programs, and staff at great financial risk.
Agencies at risk are spending more time and energy raising funds and dealing with staff
issues. Service providers feel funding should focus on funding fewer programs, stabilizing
and maximizing funding for current programs, and adding new programs later. Services
offering an array of under-one-roof , case management service programs are considered
successful.
The Donor Designation system is perceived by service
providers as hurting small, specialized organizations. Because the system fosters
competition, agencies providing more comprehensive services tend to fare better.
United Way has not totally regained the trust it
lost with the national office scandal regarding misuse of funds. Knowing how money is
invested, what services are provided, and who benefits tends to affect people's confidence
in the organization.
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