Measuring our value for 'people we serve'
Brad Hinken believes in improving people’s quality of life.
“How do we really make a difference in the lives of the people we serve?” asks Hinken, TrueNorth Community Services' Health and Community Solutions Division Director.
David Wingard is TrueNorth’s Director of Research and Strategic Development. Measuring the effectiveness and impact of TrueNorth's programs and services are what “we want to know," he says.
TrueNorth has placed a major focus on enhanced evaluation of our programs through intensive efforts the past two years to better serve the community. Working with Western Michigan University researchers led by Dr. Kieran Fogarty, TrueNorth is using surveys, client input, data collection, studies and other methods to assess, improve and enhance our offerings.
“Things like income level don’t necessarily relate to quality of life. You can be poor and be entirely happy, and you can be rich and be really miserable,” Wingard says. “What we want to know is: ‘Do individuals and households receiving TrueNorth services report a higher level of well-being.’”
We will share our results as our evaluation continues. So stay tuned.
