Community Assessment
Jennifer Kitkowski
Baptist College of Health Sciences

Community Assessment Many dimensions make up a community and allow it to thrive. These dimensions can be assessed to gather data and establish ideas for change to further broaden the community. The community of Greenville, Mississippi is rich in history, founded in 1824, was a cultural and business community for cotton plantations along the Mississippi River. It was destroyed in the Civil War during the siege of Vicksburg. Greenville was rebuilt, and regained its title as a booming agricultural and river port town. In 1927, a the levee dividing the town and the Mississippi River broke, flooding the town for a three month period. Greenville was resurrected again, and was a flourishing cultural and business town (History of Greenville, n.d.). However, over the past several decades, with changes to the economy over the years, movement of the population and poverty has lead to a decline of the town. A closer analysis at the facts, statistics, and resources Greenville has to offer can pinpoint the needs of this community.
Windshield Survey

Greenville, Mississippi is located in Washington County in the Mississippi Delta. The main highways connecting Greenville are Highway 1, Highway 82, and Highway 61. Lake Ferguson, an off-shoot of the Mississippi River, makes up Greenville’s west border, dividing it from Arkansas. The United States Census Bureau states that Greenville has a total area of 26.9 square miles (State and County QuickFacts, 2014). A phenomenological boundary consists of those in an area with like-minded relationships, values, interests, beliefs and goals. Greenville has a large religious community, both Christian and Jewish. Arts and culture play a role in the community as well, with a successful community theater, historical groups, and civic groups. The crime statistics in the 38701 zip code is of concern. According the Crime Rate Index, the Total Crime Risk is 310, which is over 3 times the national average. The Murder Risk Index is 492, which is almost 4 times the national average. The Rape Risk is 482, compared to the 110 Mississippi average index. The Burglery Risk is 558, compared to the Mississippi index of 128 (Crime Rate Index, 2012).
Upon speaking with community members, a wide variety of thoughts and opinions were obtained: * “The best thing about Greenville is music. The blues music was created here, and you can feel it in the air! It is one thing all ages and races agree on here. The Mississippi Blues and Heritage Festival every fall draws in a big crowd of blues lovers, and is so much fun (Painter, 2014).” Frankie Painter, age 35. * “I am a retired catfish farmer here in Greenville. It once was a great business to be in, but most of the catfish farms are now closed because of foreign competition. Other agriculture is still big here though, like soybeans, rice, and cotton (Johnson, 2014)” Brent Johnson, age 63 * “The job market for younger adults is not very good. I have a bachelors degree in fashion design from Mississippi State University and cannot find a job anywhere near my major. I know I will have to probably move to Jackson or Memphis to use it, but my family is here, and this is home. I appreciate all the history and culture here, and would love to see Greenville back as it once was(Worsham, 2014).” Sara Elizabeth Worsham, 32. * “I have worked at the hospital here in Greenville for 40 years. It offers a great service for the community. We have some wonderful physicians and nurses here. You just have to consider the population we serve though. Greenville is poor, the crime is high, unemployment is high, diets are poor. Healthcare is a tough business here, but it is a necessity (Sides, 2014). Sandra Sides, 60. * “Greenville has very strong church presence here. However, the crime is almost the highest in the whole state. I think you have to look at many factors. Poverty is a reality. Lack of quality education is a reality. There are great private schools, but not many can afford it. The poor are in continuous cycle, and do not know how to get out. My goal as a pastor and leader in this community is to try and reach out to all walks of life. I hope our congregation can be an example and be inviting to others (Nichols, 2014)”. Dr.James Nichols, 42.

There does seem to be a drive to restore community vitality. There are a number of ways citizens are giving back to make Greenville a better place to live and visit. The Keep Greenville Beautiful group that commit to “coordinate, promote, support, encourage and advance efforts of the community to improve quality of life as it relates to beautification, the reduction of litter, and recycling (Keep Greenville Beautiful, n.d.). The Greenville Arts Council is a non-profit organization that has a mission “to promote the rich cultural heritage of the region and stimulate and encourage cultural activities, arts appreciation, arts education, and the creative works of artists (Greenville Arts Council, n.d.).” The Greenville Arts Council hosts and sponsors many activities, such as art galleries, workshops, and even has helped to restore a historic carousel for community use. The Junior Auxillary of Greenville is very active in the community, volunteering to help children. The Boys and Girls Club of Washington County is active in mentoring children in the community as well.
The indications of social and economic conditions in Greenville, Mississippi are apparent by examining the income and housing. The estimated median household income in 2012 was $27,319. The per capita income was $15,898. 21.1% of the Greenville population are unemployed. The median house value is $76,294. There is also a 19.7% decrease in the population since 2002 ( (Greenville, Mississippi, 2013).
There some reliable health resources in Greenville. Delta Regional Medical Center is a 325 bed hospital providing emergency, surgery, critical care, heart and vascular services, and med-surg inpatient services ( (Delta Regional Medical Center, 2014). The Good Samaritan Health Center helps to provide health care services to the uninsured patients in Greenville. The Greenville Clinic is a large medical clinic providing care for infants and adults. Delta Cancer Institute treats those diagnosed with cancer, with a chemotherapy and radiation center. The Washington Country Anti-Drug Task Force is also active in Greenville ( (Health Care, n.d.).
Environmental conditions related to health are reflected in city data that was collected as well. The Mississippi Levee Board conducts research, education, as well as makes engineering decisions on the environmental aspects related to the Mississippi Delta region (Mississippi Levee Board , n.d. ).