The Oakville Community Foundation launches the Sense of Belonging Survey on May 23, 2017 in partnership with the Town of Oakville and the YMCA of Oakville. This quick and easy survey's goal is to understand how citizens and visitors experience belonging in Oakville, and ultimately use what we learn to make Oakville a more welcoming community where everyone can belong.
Why are we doing this project?
- To understand where the gaps are;
- To bring together and welcome all of our communities;
- To reflect, share, and learn as a community and
- To build inclusion together.
The survey seeks to learn about where and when in Oakville people feel a sense of belonging, the needs and opportunities present in the community, and how to make Oakville a more welcoming place.
Oakville has a 31% immigrant population, and most residents were not born in Oakville. Visible minorities make up 24% of Oakville’s population. Half of people over 80 (50%) report feeling lonely, and 38% of Canadians do not feel like they have a stake in their local community. Oakville’s demographics are growing and changing, indicating a need for this kind of research.
“Sense of Belonging is the start of a conversation about community. Inclusion is one of the four pillars identified in The Foundation’s 2015 Vital Signs ® Report, and by understanding the community’s feelings and needs, we are better able to support programs that foster an inclusive society,” says CEO Wendy Rinella.
The Sense of Belonging survey can be found at www.belongingmatters.ca and is open to anyone who has lived in, worked in, or visited Oakville. The survey will run until June 30, 2017 and participants will be entered to win an iPad Mini upon completion.