UWKV Co-hosts First Data Walk Session in Douglas County

As they take a deep look at health and poverty in the community, Douglas County officials and community organizations are hoping to get residents engaged in the hard data behind some decidedly hard facts — for example, this fact: In Lawrence, nearly 80% of families living in poverty are headed by single mothers.

The hope is that literally walking people through the evidence, aka “data walks,” will lead to more effective solutions — possibly even a guaranteed income solution — for a host of issues related to poverty.

To that end, health and county officials involved in the Community Health Improvement Plan, or CHIP, recently shared insights on poverty in Douglas County and discussed the potential income initiative to fund basic needs for families.

Aiding this effort is a $10,000 grant from Results for America’s Solutions, an organization dedicated to helping government leaders use data to build more equitable governments and to reduce poverty. The grant to a cohort of local organizations is funding the data walks – interactive events where community members can engage with, interpret and reflect on data displayed around a room, with a particular focus on poverty. The grant will also help with exploring the potential for a Guaranteed Income Pilot Project – or paying people to help with basic needs – in Douglas County.

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