The Public Good Society has operated a series of three projects since we came into being. They form a key part of the impact that the Society has had.
Project 1: 2006 - Core Service User Survey
In the Spring and Summer of 2006 the Society conducted a Core Service User Survey to get a better understanding of the users of core services in the Dartmouth community. The Society was able to access funding for the survey project from Service Canada and the Halifax Regional Municipality.
As a sample, the 71 people using the hot meal program run by Feeding Others of Dartmouth (FOOD) were selected. This group was not representative of the Dartmouth population, but it was representative of that program’s clients [ie. more men than women, no youth under 16, and mostly middle-aged]. However, the sample was reasonably representative of the population that required study.
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The location for the Public Good Society's first two projects - in downtown Dartmouth |
The results of the survey can be found in the Research section of this site. Briefly put, though, what was learned from the survey includes:
Project 2: 2006 to 2008 – The Connections That WORK Project (site-based)
The results of the survey of 2006 gave some direction to the Public Good Society, as to what direction to take to meet our goal of better addressing the complex social issues facing our community. That led to the development of second project, which became the first version of "Connections That WORK". This project focused on participants in the Feeding Others of Dartmouth (FOOD) program, which was largely the same group who had been surveys in the first project. The aim of the project was to help participants connect with services that they identified as next steps towards self-reliance and employment.
Funding for the project came from the Canada-Nova Scotia Skills & Learning Framework and the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services. These funds allowed the Society to first hire people to steer those who required assistance to the appropriate agencies. It later allowed for the hiring of a “facilitator-connector” to carry out that work.
Some of the highlights of Project 2 included:
Project 3: 2008 and onwards – The Connections That WORK Project (client-based)
Given positive results of the second project, the Society felt that the next step was to broaden the scope to people outside of the FOOD program. Offering more individualized support and gaining access to a broader group of people, especially people and families accessing local food banks, was set as the priority.
Funding for the project came from the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services. These funds have allowed the Society to hire a part time facilitator to work through Margaret House and Dartmouth's food banks to “connect” them to the service providers that they require, particularly in overcoming barriers to employment. Rather than making people come to us, as in the first "Connections that WORK", the focus is on going out to meet people on their own turf, meaning that no physical location is needed to house the project.
Project 3 is ongoing, however some of the successes to date include: