Empowering Families, a nonprofit in western Nebraska, is redefining its mission by focusing on community belonging through innovative strategies and programs.
Empowering Families, a nonprofit organization based in western Nebraska, is making significant strides in transforming its programs and impact within the community. Founded by Val Rodriguez, the organization aims to assist immigrant families, cultivate young leaders, foster cross-cultural connections, and enhance civic engagement.
A pivotal moment for Rodriguez and her team came when they confronted a seemingly simple yet profound question: How can they measure whether individuals truly feel a sense of belonging? This inquiry led them to adopt the Belonging Barometer, a tool designed to gauge community connectedness.
Rodriguez first encountered the Belonging Barometer during her graduate research, which explored how shifting demographics were influencing community dynamics. Its straightforward methodology appealed to her: print the survey, customize it to resonate with the local context, and begin gathering feedback. After adapting several questions to reflect the unique characteristics of her county, she distributed the 10-question survey to 369 residents through various channels, including churches, community events, a soup kitchen, email, and text messages. This uncomplicated approach yielded valuable insights that would shape the organization’s future initiatives.
The survey results revealed unexpected findings. While many respondents felt connected to familiar people and places, such as their churches, neighborhoods, and close friends, their sense of belonging to the broader community was significantly lower. Additionally, many residents expressed a lack of trust in local institutions and described an “us versus them” mentality prevalent in the community. Notably, these sentiments were not confined to any specific racial or ethnic group; residents across Scotts Bluff County, including White individuals, reported a diminished sense of belonging. This revelation prompted a fundamental shift in Empowering Families’ approach.
Rather than treating the Belonging Barometer as a one-off assessment, the organization began to utilize it as an ongoing management tool. A prime example of this is the Youth Arise program, a seven-week civic leadership initiative aimed at at-risk high school students. Participants complete belonging assessments both before and after the program, alongside other leadership metrics. In a recent cohort, the percentage of students reporting a strong sense of belonging surged from 61% to 89% after completing the program.
Moreover, the insights gained from the Belonging Barometer have informed the development of new programming. Conversations with Native American community members highlighted that feelings of belonging can vary significantly depending on the context. For instance, participants expressed a sense of connection at the Lakota Lutheran Center but felt disconnected in other community settings, such as public meetings.
Perhaps most crucially, the implementation of the Belonging Barometer has prompted Empowering Families to reevaluate its mission and redefine its purpose. The organization has leveraged its findings to create new cultural programming, including Lakota language classes and cultural retreats aimed at enhancing both belonging and cultural pride. Originally focused on education, civic participation, and empowerment, Empowering Families now explicitly centers its work on fostering community belonging through these avenues.
Looking ahead, the organization plans to develop a countywide belonging strategy that encompasses healthcare, education, economic development, nonprofits, and local government. The insights derived from the Belonging Barometer have also enabled Empowering Families to articulate the necessity of this work, positioning it as a viable community initiative that can attract funding and resources to sustain and expand its efforts.
Rodriguez emphasizes that organizations do not require expensive consultants or intricate research projects to initiate meaningful change. Instead, they need a straightforward method to listen, learn, and act upon the feedback from their communities. “You’re trusted individuals in the community,” she stated. “You are the trusted messengers.” For Empowering Families, the concept of belonging has evolved from an abstract notion into a measurable and actionable goal that they can collectively pursue.
For those interested in implementing similar strategies, Empowering Families offers resources, including a free Belonging Barometer Quick Start Guide and survey questions, to help other communities begin measuring belonging.
The insights and strategies developed by Empowering Families serve as a testament to the power of community engagement and the importance of fostering a sense of belonging for all residents.
According to American Immigration Council.