Demographics
For my NR 442 community service hours, I volunteered my time at Cait’s Consignment in Mokena, IL. While Cait’s store is in a wealthier division of Will County, her mission serves the greater Chicagoland area. Cait’s Consignment works to help people clean their homes and get rid of items they may no longer need, all while earning a percentage of the sales or being able to purchase items through credit at her store. The largest serviced area is Markham, Illinois. According to data collected by World Population Review, Markham has a population of 11,491 (World Population Review, 2022). Markham is predominantly Black or African American, making up approximately 75% of the population. The second most ethnic representation is white, with a large gap of 17.5%. Smaller divisions of other races, such as Asian and American Indian, are also present. The median age of those who live in Markham is 27 for males and 37 for females (World Population Review, 2022).
Socioeconomic
In 2021, the United States Census declared that the national average poverty rate was 11.6% (Creamer et al., 2022). Markham’s poverty level is twice the national average at 20.89%. The reported average household income is $59,287 for the average household of 3 people (World Population Review, 2022). While 33% of Markham’s population has had some college education, 30.58%, or 2,250 people, have only graduated high school. The highest rate of graduation is by the Native Americans, who have a 100% graduation rate from high school. The highest of those who have achieved a bachelor’s degree is Asian, with a rate of 48% (World Population Review, 2022). The average unemployment rate is reported to be 14.1%.
Government and Politics
A city council governs the city of Markham, and its mayor is Roger A. Agpawa (the City of Markham, n.d.). It is a south suburb of Chicago, located in Cook County, Illinois. The city itself was established in 1924. The council members serve four-year terms and are community leaders who have been voted into their position. The City Council comprises the mayor, four Aldermans, the City Attorney, the City Clerk, and the City Treasurer (City of Markham, n.d.). According to their website, the City Council meets every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7 pm to discuss issues and concerns, and residents of Markham are encouraged to attend these public meetings to participate.
Crime and Violence
Statistical data collected by Crime Grade shows that Markham’s crime rate is slightly higher than most average cities in the United States. It is ranked in the 34th percentile, which means that 66% of cities are safer than Markham (Crime Grade, 2022). One fact that I found interesting in this data is that crime, on average, occurs every 20 hours and 39 minutes. It is also reported that if your at a 300% higher risk of being robbed. There if your home does not have a security systemis a 1 in 22 chance of being a victim of crime in a Markham (Crime Grade, 2022). The most reported crimes are assault, robbery, and theft— murder and drug crimes are on the lower end of statistics.
Organizations, Civic Groups, and Employers
There are several organizations and civic groups in Markham. One of the more well-known organizations is the Seasons Community Outreach Services. Their mission is to empower both families and individuals to help them gain knowledge and provide skills and resources necessary to improve quality of life. They strive to eliminate or reduce the gap in barriers by providing educational and economic resources that will promote self-sufficiency and reduce the poverty rate (Cook County Public Health, n.d.). Some programs offered through the Seasons Community Outreach are Low Income Energy Assistance, workforce development, healthy homes, and healthy communities. The targeted population is low-income individuals and families, including seniors and those who are disabled. Some factories and warehouses are located in the Markham area, but only a few large corporations can promote the region’s socioeconomic progress.
Community Assets that Promote Health
The initial mapping and visualization have indicated that the city of Markham is well-endowed with physical, social, cultural, and policy assets that help to promote health. Physically, the region is several major hospitals, three major pharmacy pharmaceuticals, and laboratory facilities. These hospitals include Ingalls Memorial, Fransisca Health, and South Suburban. All these facilities are dedicated to providing major healthcare services to the increasing number of patients across the region. Further, all these facilities are accredited to use the Obama health care coverage hence capable of caring for the poor population in the region.
Community Needs that Create Barriers to health
Presently, there are many barriers to health in the city. These include the negative culture, high cost, and security gaps. As stated earlier, the poverty index among these people is relatively high, at twice the national average of 20.89% (Markham, I. Population, 2022). This trend has resulted in the majority of the members having poor mindset culture and hence being unable to afford basic health care needs. Subsequently, some members of the region believe that the cost of health care in the region is high. Thus they need to attend to the best medical services provided in the regional hospitals. The third most notable challenge to health is the high rate of crime in the region. The increased rate has resulted in most medical practitioners avoiding operating in the region.
My Role at the Site
My attachment to the site has played a significant role in the overall healthcare promotion in the region. I have contributed to the formulation of laws and policies that will be able to improve not only health but also education in the region. I have implemented policies to educate people on the need to clean the environment. For instance, I have developed a self-sustaining program of planting trees in the regions initially used as a dump sites. The main aim of the approach is to reduce the region’s carbon footprint and the cases of diseases that an unsafe environment may cause.
How Community Sites Affect the Health of the Community and US
Cait’s Consignment Community site works to help people clean their homes and get rid of items they may no longer need, all while earning a percentage of the sales or being able to purchase items through credit at her store. The site also works by reducing the cases of the carbon footprint that may be suspended in the environment (Carmichael et al., 2021). This trend is a powerful way of caring for the environment while at the same time reducing the chances of the destruction of the ozone layer. Subsequently, the site is a powerful place for the promotion of the social welfare of the members. That means it is through the site that people can effectively earn a percentage of the sales, thus improving their living standards.
The Benefits of Being a Part of a Community Site
Being part of the community site has enormous benefits. First, it has acted as an important position for helping the vulnerable members of society. The site has provided members with the opportunity to effectively clean the environment while simultaneously creating a sustainable place for the poor and vulnerable (Crime Grade, n.d.). In other cases, it has promoted international collaboration and understanding of the various community organizations geared to promote a sustainable environment.
Community Health challenge Addressed
The main community health challenge Cait’s Consignment in Mokena, II attempts to address is various forms of pollution. By cleaning the home, the institution aims to provide a safe, clean and sustainable environment for every member of society. The organization is also working on the best ways of cleaning, recycling, and promoting a sustainable environment in Chicago and America. In other words, once the products are collected, these members usually have the opportunity to recycle and provide alternative use.
Healthy People 2030 Topic and Objective the Site Address Through Their Mission.
The health People 2030’s goals and objectives are to promote health through people’s thriving lives and well-being free from preventable disease, injury, and premature death. The community partner works to address the prevention of the disease in the larger community by cleaning homes (Creamer et al., 2022). By cleaning the homes, the site aims to reduce some of the possible hazards and threats that may result in diseases. Further, through its robust research and education measures, it aims to promote good behavior and preventive measures in the community.
One Program or Intervention That the Community Partner Implements
One of the programs that the community partner site has implemented is educating members of society on the need to keep a clean environment. The organization’s management has worked to carry out extension education programs throughout society to show the population the dangerous effects of the unsafe environment (Seasons Community Outreach Services, 2021). This program is mainly aimed at reaching the poor members of the region. During this period, members are sensitized to the ideal ways of keeping the environment clean and the possible effects of an unsafe environment.
References
Carmichael, L., Prestwood, E., Marsh, R., Ige, J., Williams, B., Pilkington, P., & Michalec, A. (2020). Healthy buildings for a healthy city: Is the public health evidence base informing current building policies?Science of the total environment, p. 719, 137146. Web.
City of Markham. (n.d.). Markham, IL (Official Website). Web.
Creamer, J., Shrider, E. A., Burns, K., & Chen, F. (2022). Poverty in the United States: 2021. US Census Bureau. Web.
Crime Grade. (n.d.). The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Markham, IL: Crime Maps and Health. Web.
Markham, I. Population 2022. United States Census Bureau. Web.
Seasons Community Outreach Services. (2021). Cook County Department of Public
Statistics. Web.