Area Residents Urged to Answer the Phone for Largest-Ever Town-Level Survey on Quality of Life and COVID-19 Recovery

August 11, 2021 (New Britain, Conn.) – Area residents are being asked to pick up the phone as regional data collection efforts are currently underway to develop the 2021 Community Wellbeing Survey – the fifth such survey DataHaven has fielded since 2012. Survey takers from Siena College Research Institute will be calling the mobile phones of area residents this fall to learn more about individual needs, happiness, and neighborhood-level quality of life.

Thousands of randomly selected residents will answer questions that will be used to understand wellbeing in central Connecticut and throughout the state. More than 75 leading foundations, hospitals, and local agencies are assisting DataHaven with this effort. Sample questions include:

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your health and financial well-being?
• Are the parks in your neighborhood in good condition?
• What has been your experience with telehealth appointments over the past year?
• What is your life like today and what do you think it will be like in five years?

“At a time when we are all emerging from fundamental shifts in daily life following COVID-19, there has never been a more critical time to ask ‘how is our community really doing?’” said David Obedzinski, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain President & CEO. “The more we understand our region, the better we can engage in meaningful dialogues and work towards actionable solutions. As with earlier years, we look forward to working with DataHaven alongside our community partners to produce a single-source report that has a history of driving decision-making in the region.”

“Our experience is that people enjoy answering the questions in this survey,” says Mark Abraham, Executive Director of DataHaven, a 25-year-old nonprofit organization that leads the collection and study of public data about Connecticut. “They are sharing their knowledge about how their families and communities have been faring during the past year, and about their own life experiences. These questions show that we care about how they feel, and create important indicators that will inform how Connecticut recovers from COVID-19.”

The wellbeing survey findings will be used in part to produce the 2022 Greater Hartford Community Index. Created in partnership with DataHaven, this single-source report will provide timely, comprehensive socioeconomic, education, health and wellbeing data that continues to shape the region.

About The Community Foundation of Greater New Britain

Established in 1941, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain is “Where Good Begins” in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. Located at The Foundation Center at 74A Vine Street, New Britain, the Foundation works to inspire philanthropy, responsibly manage permanent charitable assets, and partner to address key community issues through strategic leadership. For more information, visit www.cfgnb.org.

About DataHaven

DataHaven is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization with a 25-year history of public service to Connecticut. Since 1992, DataHaven has worked with area organizations and agencies to develop reports and tools that make information more useful to the community. DataHaven maintains extensive economic, social, and health data, including information collected through its Community Wellbeing Survey and other programs. DataHaven is a formal partner of the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership, a collaborative national effort by the Urban Institute and approximately 40 local partners to further the development and use of neighborhood information systems in local policymaking and community building. For more information, visit www.ctdatahaven.org.