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COVID-19 Community Needs Assessment

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COVID-19 caused significant disruption and change to Innisfil's community. In response to the initial shock of the pandemic, the Town of Innisfil developed a community needs assessment in May of 2020 to gather local data and inform response and recovery efforts.

2020 Community Needs Assessment

We began the project by surveying residents and community partners to explore what their top concerns were over the short, medium, and long term, and identify how local programs and services have been adapted to respond to emerging community needs. Next, we hosted a series of virtual roundtable discussions that brought people from different organizations together to discuss our findings and gain more insight. We collaboratively identified 5 priority areas of community concern and 65 recommended action items.

This information was used to guide the planning of projects and services, but also to help inform the work of local organizations and agencies. Since the pandemic began, the Town shifted its corporate priorities to target the recommendations that came out of this research. Over the past two years, we have implemented 50+ programs and initiatives targeting the 5 pillars of the needs assessment, including:

1. Mental Health

  • Worked with the Innisfil Community Foundation and the Canadian Mental Health Association of Simcoe County to increase access to mental health and addictions services in Innisfil with a free, virtual peer support program. The Innisfil Community Foundation granted $103,000 to train 13 new peer support workers and 40 volunteers.
  • Hosted 3 virtual Speak Your Mind Mental Health Summits for youth
  • Collaborated with a local school to facilitate a youth Mood Walks program during lunch period

2. Access to Information (Connectivity, Digital Literacy, and Access to Technology)

  • Secured $25,000 in funding to increase access to purchase lendable laptops, tablets, and assistive technology available through the Library of Things
  • Developed print resources with important community information (e.g. COVID-19 tax insert, Supporting Seniors brochures)
  • Provided weekly TechTips videos on social media and tip sheets and one-on-one technology learning support at the Innisfil ideaLAB & Library

3. Economic Security

  • Created the Helping Hands Program, which provided 82 families with direct, real-time financial assistance for food, medication, bill payments, etc.
  • Established the Troy Scott Community Fridges to increase access to healthy and nutritious food in Innisfil
  • Developed free virtual and in-person health and wellness programs (e.g. Good Food Box Program, What's Cooking Innisfil?, Healthy Eating on a Budget, Cooking Up Community, Kids Lunch & Learn, Sustainable Food Champions)
  • Provided more than 25,000 free trips to/from essential locations through Innisfil Transit's Essential Trips Assistance Program

4. Employment

  • Established the COVID-19 Patios Program to support local restaurants wanting to expand their patios so they could remain open during the pandemic
  • Created a partnership with local food delivery start-up What's For Dinner Today to fund the delivery fee for take-out orders over $15, making it easier for residents to support local restaurants. During the 2-week campaign in 2022, residents placed 2,209 take-out orders over $15, collectively driving $101,671 in revenue to restaurants in our community.
  • Offered digital workshops for businesses located in Innisfil (e.g. Small Business Websites 101, SEO Fundamentals, Writing Successful Web Content, etc.) in partnership with CampTech
  • Launched the Innisfil Accelerates newsletter to connect the Innisfil business community with community news and events, learning opportunities, local business supports, and more

5. Community Building

  • Provided free space for social service agencies to provide support to residents in need (e.g. CONTACT Community Services' housing services, YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka's immigrant and youth employment services)
  • Worked with local artists and organizations to enhance outdoor public spaces (e.g. the Hope Tree at Innisfil Beach Park, the Tree of Life Labyrinth in Cookstown, the Pride Crosswalk at Innisfil Beach Park, the Ice Hut Art Project)
  • Distributed 2,341 Seniors Craft Kits through 2020 and 2021 to support seniors experiencing social isolation and help rebuild a sense of community
  • Organized community events and initiatives like the Hope Tree, Fresh Air Flicks, and Neighbourhood Nights

Find a full list of achievements in our August 10, 2022 Community Needs Assessment Update for Council, also found in the Documents section.

Checking in with the Community in 2021

In August 2021, we started checking-in with the community to learn what has changed since the 2020 research, how we can shift our approach to meet existing or emerging needs, and how we can continue to work together to emerge as a stronger and more resilient Innisfil. The check-in involved a new survey, visiting community spaces to talk to residents, facilitating listening sessions with residents, and completing 1 on 1 interviews with residents and staff from the Town, Library, and community organizations.

We heard that mental health, income, access to food and/or essential items, employment, and community building remain high need areas, while physical health and access to services emerged as higher need areas during the 2021 engagement than the 2020 research. Growth, sustainability, and equity and inclusion were predominant topics in our conversations with residents about COVID-19 recovery.

More information about what we heard is available in our August 10, 2022 Community Needs Assessment Update for Council, also found in the Documents section.

What's Next?

As a result of the work we’ve done to implement the CNA recommendations and integrate the five pillars into our regular service delivery, the Community Needs Assessment project has come to a successful close.

The work to address community needs will continue through new and existing Town strategies, and the community building and community development pieces of the CNA will transform into a more robust Community Neighbourhood Resilience Strategy (CNRS) focused on relationship and partnership development, civic engagement, community building, and organizational development to strengthen our Community First approach.

COVID-19 caused significant disruption and change to Innisfil's community. In response to the initial shock of the pandemic, the Town of Innisfil developed a community needs assessment in May of 2020 to gather local data and inform response and recovery efforts.

2020 Community Needs Assessment

We began the project by surveying residents and community partners to explore what their top concerns were over the short, medium, and long term, and identify how local programs and services have been adapted to respond to emerging community needs. Next, we hosted a series of virtual roundtable discussions that brought people from different organizations together to discuss our findings and gain more insight. We collaboratively identified 5 priority areas of community concern and 65 recommended action items.

This information was used to guide the planning of projects and services, but also to help inform the work of local organizations and agencies. Since the pandemic began, the Town shifted its corporate priorities to target the recommendations that came out of this research. Over the past two years, we have implemented 50+ programs and initiatives targeting the 5 pillars of the needs assessment, including:

1. Mental Health

  • Worked with the Innisfil Community Foundation and the Canadian Mental Health Association of Simcoe County to increase access to mental health and addictions services in Innisfil with a free, virtual peer support program. The Innisfil Community Foundation granted $103,000 to train 13 new peer support workers and 40 volunteers.
  • Hosted 3 virtual Speak Your Mind Mental Health Summits for youth
  • Collaborated with a local school to facilitate a youth Mood Walks program during lunch period

2. Access to Information (Connectivity, Digital Literacy, and Access to Technology)

  • Secured $25,000 in funding to increase access to purchase lendable laptops, tablets, and assistive technology available through the Library of Things
  • Developed print resources with important community information (e.g. COVID-19 tax insert, Supporting Seniors brochures)
  • Provided weekly TechTips videos on social media and tip sheets and one-on-one technology learning support at the Innisfil ideaLAB & Library

3. Economic Security

  • Created the Helping Hands Program, which provided 82 families with direct, real-time financial assistance for food, medication, bill payments, etc.
  • Established the Troy Scott Community Fridges to increase access to healthy and nutritious food in Innisfil
  • Developed free virtual and in-person health and wellness programs (e.g. Good Food Box Program, What's Cooking Innisfil?, Healthy Eating on a Budget, Cooking Up Community, Kids Lunch & Learn, Sustainable Food Champions)
  • Provided more than 25,000 free trips to/from essential locations through Innisfil Transit's Essential Trips Assistance Program

4. Employment

  • Established the COVID-19 Patios Program to support local restaurants wanting to expand their patios so they could remain open during the pandemic
  • Created a partnership with local food delivery start-up What's For Dinner Today to fund the delivery fee for take-out orders over $15, making it easier for residents to support local restaurants. During the 2-week campaign in 2022, residents placed 2,209 take-out orders over $15, collectively driving $101,671 in revenue to restaurants in our community.
  • Offered digital workshops for businesses located in Innisfil (e.g. Small Business Websites 101, SEO Fundamentals, Writing Successful Web Content, etc.) in partnership with CampTech
  • Launched the Innisfil Accelerates newsletter to connect the Innisfil business community with community news and events, learning opportunities, local business supports, and more

5. Community Building

  • Provided free space for social service agencies to provide support to residents in need (e.g. CONTACT Community Services' housing services, YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka's immigrant and youth employment services)
  • Worked with local artists and organizations to enhance outdoor public spaces (e.g. the Hope Tree at Innisfil Beach Park, the Tree of Life Labyrinth in Cookstown, the Pride Crosswalk at Innisfil Beach Park, the Ice Hut Art Project)
  • Distributed 2,341 Seniors Craft Kits through 2020 and 2021 to support seniors experiencing social isolation and help rebuild a sense of community
  • Organized community events and initiatives like the Hope Tree, Fresh Air Flicks, and Neighbourhood Nights

Find a full list of achievements in our August 10, 2022 Community Needs Assessment Update for Council, also found in the Documents section.

Checking in with the Community in 2021

In August 2021, we started checking-in with the community to learn what has changed since the 2020 research, how we can shift our approach to meet existing or emerging needs, and how we can continue to work together to emerge as a stronger and more resilient Innisfil. The check-in involved a new survey, visiting community spaces to talk to residents, facilitating listening sessions with residents, and completing 1 on 1 interviews with residents and staff from the Town, Library, and community organizations.

We heard that mental health, income, access to food and/or essential items, employment, and community building remain high need areas, while physical health and access to services emerged as higher need areas during the 2021 engagement than the 2020 research. Growth, sustainability, and equity and inclusion were predominant topics in our conversations with residents about COVID-19 recovery.

More information about what we heard is available in our August 10, 2022 Community Needs Assessment Update for Council, also found in the Documents section.

What's Next?

As a result of the work we’ve done to implement the CNA recommendations and integrate the five pillars into our regular service delivery, the Community Needs Assessment project has come to a successful close.

The work to address community needs will continue through new and existing Town strategies, and the community building and community development pieces of the CNA will transform into a more robust Community Neighbourhood Resilience Strategy (CNRS) focused on relationship and partnership development, civic engagement, community building, and organizational development to strengthen our Community First approach.

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Page last updated: 18 Aug 2022, 01:50 PM