Acknowledgements
Indianhead Community Action Agency’s Community Needs Assessment is a process carried out every three years to assess needs and gaps in our communities. We gratefully recognize those who assisted with collecting data, responding to surveys, and compiling the report. We are thankful for our clients and customers; board members and staff; local partners, organizations, and leaders; public health students from UW Eau Claire; and many others who contributed. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Community Services Block Grant for financial support.
Access the Full Report
This printed version of the Community Needs Assessment is an abridged version. To access the full version, including active links, survey questions, and other additional details, please visit: www.indianheadcaa.org/community needs assessment/.
Sources
• https://datausa.io/search/?q=
• https://nascsp.org/csbg/csbg resources/roma/
• https://nascsp.org/csbg/csbg resources/theory of change/
• https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Faspe.hhs.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fdoc uments%2F04fc28a4c7b3c1b55a11e0e825d19656%2FGuidelines 2022.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK
• https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/washburncountywisconsin,taylorcountywisconsin,sawyercou ntywisconsin,ruskcountywisconsin,clarkcountywisconsin,burnettcountywisconsin/PST045219
• https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il2021/select_Geography.odn
• www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/wisconsin/2020/compare/snapshot?counties=55_013%2B55_019%2B5 5_107%2B55_113%2B55_119%2B55_129
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Indianhead Community Action Agency (ICAA) Overview
ICAA Mission and Vision
ICAAMission:Toassistindividualsinachievingself sufficiencybyprovidingtheresources,education andservicesnecessarytodevelophealthyfamilies,sustainablecommunitiesandstronglocal businesses.
ICAAVision:ICAAistherecognizedleaderforendingpovertyandcreatingsustainablecommunities throughself sufficiencyinWisconsin'sruralareas.
ICAA Values
Values Commitment: ICAA, Inc. believes in the collective responsibility and commitment to serve clients, partners, co workers, and other stakeholders, which is fundamental to creating sustainable communities. ICAA, Inc. serves with excellence, compassion, and responsiveness to meet the needs of those with whom we work, internally and externally.
History of ICAA
Indianhead Community Action Agency is a private, non profit agency established in 1966 which provides programs and services to address the needs of low income children, families, individuals, seniors, and veterans in six primary counties in northwestern Wisconsin. The Agency was established during the Johnson Administration under the Economic Opportunity Act and the "War on Poverty" to create new opportunities to help individuals attain self sufficiency.
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ICAA Values Immediacy Leadership Respect Stewardship & Accountability IntegrityHealth Equity Collaboration Diversity Innovation
ICAA Partners and Board of Directors
The mission of ICAA is accomplished through working with a variety of agencies in each county. Examples of these include: Department of Health & Human Services, ADRCs, Local Educational Organizations, University of Wisconsin Extension, local universities and tech colleges, domestic violence shelters, and other community, faith based, and civic organizations throughout the region. Other partners are found in the volunteers who provide their time and service at ICAA. ICAA tracks volunteer hours within all programs. The volunteer information is shared in ICAA’s Annual Report and the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Annual Report. Programs and services are funded through federal, state, and foundation grants and donations
ICAA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with a tripartite structure, drawn from various sectors of the local community. As mandated by federal legislation, one third of the seats are comprised of low income people, one third are comprised of the public sector (government officials), and one third of the private sector. ICAA’s Bylaws document the democratic selection process for low income board members for representation of the low income communities of ICAA’s service area. ICAA’s Board of Directors reviews and formally accepts a Community Needs Assessment every three years, a Community Action Plan annually, and a Strategic Plan every three years with annual updates.
ICAA Programs Overview
As a community action agency, ICAA has maintained creativity, innovation, determination, and most importantly, the purpose of helping individuals achieve self sufficiency ICAA’s primary service area includes Burnett, Clark, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Washburn counties. In addition to its primary service area, ICAA has also served clients in another thirteen counties. Many of ICAA’s services are income based and ICAA uses measures such as percentages of the Federal Poverty Level and County Median Income to determine program/service eligibility (Appendix 1). ICAA tracks services provided to customers as well as customer demographics through electronic databases. This information is provided by each program throughout the year.
The programs and services provided by ICAA in the last three years (2019 2021) have included:
• Northwestern Wisconsin Vaccination Outreach Program (NWVOP), in response to COVID 19, provides materials, education, and information to address vaccine hesitancy in Burnett, Clark, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Washburn counties. (2021 present)
• Rapid Response, in response to COVID 19, provides income qualifying families whose income had been affected by COVID 19 with
assistance such as transportation expenses, utilities, mortgages, rent, etc. (2020 present)
• Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program (WRAP), in response to COVID 19, provided rental assistance for income qualifying households whose income was affected by COVID 19. (2020)
• Family Foundations Home Visiting (FFHV) provides support and education to low income, expectant mothers and families with children ages prenatal to three through weekly home visits in Clark, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Washburn counties. (2019present)
• Skills Enhancement assists individuals with education costs in Burnett, Clark, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Washburn counties. (2019 present)
• Legal Assistance for Victims advocates work with clients to connect them with attorneys who provide financial assistance for legal services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence in Barron, Burnett, Clark, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor and Washburn counties.
• Business Development assists low and moderate income entrepreneurs with training, technical assistance, and in starting new businesses in Ashland (except the city of Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Clark,
ICAA’S PRIMARY SERVICE AREA INCLUDES BURNETT, CLARK, RUSK, SAWYER, TAYLOR, AND WASHBURN COUNTIES.
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Douglas (except the city of Superior), Iron, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Washburn counties. (2019 present)
• Youth Development & Prevention Services provides services based primarily on substance use, mental health awareness, and youth development. (2019 present)
• The Housing program provides safe and secure housing through low-cost rentals to lowincome households in Clark, Rusk, Sawyer, and Washburn counties. (2019 present)
• Community Services provides food pantries services through direct operation or partnerships in Burnett, Clark, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Washburn counites. Thrift store and emergency services, including no cost emergency clothing and furniture, are provided in Rusk County. (2019 present)
Community Needs Assessment Methodology
• Supportive Services for Veterans and Families promotes housing stability through temporary financial assistance to veterans and their families in Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Clark, Douglas, Florence, Forest, Iron, Langlade, Marinette, Menomonie, Oconto, Oneida, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, Vilas, and Washburn counties. (2019 present)
• Head Start served children age 3-5 in eleven centers throughout Burnett, Clark, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Washburn counties. (2019 2021)
• Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (EHS CCP) served birth to 3 year old children through seven group and family childcare partners at eight locations. (2019 2021)
The development of the Community Needs Assessment (CNA) involved collecting data from low income individuals including clients and members of the general public, community leaders, and ICAA staff and Board members located within our six county service area using surveys and focus groups. Surveys were provided electronically and through paper copies of the survey, made available for individuals who preferred not to use the computer. Surveys were disseminated through email, social media outlets, and ICAA’s program staff. Focus groups were conducted by the ICAA Leadership Team in person and through virtual platforms.
Additional data and information were collected via review of census and other data collected by Federal, State, and Local entities. To ensure the needs of ICAA’s communities are being heard, customer satisfaction data is collected consistently through survey links on social media and our website, online business pages, and through program staff. The customer satisfaction data is provided to the Board of Directors regularly through program executive summaries and quarterly reports. ICAA also collects data about client demographics, which is used to help guide our services and programs and is reported to the state on an annual basis (Appendix 5).
All data and results of the Community Needs Assessment will be shared with the public via social media and ICAA’s website.
ICAA’s CNA includes the uses the Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) goals as the analytic framework (Appendix 2). Additionally, analysis of the needs in this assessment will address an important question concerning how ICAA's services and programs identify client needs along a self sufficiency continuum (Appendix 3). The self sufficiency scale shows the continuum of services and needs for individuals and families moving from crisis to stable and thriving lives in the community. In addition to showing an outline of client characteristics by level of need, it also lists corresponding services and/or referrals needed to support those essential needs on a continuum from basic crisis intervention services to continued support for more stable and thriving individuals and families. The scoring or mapping of client characteristics provides a quantitative continuum for the purpose of summarizing progress toward self sufficiency on a scale of 1 to 10. For a review of ICAA’s 2019 Community Needs Assessment,
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see Appendix 4.
ICAA Counties Snapshot
Source:https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/washburncountywisconsin,taylorcountywisconsin,sawyercountywisconsin,ruskcountywisconsin,clarkcountywisconsin,burnettcountywisconsin/P ST045219 and www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/wisconsin/2020/compare/snapshot?counties=55_013%2B55_019%2B55_107%2B55_113%2B55_119%2B55_129
ICAA Counties Snapshot
Wisconsin Burnett Clark Rusk Sawyer Taylor Washburn Population, Census, April 1, 2020 5,893,718 16,526 34,659 14,188 18,074 19,913 16,623
Age and Sex
Persons under 5 years 5.70% 4.30% 8.10% 5.20% 4.70% 5.70% 4.50%
Persons under 18 years 21.80% 17.40% 29.40% 20.30% 19.20% 23.30% 18.80%
Persons 65 years and over 17.50% 29.40% 17.00% 24.80% 26.70% 19.60% 27.40%
Female persons 50.20% 48.80% 49.50% 49.10% 48.80% 49.10% 50.40%
Race and Hispanic Origin
White alone 87.00% 91.50% 97.10% 96.10% 78.20% 97.30% 95.40%
Black or African American alone 6.70% 0.80% 0.60% 1.30% 0.70% 0.50% 0.40%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone 1.20% 4.60% 0.80% 0.70% 17.70% 0.50% 1.80%
Asian alone 3.00% 0.50% 0.50% 0.30% 0.40% 0.60% 0.70%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone 0.10% 0.10% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.10% 0.10%
Two or More Races 2.00% 2.50% 1.00% 1.50% 3.10% 1.10% 1.70% Hispanic or Latino 7.10% 2.00% 5.20% 2.00% 2.90% 2.40% 2.00%
Population Characteristics
Veterans 331,340 1,577 1,852 1,166 1,290 1,274 1,492
Foreign born persons 5.00% 1.20% 2.60% 1.10% 1.70% 1.40% 1.10%
Housing
Owner occupied housing unit rate 67.00% 82.20% 78.40% 79.10% 74.00% 76.60% 80.00%
Median value of owner occupied housing units $180,600
Median selected monthly owner costs with a mortgage
Median selected monthly owner costs without a mortgage
Median gross rent
7 2022 Data and Analysis
$158,800 $127,200 $113,400 $168,400 $137,800 $157,400
$1,430 $1,134 $1,157 $1,041 $1,182 $1,203 $1,147
$553 $459 $466 $439 $417 $481 $462
$856 $752 $623 $661 $682 $660 $709 Computer and Internet Use
Households with a computer 89.40% 87.90% 78.70% 83.00% 83.20% 81.30% 87.00%
Households with a broadband Internet subscription 82.50% 76.40% 71.00% 72.50% 75.10% 74.40% 76.70%
Education
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+ 92.20% 93.20% 82.30% 88.00% 92.30% 88.40% 92.20%
Bachelor's degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+ 30.10% 20.80% 12.60% 16.60% 24.20% 15.10% 23.00%
Health
With a disability, under age 65 years 8.00% 12.10% 8.20% 11.40% 9.90% 8.20% 10.10%
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years 6.80% 9.20% 16.00% 9.10% 10.90% 8.60% 7.70%
Economy
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+ 66.40% 54.40% 64.60% 57.90% 57.80% 66.30% 55.80%
In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+ 62.90% 54.10% 57.40% 52.50% 54.90% 61.40% 53.70%
Transportation
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16 years+ 22.2 28.9 22 23.9 21.1 22.8 24.5
Income & Poverty
Median household income (in 2019 dollars) $50,280
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2019 dollars) $27,506 $29,584
Persons in poverty 10.00% 10.70% 13.10% 11.70% 12.30% 9.60% 10.40%
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$61,747 $52,672 $54,012 $47,532 $47,714 $53,020
$33,375 $30,342 $25,382 $25,854 $31,772
Wisconsin County Health Rankings
Wisconsin Burnett Clark Rusk Sawyer Taylor Washburn
Length of Life
Premature death 6,400 8,600 6,800 6,300 9,700 5,600 6,500
Quality of Life
Poor or fair health 17% 14% 14% 14% 16% 13% 14%
Poor physical health days 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.8 4 3.4 3.7
Poor mental health days 4 3.8 3.9 3.8 4.2 3.6 3.7
Health Behaviors
Adult smoking 16% 16% 18% 17% 20% 17% 16%
Adult obesity 31% 35% 39% 27% 36% 33% 30%
Food environment index 8.8 8.4 8.8 7.4 7.8 8.3 8.2
Physical inactivity 21% 28% 26% 30% 30% 29% 30%
Access to exercise opportunities 85% 70% 46% 41% 68% 62% 74%
Excessive drinking 24% 21% 26% 23% 22% 25% 22%
Alcohol impaired driving deaths 36% 58% 41% 63% 62% 44% 30%
Sexually transmitted infections 478.6 97.7 253.8 212 170.5 191.9 126.9
Teen births 17 22 14 19 33 13 19
Clinical Care
Uninsured 6% 8% 16% 9% 11% 8% 7%
Primary care physicians 1,270:1 7,680:1 3,470:1 1,770:1 1,170:1 2,900:1 1,050:1
Dentists 1,460:1 3,080:1 2,310:1 1,570:1 1,370:1 1,700:1 2,270:1
Mental health providers 490:01:00 700:01:00 2,890:1 1,770:1 340:01:00 850:01:00 990:01:00
Preventable hospital stays 3,940 4,924 4,807 1,196 2,385 2,169 4,142
Mammography screening 50% 40% 52% 50% 59% 56%
Social & Economic Factors
High
Physical Environment
9 Wisconsin County Health Rankings
56%
Flu vaccinations 52% 34% 35% 43% 46% 22% 52%
school graduation 89% 83% 96% 88% 88% 92% 91% Some college 69% 62% 44% 54% 63% 51% 62% Unemployment 3.00% 4.60% 2.90% 4.00% 4.30% 3.10% 3.90% Children in poverty 14% 20% 18% 23% 24% 15% 18% Income inequality 4.3 4 3.6 3.8 4.3 3.8 4.1 Children in single parent homes 32% 38% 18% 29% 46% 23% 27% Social associations 11.6 18.2 14.1 9.9 11 8.4 13.3 Violent crime 298 227 48 184 186 95 203 Injury deaths 80 89 66 90 118 62 80
Air pollution particulate matter 8.6 6.7 7.9 7 6.6 7.3 6.5 Drinking water violations No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Severe housing problems 14% 16% 15% 14% 14% 14% 14% Driving alone to work 81% 79% 72% 78% 75% 76% 79% Long commute driving alone 27% 37% 28% 28% 25% 25% 29%
“The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.”
Burnett County Sources: Burnett County, WI | Data USA and https://www.census.gov/programs surveys/acs/ “12.4% of the population that poverty status is determined in Burnett County (1.88k out of 15.1k people) live below the poverty line, which is higher than the national average of 12.3%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 45 54, followed by Females 25 34 and then F emales 18 24.” most common racial / ethnic group living below the poverty line in Burnett County is White, followed by Native American and Two Or More Races.” 1,503
10Poverty L evel by Gender & Age and Race
“The
206 143 72 13 9 3
The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Clark County is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More Races 3,893 351 130
11 Clark County Source: Clark County, WI | Data USA and https://www.census.gov/programs surveys/acs/ “12.1% of the population for whom poverty status is dete rmined in Clark County (4.1k out of 33.9k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.3%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males < 5, followed by Females < 5 an d then Males 6 11.” “
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32 19 14 8
The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rusk County, WI is White, followed by Two Or More and Black. ” 1,500 108 50 28 14
12Rusk County Source: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/rusk county wi and https://www.census.gov/programs surveys/acs/ “ 12.1% of the population for whom pover ty status is determined in Rusk County (1.68k out of 13.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number lower than the national average of 12.3%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 64, followed by Males 55 64 and then Females 25 34. ” “
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The mo st common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sawyer County, WI is White, followed by Native American and Two Or More. 1,309
13 Sawyer County Source: Sawyer County, WI | Data USA and https://www.census.gov/programs surveys/acs/ “ 16.2% of the population for whom poverty status is de termined in Sawyer County (2.6k out of 16k people) live below the poverty line, a number higher than the national average of 12.3%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 24, followed by Males 18 24 and then Males 55 64. ” “
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989 233 142 54 8 7
The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Taylor County, WI is White, followed by Two Or More a nd Hispanic. 1,838 56
14Taylor County Source: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/taylor county wi and https://www.census.gov/programs surveys/acs/ “ 9.91% of the population for whom p overty status is determined in Taylor County (1.98k out of 20k people) live below the poverty line, a number lower than the national average of 12.3%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 64, followed by Females 18 24 and then Femal es 75+. ” “
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15 Washburn County Source: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/washburn county wi and https://www.census.gov/programs surveys/acs/ “ 13.5% of the population for wh om poverty is determined in Washburn County (2.09k out of 15.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number higher than the national average of 12.3%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 44, followed by Males 55 64 and then Males 45 54. ” “ 13.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Washburn Count y (2.09k out of 15.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number higher than the national average of 12.3%. The largest demographic in poverty are Females 35 44, followed by Males 55 64 and then Males 45 54. ” 1,875 114 81 72 44 15
Wage s by Gender and Race in Wisconsin
Source: https://datausa.io/ In 2019, males employed full time made 1.35 times more than females employed full time , compared to 1.32 times more in 2017 . This correlates with the rest of our data which shows that in general, women experience higher rates of poverty than men. ”
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2017
17 “ In 2019 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Wisconsin workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.05 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity in Wisconsin. This chart shows the race and ethnicity based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Wisconsin by number of full time employees. ” Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs in Wisconsin
Unemployment July 2017 2021
Burnett Clark Rusk Sawyer Taylor Washburn
18ICAA Service Counties Labor Force and Unemployment Sources: DWD, 2017 America Community Survey 5 year Estimates, Local Unemployment Statistics In 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021 , unemployment rates in ICAA counties were higher than the state average, except for Clark and Taylor counties, which have higher Mennonite an d Amish populations than the other counties. All ICAA’s counties have large manufacturing and agricultural industries, which is somewhat seasonal and/or unreliable and counties like Burnett, Sawyer, and Washburn rely on the tourism industry . All counties’ unemployment rates appear to have been significantly impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020. Additionally, in 2020, Sawyer and Burnett counties, which rely on t he tourism industry, had higher unemployment than the state average, while the other four counties had lower unemployment than t he state average. As of 2021, all of our counties, except Clark and Taylor, continue to have higher rates of unemployment than p repandemic percentages. 109876543210
Wisconsin
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
2 Adults (Both Working)
2 Adults (1 Working)
1 Adult
o Child 1 Child 2 Child 3 Child Child 1 Child 2 Child Child Child Child Child Child
Burnett Living Wage $13.33 $28.12 $35.25 $44.91 $22.20 $26.51 $30.23 $31.75 $11.10 $15.48 $19.56 $22.25
Clark Living Wage $13.35 $27.10 $33.50 $42.81 $22.13 $26.22 $29.94 $31.85 $11.06 $14.97 $18.68 $21.50
Rusk Living Wage $13.28 $27.93 $35.16 $45.26 $21.98 $26.22 $29.94 $31.81 $10.99 $15.38 $19.52 $22.73
Sawyer Living Wage $13.77 $29.59 $37.77 $48.57 $22.53 $26.93 $30.64 $32.27 $11.26 $16.21 $20.82 $24.38
Taylor Living Wage $13.72 $27.69 $34.68 $44.36 $22.07 $26.22 $29.94 $31.64 $11.04 $15.26 $19.27 $22.27
Washburn Living Wage $13.65 $28.34 $35.62 $45.67 $22.26 $26.58 $30.30 $32.08 $11.13 $15.59 $19.74 $22.93
Wisconsin Living Wage $14.02 $30.17 $38.61 $50.30 $22.98 $27.26 $30.98 $33.24 $11.49 $16.51 $21.24 $25.25
Poverty Wage $6.13 $8.29 $10.44 $12.60 $8.29 $10.44 $12.60 $14.75 $4.14 $5.22 $6.30 $7.38
Minimum Wage $7.25
19 Living Wages for ICAA Service Area Source: https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/55/locations
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Burnett County Source: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/burnett county wi (Click the graphs below to view interactive version .)
“In 2019, 80.1% of workers in Burnett County drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled (9.87%) and those who worked at home (6.51%).
The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commu ting.”
The following chart shows “t he most common job groups, by number of people living in Burnett County, WI, are Management Occupations (844 people), Production Occupations (716 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (678 people). ”
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The most common employment sectors for those who live in Burnett County, WI, are Manufacturing (1,162 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,091 people), and Retail Trade (638 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Burnett County, WI, though some of these residents may live in Burnett County, WI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.
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Clark County
Source: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/clark county wi (Click the graphs below to view interactive version .) In 2019, 72.1% of workers in Clark County, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who wor ked at home (12.1%) and those who carpooled to work (8.51%). The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of comm uting. ”
The following chart shows “t he most common job groups, by number of people living in Clark County, WI, are Production Occupations (2,222 people), Management Occupations (2,079 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,452 people). ”
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The most common employment sectors for those who live in Clark County, WI, are Manufacturing (3,977 people), Health Care & So cial Assistance (2,303 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (2,022 people). This chart shows t he share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Clark County, WI, though some of these residents may live in Clark County, WI and work somewhere else.
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Rusk County
Source: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/rusk county wi (Click the graphs below to view interactive version .) In 2019, 77.9% of workers in Rusk County, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who carpoo led to work (9.37%) and those who worked at home (7.46%). The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuti ng. ”
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The most common job groups in Rusk County, WI, are Production Occupations (1,096 people), Office & Administrative Support Occ upations (704 people), and Management Occupations (582 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rusk County.
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25 “ The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rusk County, WI, are Manufacturing (1,632 people), Health Care & Soc ial Assistance (852 people), and Retail Trade (656 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rusk County, WI, though some of these residents may live in Rusk County, WI and work somewhere else. ”
Sawyer County Source: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/sawyer county wi (Click the graphs below to view interactive version .) In 2019, 74.7% of workers in Sawyer County, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.1%) and those who worked at home (5.43%). The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting. ”
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The most common job groups in Sawyer County, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (755 people), Sales & Related Occupations (731 people), and Management Occupations (668 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sawyer County
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The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sawyer County, WI, are Manufacturing (1,011 people), Health Care & S ocial Assistance (895 people), and Retail Trade (804 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sawyer County, WI, though some of these residents may live in Sawyer County, WI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.
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Taylor County
Source: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/taylor county wi In 2019, 75.3% of workers in Taylor County, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10%) and those who worked at home (9.71%). The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting. ”
The most common job groups in Taylor County, WI, are Production Occupations (1,681 people), Management Occupations (1,043 people) , and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (990 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Taylor County, WI.
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The most common employment sectors for those who live in Taylor County, WI, are Manufacturing (3,013 people), Health Care & S ocial Assistance (1,203 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (867 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Taylor County, WI, though some of these residents may live in Taylor County, WI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagge d to a residential address, not a work address.
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Washburn County
Source: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/washburn county wi
“ In 2019, 79.7% of workers in Washburn County, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.91%) and those who worked at home (6.76%). The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of c ommuting .”
“ The most common job groups, by number of people living in Washburn County, WI, are Office & Administrative Support Occupation s (803 people), Production Occupations (624 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (571 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Washburn County, WI. ”
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The most common employment sectors for those who live in Washburn County, WI, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,101 peop le), Manufacturing (1,094 people) , and Retail Trade (742 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Washburn Cou nty, WI, though some of these residents may live in Washburn County, WI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residen tial address, not a work address.
”
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In 2020, as the pandemic began to affect the country, ICAA’s six service counties (Burnett, Clark, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Washburn) were no exception. As noted earlier in this report, in 2020, unemployment spiked in those counties, and many of them still have not returned to pre pandemic levels of employment.
Impact of CARES Funding and Agency Efforts
Throughout the Community Needs Assessment surveys and focus groups, we saw that COVID-19 was identified as a factor of concern that has continued, and may continue to negatively impact those living in poverty. Concerns arose regarding the effects of COVID 19 in areas such as food security, employment, limited resources, and small, local (mom & pop) businesses closing.
ICAA, like many other community action agencies, had the opportunity to provide extra assistance in its service area through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Additional funding was received which allowed ICAA to support its community members in areas such as food and housing security. Here are some of the ways ICAA has helped and continues to help:
• In 2020 and 2021, ICAA programs pivoted to provide services virtually to ensure ongoing engagement, connection, support, and referrals with their clients
• In 2020, ICAA assisted 286 people with rent assistance through the Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program (WRAP). In 2022, ICAA continues to refer individuals and households seeking rental assistance because they have been impacted by COVID 19 to their local Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance (WERA) provider for rental assistance, utility assistance, and housing stability services
• From 2020 through the present (2022), ICAA has been operating the Rapid Response program which provides financial assistance for areas such as mortgage payments, utility payments, auto repairs, and more to households who have had their income affected by COVID 19. ICAA continues to see clients impacted by COVID 19, which has affected their employment. Moving into 2022, it appears this need is stabilizing and reducing somewhat. However, inflation, which is caused in part by COVID 19, is affecting the income of many of our clients on an ongoing basis.
• During 2020 and 2021, some of ICAA’s food pantries partnered with local transit organizations to deliver food boxes directly to clients’ doorsteps.
• Small Business Development saw a decline in clients interested in starting new businesses in 2020. So, the program pivoted and focused services on helping small business owners increase their visibility online through services like social media marketing, digital marketing, and low cost web design to stay competitive throughout the pandemic. During this time, ICAA also saw local mom & pop businesses close their doors and not reopen. While there was a drop in interest in starting new businesses during 2020 and 2021, the program is seeing renewed interest in starting/expanding businesses from small business entrepreneurs as we move into 2022
32 COVID 19 Impact
Two of ICAA’s counties (Clark and Taylor) have the lowest COVID 19 vaccination rates in the State (https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid 19/vaccine data.htm#residents).
VaccinationRatesbyCountyasofMay26,2022
Percent of residents who have received at least one dose of a COVID 19 vaccine
Burnett County 57.1%
Clark County 38.0%
Rusk County 43.3%
Taylor County 36.0%
Sawyer County 58.0%
Washburn County 66.2%
Impact of COVID 19 by Race and Ethnicity
Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services website states, “Communities of color have experienced higher rates of COVID 19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths since the pandemic began. Compared to White Wisconsin residents, Hispanic or Latinx residents have 1.5 times greater case rates, Black residents have 1.8 times greater hospitalization rates, and American Indian residents have 1.3 times greater death rates.”
“Even while negative outcomes are higher, vaccination rates are lower in communities of color. The highest disparities of vaccination rates exist in Black and Hispanic communities, where Black residents are 30 percent (0.7 times), and Hispanic or Latinx residents are slightly less (0.9 times) as likely to be vaccinated compared to White residents.”
Source: COVID 19: Racial and Ethnic Disparities | Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Northwestern Wisconsin Vaccination Outreach Program (NWVOP)
As of August 2021, ICAA has operated NWVOP in an effort to help a federal funder learn more about COVID 19 vaccination hesitancy in rural areas and provide reliable information and resources to help our communities make informed decisions about their own health.
Efforts have included making connections with other local organizations, printing and distributing informational materials, and partnering with Gilbert Brown (former Green Bay Packer) for a billboard and outreach campaign.
Recently, the NWVOP has formed some new partnerships that will enable them to do the following:
• Partner with the Wisconsin Council of Churches to discuss how to increase vaccination rates throughout Clark/Taylor counties for their Spanish speaking populations.
• Bring mobile vaccination clinics to the six counties that ICAA serves to reduce barriers and gain access to vaccines and the booster.
• Partner with Wisconsin Immunization Neighborhood to provide workshops to community members to empower them to speak up regarding their vaccination status. This will decrease stigmas surrounding the vaccine, encouraging more community members to speak up and speak out, in attempts to normalize the vaccine and build trust.
33 Vaccine Rates in ICAA Counties
ICAA’s the 2018 Community Needs Assessment the top need/challenge Health Housing Housing has also edged out Transportation as a higher need. With the introduction of a pandemic (physical health), ongoing workforce issues (employment/incom e), and continued lack of /affordability of mental health providers (mental health), the results of the needs assessment seem to match the reality seen in the counties served Anecdotally, area of concern.
Identified Need Physical Health
Community Level Limited local access to health care facilities, lack of specialists, high ratio of patients to primary physician (condition poverty)
Family Level High number of individuals/families underinsured/uninsured, high cost of health care/insurance (cause of poverty)
Agency Level ICAA does provide referrals, but does not have the resources to aid with health care issues and needs
Identified Need Employment /Income
Commu nity Level High level of part time/seasonal employment with mismatch between needed wages (living wage) and/or skills needed (condition)
Family Level Families struggle financially because of underemployment and inability to make a living wage (cause)
Agency Level ICAA does not have capacity to assist with on the job training for local employers that pay living wages , to subsidize wages, or to support secondary education efforts for workers
Identified Need Mental Health
Community Level Low ratio of mental health care providers and treatment options to patients in ICAA service area (condition)
Family Level Individuals/families need case management and treatment for mental health concerns. (cause)
Agency Level ICAA does provide referrals, but does not have staff qualified or programs to provide mental health services
34Analysis Conclusion ICAA’s 2022 Community Needs Assessment surveys , focus groups, and other data presented ab ove identified the following six greatest household needs in ICAA’s service area: 1. Physical Health (20.1%) 2. Employment/Income (18.5%) 3. Mental Health (17.8%) 4. Food/Nutrition (10.2%) 5. Housing (9.2%) 6. Transportation (8.3%).
analysis has changed somewhat since
which identified Employment/Income as
area . ( 2019 CNA Results: 1. Employment/Income ; 2. Physical
(availability and cost) ; 3. Mental Health ; 4. Food/Nutrition ; 5. Transportation ; and 6.
).
.
the surveys and focus groups also identified substance use/abuse as an
o f
.
Identified Need Food/Nutrition
Community Level Presence of food deserts in ICAA service area (condition)
Individuals/families do not have access to healthy food options, high cost of healthy options (cause)
Family Level
Agency Level ICAA provides /partners with food pantries in each of its six counties and piloted a community garden in Rusk County in 2020 2021.
Lack of safe/affordable housing options for low income individuals/families (condition)
Identified Need Housing Community Level
Family Level Individu als/families struggle with high cost of repairs/maintenance for homeowners and high rent /utilities costs for renters (cause)
Agency Level ICAA currently financially assists qualifying, low income households with property taxes, mortgage payments, rent costs, and utilities. However, the agency lacks capacity to assist with repairs/maintenance and refers households to external organizati ons.
Lower cost options like p ublic transportation are not viable options for most residents of ICAA service areas due to rural, geographical area (condition)
Identified Need Transportation Community Level
Family Level Individuals/families struggle with high cost of insurance, maintenance , and repairs for vehicle ownership (cause)
Agency Level ICAA currently assists qualifying, low income households with auto insurance and auto payments in arrears as well as some auto repairs. ICAA lacks capacity to provide public transportation for low income families and individuals but refers individuals to local public transportation where available.
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