The Red Deer and District Community Foundation is hailing the increased number of Red Deer residents who filled out a survey addressing composting, medical care access and transit use.
The foundation’s deadline for its third annual Vital Signs survey was supposed to be on Monday, but since people were still trying to share their views, that deadline was pushed to later Tuesday morning.
Kristine Bugayong, co-ordinator for communication and grants, said she was ecstatic with the results.
About 350 people filled out the online survey, compared with about 250 last year.
“The community really jumped all over it,” said Bugayong on Thursday.
Bugayong said the numbers were impressive, considering it is summer and the survey is long.
“People really have to think about the questions,” she said.
Residents give grades on a variety of issues such as crime rates, post-secondary education and high school completion rates, housing starts and the rental vacancy rate.
It also asks for residents to say what cultural events they have attended.
The local report will help the foundation decide where its grant money should go, as well as providing a broad picture of the community and giving potential donors an idea of what their gifts could help achieve.
It’s also hoped that groups and businesses will use the report to make their own service improvements or additions.
This community report card is also being done in a number of other communities across Canada.
Bugayong said all community foundations will release their reports on the same day, Tuesday, Oct. 6.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com