Community Assessment Report: Part I - Kissimmee, Florida, Analysis

This community assessment report, conducted for Ameritech College of Healthcare, presents a windshield survey of Kissimmee, Florida. The report begins with an introduction to the community, highlighting its location and demographic information. The assessment includes an analysis of physical boundaries, such as highways and water bodies, and physical characteristics like housing styles and open spaces. The psychosocial characteristics, including religion, health services, economy, transportation, safety, and values, are also examined. The report concludes with a summary of findings, emphasizing Kissimmee's friendly environment, multicultural tolerance, and available resources, and it references several sources. The report is a comprehensive overview of the community's key aspects.

Running head: COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT REPORT 1
Community Assessment Report: Part I
Student Name
Ameritech College of Healthcare

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COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT REPORT
Part 1: Windshield Survey
Introduction (basic introduction of the community): The community selected here is Kissimmee,
a city in Osceola County, Florida. With a population of 59,682 according to the 2010 United
States National Census (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011), Kissimmee, Florida is the administrative
center of Osceola County. The total area of the community is 21.50 Square Miles with a total
land area of 20.82 Square Miles and water, 0.68 Square Miles. Historically named as Allendale
("The History of Kissimmee | About Osceola County | Osceola County, Florida", 2011),
Kissimmee is a vibrant community with access to all required resources and amenities, side by
side with attractive locations like the historic Monument of States and the Osceola County
Welcome Center and History Museum bringing in large numbers of global tourists every year.
Component: Windshield Survey - Boundaries
Assessment Findings
Physical boundaries: National highways, railway
lines around Buena Ventura Lakes, one airport,
multiple natural water bodies.
Analysis
Looking up the community on Google Map, it is
evident that the physical boundaries are evident and in
accordance with what is provided on the map. The
residential areas and associated roads are smaller and
double lane whereas the highways have multiple lanes.
The parks and lakes are spread across the community.
Component: Physical Characteristics
Assessment Findings
Demographic data: There is an unequal mix of both
old and young people with younger people and
married couples with children on the higher side.
Old houses in residential areas, windows without bars
and with fences. Newer architecture in financial and
tourist areas. Lawns are cared for.
Open Space: There is plenty of green space around
the residential areas. There is open space around the
houses and most of it is private property while some
are public.
Analysis
The community feels relatively new, however, large
sections of residential areas have rather old, one storied
houses without bars and metallic fences around the
property for protection. The housing infrastructure
follows the commercial housing styles from the 1970s
and 80s. The financial and tourism districts have
modern architecture.
Almost all houses have lawns around them and while
most of these are private properties and are properly
cared for, some of them are public spaces often used to
store used household garbage like damaged vehicles
and electronic stuff.
The predominant type of green space around the
community is attributed to parks and recreational
spaces. There are several recreational centers in
Kissimmee including Kissimmee Lakefront Park,
Shingle Creek Regional Park, The Disney Wilderness

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COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT REPORT
Preserve and the Osceola Schools Environmental Study
Center, providing opportunities for both recreation and
educational development (Morag, Tal & Rotem, 2013).
Component: Psychosocial Characteristics
Assessment Findings
Religion: Religion is predominantly Christian, as
evidenced by the presence of churches.
Health and Social Service: No instance of addiction
was observed. There are health centers and hospitals
at accessible distances. There are smaller signs and
promotions for mental health campaigns as well.
There are a few homeless and rehab centers as well as
childcare homes.
Economy: Thriving economy with a variety of
neighborhood stores. Not a lot of industries but
smaller offices here and there provide employment,
besides the large range of tourist attractions present.
Transportation: People travel in private cars. Apart
from cab services, there are buses for public transport.
Safety: Fire, police and ambulance services are
plenty. Very few bikes and cycles, thus no dedicated
trail for cyclists.
Politics and Government: No significant presence of
political activity like billboards or election signs.
Communication and Media: There are a number of
parks where people gather, apart from schoolyards,
supermarkets and general stores.
Education: There are plenty of schools and libraries as
well as educational parks.
Recreation: Nature and theme parks, movie halls and
theaters.
Values: Mixed racial communities. I noticed several
ethnicities in the community. Dominant language is
Analysis
Primarily, the community is very friendly. The presence
of several parks and recreational centers ensure that
protective services like fire, police and ambulance are
plenty and present at accessible distance. Furthermore,
there are a number of healthcare services including
dispensaries and hospitals as well as rehab centers. I did
not observe any evident signs of addiction present on
the streets during my windshield survey.
The presence of these elements impacts the community
in significant ways. The presence of open spaces allow
people to get together and spend time away from their
everyday lives while also mingling with a multicultural
community of tourists, thereby allowing for
development of cultural competence (Sulaiman &
Wilson, 2018). Besides, the thriving economy is a
significant factor for the residents as well as visitors to
consider Kissimmee as a potential future destination.
When it comes to values, people seem to value their
freedom and the vibrancy that the community offers.
The environment is well taken care of with plenty of
vegetation and water bodies.

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COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT REPORT
English, although some aspects of Spanish and Far
eastern languages were also noticed.
Conclusion(s): Kissimmee is a safe and friendly community with ample resources and amenities
as well as open spaces for recreation. The people are also quite friendly and although most prefer
private vehicles for transport, a significant number also walk around the community. Religious
and multicultural tolerance is a prime aspect of this community and the economy that is divided
into various job roles help promote that aspect.

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COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT REPORT
References
Morag, O., Tal, T., & Rotem, T. (2013). Long-Term Educational Programs in Nature Parks:
Characteristics, Outcomes and Challenges. International Journal of Environmental and
Science Education, 8(3), 427-449.
Sulaiman, M. Z., & Wilson, R. (2018). Translating tourism promotional materials: a cultural-
conceptual model. Perspectives, 26(5), 629-645.
The History of Kissimmee | About Osceola County | Osceola County, Florida. (2011). Retrieved
10 January 2020, from
https://web.archive.org/web/20121016063441/http://osceola.org/about_osceola_county/
157-428-20514/the_history_of_kissimmee.cfm
U.S. Census Bureau, (2011). Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010
Census Redistricting Data. Public Law. 94-171.