• The survey asked, “What is the name of one place in Needham where you feel a sense of belonging?” For the purpose of better understanding the ways in which Needhamites seek and find local belonging, we coded responses by category. Frequent mentions included faith institutions, such as churches and temples, as well as in nature, the library, through recreational activities, etc. Notably, a significant proportion of respondents wrote, “Nowhere”, indicating that they lack a sense of belonging anywhere at all in Needham. Reducing the frequency of this response may make for a good community goal over the next couple of years. That said, we see similar findings in national data, where one third of Americans report not feeling like they belong in any setting outside of family and friends (see More in Common’s Two Stories of Distrust in America, 2021).

• In addition to being asked WHERE they feel belonging in Needham, residents were asked, “What is it about this place that makes you feel that you belong?” Responses concentrated on attributes such as: helpful, friendly, inclusive, interactive, commonality, and comfortable. Note that feeling welcomed and included (via “friendly,” “inclusive,” “caring,” “accepting,” “belonging,” “kindness,” etc.) appear to be core attributes in Needham’s places of belonging. Some places may provide belonging as affinity groups where individuals share something in common (i.e., “commonality,” “values,” “social justice”) while others are identified more for their “openness” and exposure to diverse others.  

• The survey asked respondents “Are there ways that Needham can improve residents’ experiences of diversity, equity, inclusion or belonging?” Affordable housing is mentioned with the highest frequency. "Tolerance of thought,” holding “more events,” and “town-resident communication” were also common responses. These responses lent themselves to the brainstorming of ideas for action steps in the small group discussions. 

• The strength of the shared values around education and family

• The high percentage of people who are not engaged in/attending/watching Town Meetings

• The fact that higher percentages of white residents reported access & affordability for health care compared to non-white residents (79% vs. 68%, respectively), but higher percentages of non-white residents reported access & affordability for mental health care compared to white residents (69% vs. 53%, respectively)

• A vast majority of Needhamites feel safe from violence and property crime in Needham (99%)

• The strength of the shared values around education and family

• Identified attributes that help Needham to be a place of belonging 

• Residents genuinely experience Needham as a good place to live

• Residents experience Needham as a source of a good quality of life, a good neighborhood experience, an excellent education, and a wonderful place to raise children

• There are significant white/non-white disparities in felt belonging 

• Trust in government is notably weak even across races (which reflects national trend)

• Residents need better access to affordable health and mental health care

• The community needs more affordable housing 

• There is a significant disparity between white and non-white access to adult education and culture 

• A significant proportion of the community chose to answer a question about where they experience local belonging with: “Nowhere” 

• Find a way to create/increase multi-family housing rentals 

• Invest in town events designed to help people feel included - this should be with a collaboration of community partners so that planning does not fall solely on the town but is instead shared

• Create more opportunities for community organizations to lead arts and culture, and organize recruitment/access such that populations who currently lack access can obtain it

• Establish new data analysis guidelines such that data gets broken down demographically to reveal group differences, should they exist, so that the community can better understand disparities 

• Write an op-ed discussing Needham residents’ shared values and community strengths 

• Organize a community discussion around Needham’s strengths and growth edges – collect input on how to address challenges

• Create a recognition program, e.g., “Needham 2022 - Bedrock of Belonging,” whereby local sites that receive “X or more” mentions as a place of belonging in Needham receive a certificate and are recognized at a local ceremony

• The NRN and subnetworks could sponsor in-person belonging-focused gatherings in different neighborhoods and communities throughout Needham

• Joe Bubman of Urban Rural Action describe the experience of folks in Maryland coming together from different ideological perspectives to tackle issues of immigration, economic development, and inclusion with practical, local solutions for their state. 

• Study Looks to Strengthen How We Feel About Democracy. Stanford University’s Robb Willer is interviewed on MSNBC to discuss their new study on reducing toxic polarization and reducing Americans’ anti-democratic attitudes. An overview of the study was also summarized by Fast Company or you can read the full report: Strengthening Democracy Challenge.

• Faith and Polarization. Vice President for Programs at One America Movement, Chandra DeNap Whetstine gave an inspiring talk at Stand Together’s Catalyst Summit describing their approach to combating toxic polarization, working with faith communities across the U.S.

• Read We Need To Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy by Evoo Patel. This is an exploration of social change that cultivates in people the importance of both individual parts and the connections between them, thus enhancing the health of the whole. Patel paints the picture of a pluralist society where people have conversations and can disagree on some fundamental things, while working together on others. 

• Read The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker that sets forth human ways of gathering that create connected, innovative and inspiring experiences in the most mundane to the most unusual settings. 

• Read Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant about personal resilience following grief. After the loss of her husband Sherly Sandberg and social psychologist Adam Grant penned this story-science narrative about shifting to Plan B in the face of loss, challenge or tragedy.