Cobb Community Foundation will bring residents, researchers and nonprofit leaders together Nov. 6 to discuss affordability, transportation, caregiving and access to services across the county.
The event marks the formal launch of Cobb Vital Signs, a research and collaboration initiative developed with Kennesaw State University and Neighborhood Nexus. Its report and interactive maps are already linked on the foundation’s project page.
The launch takes place Friday, Nov. 6, at Marietta Performing Arts Center at Marietta High School, 1171 Whitlock Ave. NW. Networking and an interactive data preview begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the main program from 9 to 11 a.m., according to the Cobb Chamber announcement.
Journalist Condace Pressley will moderate a conversation with Cobb residents and researchers. Nonprofit leaders will also discuss how organizations can use the findings to coordinate their work.
Vital Signs combines public data with resident surveys, interviews and focus groups to examine community needs throughout Cobb, including East Cobb.
The interactive maps let users compare geographic areas by topic. Colors indicate relative levels of need, while black dots identify nonprofits working in the selected area of service. The foundation cautions that the maps show geographic differences without explaining their causes.
For cost-of-living context, the map page cites an annual survival-budget estimate of $106,500 for a Cobb household with two adults, an infant and a preschooler. It directs readers to United Way’s ALICE data for more information.
Lisa-Ruth Karnes, the foundation’s director of programs, leads Vital Signs. The foundation describes the initiative as an ongoing effort to guide grantmaking, strengthen partnerships and track community conditions over time.
Residents can sign up through the launch event’s registration page.
