Urban Exchange

New survey on poverty in Winnipeg

UPDATE: This survey is now closed.  Thanks to everyone who participated!  Please stay tuned for results.

All Winnipeggers are invited to fill out the new Urban Exchange survey! Poverty: Insight & Ideas is the first in a series of short surveys about poverty. Over the next four weeks, you’ll have an opportunity to share your ideas about what poverty means and how serious it is your city and your community.

Why are we focusing on poverty? A Statistics Canada report in 2006, found that 136 000 people in Winnipeg are living in poverty, including more than 30 000 children. Urban Exchange participants – there are more than 4500 of them so far – have consistently said that poverty is one of their top concerns.

Poverty can mean different things to different people. In order to effectively address poverty, we need to talk about it. This short survey is the beginning of a conversation – in time, we’ll also be asking for ideas about solutions.

To participate in this conversation:

• Watch for the survey in your Winnipeg Free Press newspaper on April 7
• Click here to fill out the survey online
• Give us a call at 477-5360 and we’ll mail the survey to you

Thanks for taking the time to participate in Urban Exchange!

Exploring Our Values – an in-depth look (closed)

**This survey is now closed**

We need your opinion on a few things, and if you want to weigh in right now, please feel free to get started by clicking here.

If you’re not sure if you have something to say, consider these questions . . .

• If you had $1000 to donate, would you spend it on reducing poverty or decreasing crime? What about increasing neighbourhood safety? Or access to affordable housing? What about youth gang activity?

• Is it better to do something about the immediate impacts of these issues or should we try to prevent them from happening in the first place?

• How do people treat you when you’re out and about in Winnipeg? Are they polite? Do they respect you? Do you feel safe?

• How should we treat each other in Winnipeg?

Our values – the ideas and beliefs we care about most deeply – drive our behaviour. We make decisions based on the values that are most important to us – ultimately shaping the city we live in.

What’s important to you? What kind of city do you want Winnipeg to be?

Please let us know by filling out the latest Urban Exchange survey.

Urban Exchange is a United Way of Winnipeg Advisory Panel made up of hundreds of Winnipeggers from all walks of life who are interested in shaping the future of our city by talking about what’s important to them.

We’d love for you to join the panel – if you’d rather just fill out this one survey, that’s okay, too.

What will we do with your information?

United Way uses the summarized results to:

• Understand the vision, concerns, priorities and values of Winnipeggers
• Help guide and affirm United Way’s decisions about priorities and areas of importance
• Identify new areas and challenges on which to focus

United Way will share the summarized results with you and other participants.

We will also share the summarized information with decision-makers, planners and service providers in government, business, and voluntary organizations so it can inform their decisions.

A few words about privacy . . .

No information will be shared that could identify individuals or small groups of individuals. None of the individual information you provide will be shared with anyone for any other purpose than that of Urban Exchange. And your information will not be used to solicit donations. (For our complete privacy policy, please click here.)

For more information about this survey, or about Urban Exchange in general, please give us a call at 477-5360 or email us at Urban.Exchange[at]UnitedWayWinnipeg.mb.ca.

To begin filling out the survey, please click here to get started.

Complete a Survey

In previous Urban Exchange surveys, respondents identified poverty as one of their top priorities. In our current survey, we’re exploring poverty – our perceptions, attitudes and expectations – in order to gain a better understanding of this complex issue and some of the ways we might come together as a community to address it.

We’d love to hear what you think. To share your opinions, please click here to get started.