Minority Population (75 Responses)

• Need to hear and serve undocumented persons from other nations, persons with low income, persons of all minorities, cultures and languages
• Help those who cannot or feel they do not have a right to express needs, feel out of place and/or do not feel welcome
• Difficult for city staff to serve those whose language they can’t understand

Challenges to Community-Building (34 Responses)

• People who don’t want to be involved
• People who don’t participate in opportunities
• People who are scared to share opinions
• People who are content with status quo
• People who live in rural areas
• People who complain or don’t complain
• Middle class citizens
• Longtime West Des Moines residents
• Human services advocates
• Vocal minority about special issues that don’t always represent the majority
• Other challenges: community growth, unawareness, unawareness of unawareness and municipal make-up of school district

Diverse Populations (11 Responses)

Need to listen to and serve:
• subcultures in high schools
• homosexual persons
• non-linear thinkers
• philosophers or not action-oriented people - the big idea thinkers
• “have nots”
• renters
• the artist voice
• those with no internet access
• women who choose to raise children rather than pursue a work career

Religion (8 Responses)

• Need to listen to religious groups – especially those religions in the minority
• Need to hear minorities within religious groups
• Need to respect Christianity along with other diverse groups