A Community Assessment of Raeford



A Community Needs Assessment of Raeford

Joy Lassiter

Teresa Hodnett

Kamilah Douglas

• University of North Carolina at Pembroke

On my honor this paper represents my own words and thoughts and/or the words and thoughts of others with proper citations. I have neither given nor received assistance on this assignment other than as authorized by the instructor.

A Community Assessment of Raeford

Abstract

This observation will focus on the community of Raeford, located in Hoke county North Carolina. The focus of this assessment will cover the economic conditions, political infrastructure, demographics, and social services offered to the community. With the decline in the economy and lack of job opportunities where dose a small community such as Raeford hold up to the changing climate. We will look at the housing and the effects that it has had on the families, is there sufficient help for them. How has the political arena addressed these problems, is there any improvement. What, if anything, is the community doing to change their circumstance?

History

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Raeford is a small city located in the county of Hoke North Carolina. The County was formed by taking areas from Cumberland County and Robeson County in 1911. In 1907 Senator John McLauchin proposed a bill to form a new county. His reasoning was the distance people had to travel to reach the county seat in Cumberland and Robeson County. The first proposal for a new county did not pass, the second attempt also failed due to a debate over the name, Glen County, to be named for the then governor and not enough interest in the bill. When the bill finally passed the area was named Hoke County. It was named from Robert F. Hoke a celebrated General in the confederate army and a business man living in the area. Raeford is now the county seat for Hoke County. The name Raeford was created by two of the counties prominent citizens John McRae and A.A. Willford. They used syllables from there last name to come up with a name for the township’s post office. McRae and Willford owned a turpentine distillery and a general store. The McRae’s at one time were made up of mostly Highland Scot families; the Upper Cape Fear Valley had the largest of the Gaelic speaking Highland Scot’s in North America. There are still many of the old families living in the area today. Since Fort Bragg was established there have been many new comers to the area and with the end of World War II many Lumbee Indians moved from Robeson County to make up a significant part of the area population.

Geographic

Raeford has a total of 3.8 square miles of total land and 0.27% is water. The US Census reports it as an area of 392 square miles of land and 1.1 square miles of water. It is believed that 115 people live per each square mile. Raeford is surrounded by six different cities; they are Ashley Heights, Rockfish, Silver City, Five Points, Bowmore and Dundarrach. Raeford is located 18 miles from the City of Fayetteville, 16 miles from Southern Pines, 75 miles from Raleigh, 22, miles from Lumberton and 17 miles from Laurinburg some of the larger cities in the area.

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According to the 2010 Raeford city Census showed that there were 4,611 people living in the city, and a 36% growth increase. Ashley Height had 380 people an 11% growth and Dundarrach had 41 people and a 33% growth.

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As a result 23% of the people living there were under the age of eighteen.

Economic characteristics:

As you walk around the area you can tell who and where people work. You can tell this because of their uniforms or the business attire. Some people wear uniforms that identify their jobs others just have to dress a certain way; example, people who work in the bank and the court house will be wearing suits which indicates business attire. If they are working in a factory they may have on a uniform of sorts or they could be wearing regular clothing with a hair net and smock to show that they work at the turkey plant. The uniform may show that they work at Hardees, McDonald’s, or Burger King. Whatever the job you can see the people going back and forth to work as job are hard to come by in the present economy.

There are some commercial enterprises here in the community; Wal-Mart is one such enterprise. Wal-Mart has become a convenience to the people in the community especially those who do not have dependable transportation. The local grocery stores are a big resource for the community, providing a source of income as well as a service. The laundry mats are really big as a lot of people in the area do not own their own washers and dryers, which leaves them dependant on the laundry mats, the laundry mats have made it so convenient for the people in the community that if you leave clothes there they will charge you a small fee, depending on the loads, they will also wash and fold your clothes so that on Saturday people who cannot or do not have the time to sit and wait all day can do other things.

These days you see many signs that say yard sales. There are a lot of people having yard sales, they sale things from their homes such as small appliances, clothing, toys, etc. Most people have them when they are moving out of the area or just doing a little spring cleaning and are going to replace something’s in their homes, and at times you can see them when people are in need of money. Most of the time they are held on Saturday mornings starting early ending around noon if they are not doing well in selling there goods. This is an every weekend thing especially in the neighborhood that I live in, but you can find a lot of sales during the time that people fill are paydays.

There is plenty of evidence to show there is unemployment. Working in the Social Service office I see a high percentage of individuals coming in to apply for services who are unemployed. A lot of the residents in the community take advantage of and use the only resource they have to find a job, the Employment Security Commissions. There are not a lot of jobs in Hoke County/ Raeford besides the House of Raeford (turkey plant) or the local dollar stores, grocery stores, gas stations and Wal-Mart. If you have some type of degree one might be able to find a clerical position or work in one of the few banks. Most people who live in this community work outside of the county in places such as Southern Pines, or Fayetteville.

Hoke county has 4 grocery stores; there is Food Lion which does a lot of business because of the good deals that can be found there, then there is Bo’s a community fixture that has been around for twenty plus years offering low prices that entice customers to shop there, John Kay’s a shop that sells fresh produce and fish, they have been in business for over thirty years and then you have Wal-Mart which offers the convenience of one stop shopping, you can get everything you need from gardening supplies to grocery.

There is transportation for social service and patients that have medical needs but is not open to the general public. This transportation runs during the hours of 8-5, with the earliest pick up time being about five am, for medical appointments only. For this transportation they will take you around town, in and out of the county for a small fee. It is easy to get assistance to use this transportation all you have to do is call 24 hrs. The day prior to when you need it and they will put you on the pickup list and come pick you up and take you back to your home. There is a taxi service that is privately owned that operates 24 hours a day. If you do not own a vehicle they will pick you up and take you where you want to go for a fee. The majority of the people own their own vehicles as a mean of transportation. For the ones that do not there is limited means of getting to where they need to be and may hinder their ability to get where they need to be in a timely fashion.

The automobiles that are prominent in the county consist of many different types; you can find American made as well as foreign made. The type may depend on the driver, some of the older population likes to drive American made cars while the younger generation prefers the sports type cars. There are a couple of automotive shops in Raeford that work on cars, there are also some residents in the county (shade tree mechanics) who have cars in there yards that they work on for themselves as well as other people. If you are looking for the cars and trucks that really stand out they are the ones that have tricked out rims and loud music.

What kinds of billboards are evident?

There is only one billboard in Raeford/Hoke County.

Social characteristics:

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Raeford’s genetic make up varies, there are many different races in this community, it consist of Hispanics, which make up 10.9% of the population, African Americans which make up 32.6% of the population, Caucasian which makes up 43.1% of the population, American Indian/ Alaska native that makes up 8.5% of the population, races that are two more (bi-racial) 3.5% of the population and Asian Americans which make up 1.1% of the population in the community as a whole.



2010 Population by Age Raeford, NC 28376 North Carolina United States

|Age |Population |Percentage |

|0-5 |4,561 |12.64 |

|6-11 |3,450 |9.56 |

|12-17 |3,231 |8.95 |

|18-24 |4,198 |11.63 |

|25-34 |7,021 |19.45 |

|35-44 |4,762 |13.19 |

|45-54 |3,861 |10.70 |

|55-64 |2,701 |7.48 |

|65-74 |1,415 |3.92 |

|75-84 |680 |1.88 |

|85+ |216 |0.60 |

Median Age 28.70 35.30 35.60



The majority of the people you will meet in Raeford are friendly, everywhere you go and everyone you pass is smiling at you are speaking to you or waving their hands in acknowledgement of you. This can be seen in more of the older residents in the community more than from the younger one; it seems that the younger population is really in a sense anti-social to the people that they do not know. I can not say for sure that they are because I do not know them. I know I taught my children not to speak to strangers so they could be following those instructions from their parents as well.

According to the yellow pages in the phone directory there are 51 churches listed in Raeford/Hoke County area. There are 22 Baptist churches in Raeford/Hoke county area, 8 Methodist churches, 10 Pentecostal churches, 3 Presbyterian, 2 Spanish speaking churches, just to name a few. I do not know if they are a mixed congregation or not, we can only make assumptions that because of the diversity of the area you can find some mixing of the congregation.

The one place I can think of that is a formal/informal meeting place is the National Guard Armories; it is open for different type functions such as weddings and parties. There are some night clubs that can be found around town, but unless you are a party person it will be hard to find them. Most of the VFW’s cater to the night life in the area. If there are any social clubs I am not familiar with them, there is one coffee shop that I found in Raeford, and it is called Ann’s Coffee House. Ann’s place is somewhere you can go to meet friends and get a taste of a good espresso drink or a regular cup of coffee. It is a family owned business with an atmosphere where you can come to sit and relax. You can find them off of Fayetteville Road in Raeford.

There are two bars in Raeford the Kickin Chickin Sports bar and the Aviator’s Grill and Pub. They have only one tavern, the Life after 5. I have not visited any of these places as I do not drink. You can however go in and have a meal at these establishments as well. The Aviator’s Grill and Pub has burgers and beer and while you wait you can enjoy a game of pool.

What types of parks or recreational areas are present? What is their condition?

Hoke county has 1 recreational park, 1 ball park, there is a big park behind one of the elementary schools, and one inside of a neighborhoods. There are not many people that use the park located in this particular neighborhood because of where it is. They are afraid of the reputation of the area. During the summer senior services provide lunch for the community for about a week at one of the parks.

What are housing conditions like? (Upkeep, quality, rental, family owned, special features) Is housing for sale? (Dispersed, clustered)

Depending on what part of the community you are in the houses are very well kept up, there is a lot of rental property in the area I was unable to determine which were family owned or who owned the land but I am sure there are plenty. When it comes to the sale of the homes it is dispersed and not so much clustered. The conditions of the houses really depend on what area you are in, there are some neighborhoods where the houses are really in bad shape, and there are some places where the houses are in good or fair condition, and then there are the houses that are just beautiful.

Average household size:

|Hoke County: |2.9 people |

|North Carolina: |2 people |

Estimated median household income in 2009: $37,037 ($33,230 in 1999)

|This county: |$37037 |

|North Carolina: |$43674 |

Median contract rent in 2009 for apartments: $484 (lower quartile is $366, upper quartile is $599)

|This county: |$484 |

|State: |$568 |

Estimated median house or condo value in 2009: $117,518

|Hoke County: |$117,518 |

|North Carolina: |$155,500 |

Lower value quartile - upper value quartile: $71,609 - $166,853

Mean price in 2009:

Detached houses: $127,768

|Here: |$127,768 |

|State: |$218,934 |

Townhouses or other attached units: $197,027

|Here: |$197,027 |

|State: |$173,323 |

Mobile homes: $63,885

|Here: |$63,885 |

|State: |$45,354 |

Median monthly housing costs for homes and condos with a mortgage: $1,221

Median monthly housing costs for units without a mortgage: $299

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Are there distinct sub-communities within the larger community?

There are 11 sub-communities in the area

What do people do who live here?

There is really not anything for the community to do as a whole. Really to have any fun people in this community have to go outside of the county to do anything recreational.

Political characteristics:

What is the condition of roads, sidewalks, garbage collection, and other services?

The roads are always kept clean and in rural areas you can find some dirt roads mostly in some of the mobile home parks and a few can be found when you go into some of the residential areas of the community. Only 2/3 of the area has garbage sites. The garbage sites are well managed and they are kept clean and are supervised for many hours of the day. The only sidewalks can be found in the downtown area, once you enter into the neighborhoods there are no sidewalks.

Are there any signs of political activity (bumper stickers, political. offices)?

|2004 Presidential Election results in Hoke County North Carolina: |Kerry/Edwards (Democratic): 52.3% |

| |Bush/Cheney (Republican): 47.4% |

|Bush / Cheney (Rep.) (47%) | |

|Kerry / Edwards (Dem.) (52%) | |

|Other (0%) | |

| |Obama (Democratic): 59.3% |

|2008 Presidential Election results in Hoke County North Carolina: |McCain (Republican): 40.5% |

| | |

|McCain (Rep.) (41%) | |

|Obama (Dem.) (59%) | |

|Other (0%) | |

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Unsure of any political offices, there is signs posted advertising/ sharing information on political activity, also you see some cars with the bumper stickers supporting/campaigning that is running for what position.

What kinds of schools are located in the community? What is their condition?

There is one high school, Hoke County High, one alternative school Upchurch, two middle schools, East and West Hoke Middle,1 community college annex, Sandhills Community, 8 elementary schools and 1 head start buildings. There are 2 fairly new schools in the community. Most of the buildings are still in good conditions but some do need some type of improvement.

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5 Elementary Schools Located in Raeford:

Is there a local library?

Hoke county/ Raeford have one library

Are there local newspaper? What kinds of voluntary agencies are located in the community? How available are services?

Hoke county has one major newspaper The Raeford Journal

Demographic and Housing Profile of the Community

General Population Characteristics

This section is intended to give the Demographic and Housing Profile for Raeford, North Carolina. According to the table below (U.S. Census Bureau, Raeford City, Demographics, 2010) the total population for Raeford, North Carolina is 4,611. The population is broken down as follows: 48.7% of the population is White, 37.6% Black or African American, 0.2% are American Indian and Alaska Native. The races that remain consist of Asian, Chinese and Filipino races. Raeford also has a 3.4% population of people who are two or more races.

Table 1: Population, Race and Ethnic Origin

|Race |Totals |Percent |

|One Race |3,877 |96.6% |

|White |1,954 |48.7% |

|Black or African American |1,507 |37.6% |

|American Indian and Alaska Native |8 |0.2% |

|Asian |89 |2.2% |

|Asian Indian |37 |0.9% |

|Chinese |35 |0.9% |

|Filipino |17 |0.4% |

|Japanese |0 |0% |

|Korean |0 |0% |

|Vietnamese |0 |0% |

|Other Asian |0 |0% |

|Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander |0 |0% |

|Native Hawaiian |0 |0% |

|Samoan |0 |0% |

|Other Pacific Islanders |0 |0% |

|Some other race |0 |0% |

|Two or more races |135 |3.4% |

Note: From the U.S Census Bureau, Raeford City Demographics, 2005-2009

The age distribution in Raeford, North Carolina is moderately dispersed. Raeford, North Carolina is a rural area with an array of people, with most being retirees and young military families from Fort Bragg. The ages are broken down as follows: 14% of the population is 65 and over, 27% of the population is 45-64 years old, 26% of the population is 24-44 years old, 12% of the population is 18 to 24 years old and 22% of the population is under the age of 18 (U.S Census Bureau, Raeford city Demographics, 2010). The table below will display the results in a easy read table.

Table 2: Age Dispersion

The Age Distribution of People in Raeford city, North Carolina in 2005-2010

|Age Groups of the Population in Raeford, North Carolina |The percent of the age group in Raeford, North Carolina. |

|65 and Over |14% |

|45 to 64 years old |27% |

|25 to 44 years old |26% |

|18 to 24 years old |12% |

|Under 18 years old |22% |

Note: From U.S Census Bureau, Raeford City Demographics, 2005-2010

Table 3: Gender

Raeford, North Carolina has a total population of 4,611 people. The total of males living in Raeford, North Carolina is 2,057 (51.3%) and the total number of females is 1,955(48.7%) Raeford, North Carolina is a majority male city (U.S Census Bureau, Raeford City Demographics, 2010). It could probably be concluded that the reason for the majority of the city being male is because of Raeford’s close proximity to Fort Bragg military base.

|GENDER |Totals |Percentages |

|Male |2,057 |51.3% |

|Female |1,955 |48.7% |

Note: From U.S Census Bureau, Raeford City Demographics, 2005-2010

Table 4: Household Relationship

The household relationship in Raeford, North Carolina is expressed below in the form of a table. The household relationship is as follows: Householder 1, 563 (9.0%), Spouse is 633 (15.8%), Child is 1,368 (34.1%), Other relatives 240 (6.0%), Non-Relatives 208 (5.2%) and Unmarried Partners is 0 (0%) (US. Census Bureau, Raeford City Demographics, 2010). The average household size for Raeford, North Carolina is 2.57 persons and the average family size is 3.28 persons (US. Census Bureau, Raeford city Demographics 2010).

|Household Relationships |Totals |Percentages |

|Total Population |4,611 | |

|Householder |1,563 |39.0% |

|Spouse |633 |15.8% |

|Child |1,368 |34.1% |

|Other Relatives |240 |6.0% |

|Non-Relatives |208 |5.2% |

|Unmarried Partner |0 |0% |

|Household Size |2.57 Persons |N/A |

|Average Family Size |3.28 Persons | |

Note: From the U.S Census Bureau, Raeford City Demographics 2005-2010

Table 5: Marital Status

The marital status for person living in Raeford, North Carolina are calculated only by males and females who are 15 years of age and older. The categories are broken down into never married, now married (except divorced), separated, widowed and divorced. The information in the table below is gathered from the (U.S Census Bureau, 2010).

|Marital Status of Males (15 years and |Totals- 1,611 |Percentages |

|older) | | |

|Never Married |608 |37.7% |

|Now Married, except Divorced |767 |47.6% |

|Separated |30 |1.9% |

|Widowed |22 |1.4% |

|Divorced |184 |11.4% |

|Marital Status of Females (15 years and |Totals- 1,608 | |

|older) | | |

|Never Married |382 |23.8% |

|Now Married, except Divorced |681 |42.4% |

|Separated |156 |9.7% |

|Widowed |276 |17.2% |

|Divorced |113 |7.0% |

Note: From the U.S Census Bureau, Raeford city demographics, 2010

Table 6: Family Type

Raeford, North Carolina has a number of family types. The Family Types include Families, Married Couples, Male householder, Female householder and Non –Family households. The table below shows the various family types in Raeford, North Carolina.

|Households by Type |Totals |Percentages |

|Family household (families) |983 |62.9% |

| With own children under 18 years |415 |26.6% |

|Married-couple families |648 |41.5% |

| With children under 18 years |207 |13.2% |

|Male householder, no wife present, family |66 |4.2% |

| With children under 18 years |21 |1.3% |

|Female householder, no husband family |269 |17.2% |

|With own children under 18 years |187 |12.0% |

|Non- Family Households | | |

|Householder living alone |580 |37.7% |

|65 years and over |211 |13.5% |

|Households with one or more people under 18 |432 |27.6% |

|years | | |

|Households with one or more people 65 years |416 |26.6% |

|and older | | |

Note: U.S Census Bureau, Raeford city Demographics, 2010

Economic Characteristics: Employment status, Occupation, Industry, Income and Poverty levels.

The economic characteristics in Raeford, North Carolina will be broken down into tables. The first table in this section will show the employment status, in which almost 50% of the Raeford population is employed and the other almost 50% is not currently employed. The statistics for the employment status is based on the 16 years of age and older population of Raeford, North Carolina (U.S Census Bureau, 2010).

The second table in this section will display the occupations of the population in Raeford, North Carolina. According to the table (U.S Census Bureau, 2010) most of the population in Raeford, North Carolina are in Service Occupations. Service Occupations include retail and restaurant type work. However, for Raeford to be a rural city, the city does have an impressive amount of the population in Management, Professional and Related Occupations (20.6%).

The third table in this section will show the industry choices of the population in Raeford, North Carolina. The majority of the population in Raeford, North Carolina is in Educational Services, Health Care and Social Assistance (25.7%). The close proximity to Fort Bragg, NC can be assumed to such large numbers in this industry. The soldiers are often in need of health care and social assistance.

The fourth table shows the income of the population of Raeford, North Carolina. The population of Raeford is mostly earning between $15,000 to $24,999. Raeford also has only 0.7% of the population earning $200,000 dollars or more.

The fifth table shows the Percentage of families whose income is below the poverty level. 23.6% of all families living in Raeford are living below the poverty level. In the Raeford community, single parent mothers account for 75.9% of families living in poverty.

Table 1: Employment Status in Raeford, North Carolina

|Employment Status |Total |Percentages |

|Population 16 years and Over |3,181 |N/A |

|In Labor Force |1,919 |60.3% |

|Civilian Labor Force |1,876 |59.0% |

|Employed |1,683 |52.9% |

|Unemployed |193 |6.1% |

|Armed Forces |43 |1.4% |

|Not in Labor Force |1,262 |39.7% |

Note: U.S Census Bureau, Raeford city demographics, 2010)

Table 2: Occupation Status in Raeford, North Carolina

|Occupation |Total |Percentages |

|Civilian employed population 16 years and over |1,683 |N/A |

|Management, Professional and related |346 |20.6% |

|Occupations | | |

|Service Occupations |441 |26.2% |

|Sales and Office Occupations |325 |19.3% |

|Farming, Fishing and Forestry Occupations |140 |8.3% |

|Construction, extraction, maintenance and |138 |8.2% |

|repair occupations | | |

|Production, transportation, and material moving|293 |17.4% |

|occupations | | |

Note: U.S Census Bureau, Raeford city demographics, 2010)

Table 3: Industry in Raeford, North Carolina

|Industry |Totals |Percentages |

|Civilian employed population, 16 years and over |1,683 |N/A |

|Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting and |183 |10.9% |

|Mining | | |

|Construction |68 |4.0% |

|Manufacturing |312 |18.5% |

|Wholesale trade |0 |0% |

|Retail trade |191 |11.3% |

|Transportation and Warehousing and Utilities |81 |4.8% |

|Information |20 |1.2% |

|Finance and Insurance, and real estate and |71 |4.2% |

|rental and leasing | | |

|Professional, Scientific, and management, and |86 |5.1% |

|administrative and waste management services | | |

|Educational Services and health care and social |433 |25.7% |

|assistance | | |

|Arts, entertainment and recreation, and |113 |6.7% |

|accommodation and food services | | |

|Other services, except public administration |59 |3.5% |

|Public administration |66 |3.9% |

Table 4: Income levels in Raeford, North Carolina

|Income |Totals |Percentages |

|Total Households |1,563 |N/A |

|Less than $10,000 |266 |17.0% |

|$10,000 to $14,999 |157 |10.0% |

|$15,000 to $24,999 |341 |21.8% |

|$25,000 to $34,999 |123 |7.9% |

|$35,000 to $49,999 |173 |11.1% |

|$50,000 to $74,999 |184 |11.8% |

|$75,000 to $99,999 |172 |11.0% |

|100,000 to $149,999 |105 |6.7% |

|150,000 to $199,999 |35 |2.2% |

|$200,000 or more |7 |0.4% |

|Median Household Income (dollars) |26,683 |N/A |

|Median Household Income (dollars) |42,802 |N/A |

Note: U.S Census Bureau, Raeford city demographics, 2010)

Table 5: Percentage of all families and people who live below the poverty level.

|Family Types-Living Below Poverty |Percentages |

|All families |23.6% |

| With related children under 18 years |49.1% |

| With related children under 5 years |85.6% |

|Married Couple families |9.7% |

| With related children under 18 years |19.9% |

| With related children under 5 years |24.1% |

|Families with Female Householder, No husband present |55.0% |

| With related children under 18 years |75.9% |

| With related children under 5 years |100.0% |

|ALL PEOPLE |28.4% |

|Under 18 years |44.8% |

| Related children under 18 years |44.8% |

| Related children under 5 years |66.3% |

|18 years and over |23.8% |

|65 years and older |19.0% |

|People in families |26.9% |

|Unrelated Individuals, 15 years and over |34.4% |

General Housing Characteristics- Housing Units, Average home value, vacancies and occupancy

Raeford, North Carolina has an array of different types of housing within the community. The types of housing units include: single-unit structure, multi- unit structures and mobile homes. 76% of the Raeford population lives in a single- unit structure, while 21% live in a multi-unit structure and only 3% of the populations of Raeford live in mobile homes (U.S Census Bureau, 2010). The average value of a home in Raeford, North Carolina is between $50,000 to $99,000. The total number of vacant housing units in Raeford, North Carolina is 231 units or 12.9%, and the number of occupied housing units is 1,563 or 87.1% (U.S Census Bureau, 2010).

Community Profile Based on Census Data

Raeford, North Carolina in comparison with nearby Pinehurst Village, North Carolina the difference in statistics is startling. Raeford has a total population of 4,611 people and Pinehurst Village, North Carolina has a total population of 11,928 people (U.S Census Bureau, Pinehurst Village Demographics, 2010). Pinehurst Village is a town located in nearby Moore County, North Carolina. Females in Pinehurst Village make up a majority of the population. The median age is 58.4 years, the white population is 95.0% of the entire population, and African Americans only make up 3.6% of the population (U.S Census Bureau, Pinehurst Village Demographics, 2010). The median income for Pinehurst Village is $62,259 and only 2.4% of the Pinehurst Village population lives below the poverty level (U.S Census Bureau, Pinehurst Village Demographics, 2010). The results for Pinehurst Village, North Carolina in comparison to Raeford are alarming. While only 2.4% of Pinehurst Village live in poverty a startling 23.6% of the population in Raeford live in poverty (U.S Census Bureau, Raeford city Demographics, 2010).

Discussion

Raeford, North Carolina has some unique rural city charm. Three things stood out about Raeford. The first things that stood out were the rate of poverty among female householders with children under 5 years old. The poverty rate for these female householders was a total of 100 percent. According to the (U.S Census, 2010) all female householders in Raeford with very young children were living in the poverty level. The poverty rates for Raeford, North Carolina are among the highest in the state of North Carolina. The results of the Census makes one conceptualize are the children in Raeford needs being met.

The second demographic that stood out was the income levels. The majority of Raeford, North Carolina makes $15,000 to $24,999 (U.S Census Bureau, Raeford city Demographics, 2010). This income level is low even for a single person with no children. Many of the families in Raeford depend on some type of government assistance to provide for their families.

The third demographic that stood out is the amount of people unemployed in Raeford, North Carolina. 39.7% of Raeford citizens are with a job. The bad economic times we are facing is playing a leading role in this high percentage. Jobs are very hard to come by even in the once plentiful fast food other service industry jobs.

Community Summary

Concluding the data from the Census it can be determined that Raeford, North Carolina has a high poverty rate. Raeford is a victim of hard economic times. Just like many other small rural cities, factories have closed down and downtown businesses have been deserted. However, Raeford is not a racially diverse city. Nearly half of the population is white and the other half is African American. Neighboring Cumberland County provides the community with most of their income. Many residents commute to Fort Bragg or Cape Fear Valley Hospital for employment.

Raeford has much strength within the community. The close proximity to shopping in Fayetteville, Laurinburg and Southern Pines keeps meets most of the community entertainment needs. Raeford has tremendous amount of potential with the recent expansion of Fort Bragg and the recent opening of the new Super Wal-Mart. Raeford has experienced some property value increases with Wal-Mart’s opening.

The potential problems in Raeford are the high unemployment rates and the poverty rates. Intervention is needed if the town wants to see positive changes. Raeford will need something such as a movie theater and more shopping to drive businesses in and around Raeford. This will hopefully boost the economy and get people in the community employed.

An Analysis of the History, Politics, Economy, and Human Service available to the Community

Raeford was formed in 1911 by two of the areas most influential citizens John McRae and A.A. Willford. The community was in need of a post office, so the two men took parts of their name to form the word Raeford as the name for this post office. The first settlers were of Highland Scot descent, and though they are still present in the area their numbers have diminished. The area is now settled by Lumbee Indians, African Americans and European Americans. One of the areas famous members was Charles O’Neal a play writer for television and film, and father to actor Ryan O’Neal; he was born in Raeford in 1904. Another famous person with ties to Raeford is NBA draft pick Robert Brown.

Politics

The mission statement for the city of Raeford as stated in their Welcome booklet: The city of Raeford is a municipal government that seeks to promote and support a high quality of life for its citizens. Through the development and contributions of all employees to the maximum of their potential, the city will provide quality service that result in the highest achievable levels of customer satisfaction and recognition for excellence. Service delivery will be cost effective, based on the needs of the community and the requirements of local ordinances, and state and federal laws. Our goal is to be the best local government for our size in North Carolina and to be recognized throughout the Eastern United States for providing quality service to citizens and visitors.

Raeford is a small community even though it has grown over the years and become more than a rural farming community. It is an area where politics plays a significant part. Raeford has several elected officials, with the Mayor, John K. McNeill being the highest ranking official. Raeford also has several council members, Robert Conoly, John Jordan, Mary Neill King, Shelley Wilburn, and Wayne Willis according to the 2011 City of Raeford website. A new Mayor is elected every four years. As the Mayor, John McNeill presides over the city council meetings. The city council meets on the first Monday of each month unless other arrangements have been made. Together they are responsible for the issues and concern or general policies that the city operates under. They preside over issues with the city budget, to speeding concerns in a particular area. Any problems can be brought to these meetings for discussion and resolution. The city administration consist of a human resource officer, Jody Jernigan, an assistant city manager/city clerk, Betty Smith, a finance officer, Dale Teal, operations manager/pretreatment coordinator, Trudy McVicker, and city manager, Mike Wood. The city manager oversees the day to day operations of the city government, he also ensures that polices implemented by the city council are carried out. Other city offices include the Chamber of Commerce, Animal Control, the Police Administration, Public Works Department, and the Wastewater Treatment Plant/Water Treatment Plant.

Human Resources

Social Services

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service the department of Social Services covers issues that deal with poverty, family violence, and

exploitation. The County helps them with resources and services to enhance their well being and self-determination. The aim is to prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation and they want to promote self-reliance and sufficiency for families and individuals.

Adult Service Unit

Under this unit you will find Adult Protective service, At Risk Case Management, Guardianship Services, Individual/Family Adjunct Services, Payee Services, In-Home Aide Services, Adult Home Specialist-monitor facility for licensure compliance, Health support Services, Adjustment Services for the Blind and Vision Impaired, and Medical Eye Care for County residents.

Children’s Services Unit

These are legally mandated services focusing on the protection of children and that they have a permanent home. The child social worker in charge of the following duties; intake, child protective service investigations and case management, foster care and adoptions.

Income Maintenance Program

This program determines who quality for assistance in the Food and Nutrition program as well as the Medicaid programs. They also provide for Voter registration services, fishing license waiver, and are responsible for investigation, prosecution, and collection of claims resulting form fraud and abuse of any income maintenance programs.

The Food and Nutrition Program

The food and nutrition service program is designed for the health and welfare of the population by raising awareness of health, and nutrition to people living below the poverty level.

Family and Children Medicaid Program

The family and children Medicaid program establishes assistance for pregnant women, families and children with the cost of medical care.

Family Support Service

The family support service has four parts, the work first family assistance, work first employment services, the child care subsidy, and the crisis intervention program. All are based on family size, income and need for services.

Child Support Enforcement

Child support enforcement is to make sure that children who are apart from there parents or parent receive the money they need for their support. They locate, establish paternity, support obligation, and enforce the actions to be taken.

According to the most recent survey of families in Raeford living below the poverty line is 18.6 percent of the population. This is double the percent of families in America; and individuals living in poverty are about 22 percent, which again is double the average for individuals in the country. To help with this situation Raeford had developed some

programs that will assist individuals and families in the community. One such program is the Health Education/Promotion Program. This is a free program which offers supportive information about lifestyle changes to help maintain persons well being. It offers educational materials to churches, school, and civic organizations.

The Health Education Program

The Health Education program is a program designed to educate people on making healthy lifestyle in order to prevent sever health problems. Under this program you can find STD/HIV awareness, Wellness Education, Personal Hygiene, Family Planning Workshops, Nutrition and Physical activity, Breast Cancer awareness, Heart Health Education, Pre-parenting Classes, First aid and CPR, Diabetes Education and Management, and tobacco prevention and cessation education.

Project H.O.K.E.

Project H.O.K.E. or Healthy Outlook the Key for Everyone is a program that is aimed at reducing the risk of diabetes.

WIC

WIC is the Women, Infant, and Children supplemental nutritional program; it provides healthy food and education to its participants. There are guidelines that have to be met by the participants to qualify for the program. It is aimed at families whose children are considered at risk.

Environmental Health Program

The Environmental Health program is to protect the public health through the principle of environmental science and epidemiology. Their aim is to identify, control, and eliminate pathogenic agents. They regulate the following facilities: off site wastewater, restaurants, food and drink stands, child day care, meat markets, residential care, nursing homes, rest homes, and hospitals, summer camps lodging, local confinement, educational institutions, migrant housing, pools and lead investigations. They inspect and design sewage disposal systems, analyze water supplies, conduct disease investigations on communicable diseases, and before opening a restaurant, day care, or building a home they must be contacted. If you are in need of services or information about services you can contact the Hoke County Health Department.

Economics

Zoning Ordinance

There is an ordinance put into place for the Hoke County Land Use Plan, the purpose is to reach their potential as a best place to live. The ordinance itself is a guide to the development of the growth of the county.

The following occupations and industries are representative of those in Raeford and North Carolina with the higher percentages being reflective of the Raeford area.

Most common industries in 2005-2009 (%)

0

6

12

18

24

• Manufacturing (28%)

• Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (20%)

• Administrative and support and waste management services (8%)

• Retail trade (8%)

• Construction (7%)

• Transportation and warehousing (7%)

• Accommodation and food services (6%)

• Health care and social assistance (27%)

• Educational services (25%)

• Retail trade (16%)

• Manufacturing (8%)

• Other services, except public administration (6%)

• Accommodation and food services (5%)

• Finance and insurance (5%)



Most common occupations (%)

0.0

1.4

2.8

4.2

5.6

7.0

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupatio...

Other production occupations including supervisors

Material moving workers except laborers and material mo...

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

Other sales and related workers including supervisors

• Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (7%)

• Other production occupations including supervisors (6%)

• Material moving workers except laborers and material movers, hand (6%)

• Driver/sales workers and truck drivers (5%)

• Other sales and related workers including supervisors (5%)

• Carpenters (4%)

• Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers (4%)

• Preschool, kindergarten, elementary and middle school teachers (10%)

• Other production occupations including supervisors (9%)

• Secretaries and administrative assistants (6%)

• Other office and administrative support workers including supervisors (6%)

• Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks (5%)

• Cooks and food preparation workers (4%)

• Material recording, scheduling, dispatching, and distributing workers (4%)



When you look at the types of jobs available in the area you will note that it is manufacturing at 28% and educational services at 25%, but when looking at the occupational aspect you will fine that more people work in the educational field than any other occupation.

Conclusion

The city of Raeford has been growing over the years in part because of Fort Bragg. With these changes there has been an increase to the population in the area leaving a lot of the population below the poverty level. Raeford has services available to its residents to assist with these issues, but as with all situations you have to quality for most of them to receive their services. There has been some development to the area that has helped with increased job opportunities, but it is still short of what is needed to satisfy the economy. Raeford is making improvement through politic and policies in its efforts to make this the place to be to live, work, and play.

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