The area or region of focus in this assessment activity is the Randolph community, located to Massachusetts’s east. The community has a geographical location of 42°09′24″N 71°2′56″W and is bordered by Quincy, Milton, Holbrook, Braintree, Canton, Stoughton, and Avon. The Zipcode for this community is 02368. Within the community and the neighboring communities, several subcommunities reside within the region. One of the buildings that were identified within the region was a bungalow house, which was built in 1980. Thus, by the time of the assessment, the building was 40 years old. Bricks and blocks were utilized in building this house, which was a single-story family building. The residents in this building were a single family of four members, and the house had five bedrooms with four bathrooms. The size of the house was estimated to be 3,000 square feet. The house was in good condition as the owners had been taking good care of their homes.
The area was well maintained, as no garbage was found on the streets. There were a minimum number of abandoned cars. In the area that was covered during the assessment, two abandoned cars were identified. There were areas identified as where rodents could hide as the area was well maintained, and no vacant lots were also identified within the region. There were community assets such as parks noted in the area that offered room for community members to hang out. These parks were safe and well maintained and were utilized by members of the community of all ages. There were signs in the region, such as, do not trespass, private property, that were posted on some of the residential areas.
Some of the stores identified in the area were McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Shaw’s, Wingstop, the Yard Sale Store, amongst other stores. Members of the community accessed these stores through public transportation means, such as bus use, and others utilized private means of transport. There are public means of transportation in the area, as people travel mainly through bus and railway use. The roads and streets in the area were not in the best condition as potholes could be spotted on the roads. Randolph Herald was one of the local newspapers identified, and information on the newspaper was published each week. No informal posters were identified in the area covered. However, billboards were present in the streets and alongside roads.
Service centers or social amenities identified in the area included churches, approximately six healthcare centers, five public schools, and private schools. The majority of the community population were youth of the age group between 15-24 years. The individuals in the area were casually dressed, and pets, mainly dogs and cats, were seen in the area. Major industries in the Randolph community were manufacturing industries, and the majority of residents were middle-class workers. The evident occupations in the area are industrial workers, as evidenced by the high number of manufacturing industries. There is evidence of police and fire protection as several of their stations, approximately four, are located within the community. These service centers are evenly distributed within the region. The predominant ethnic group is Asians. Other ethnic groups within the community include African Americans, native whites, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Asian Indian, among others. There were not churches, restaurants, or schools identified to represent a given ethnic group.
Interview One
The interviewee was a 30-year-old teacher in one of the public schools within the community. According to the interviewee, he was born in the region and studied in one of the local schools before joining a Boston college. The interviewee returned home and started working in one of the local schools. His experience is on the opportunity to associate with individuals from another race, as the interviewee was an African American. The individuals revealed that the community’s strengths are its diverse nature in the residents in the community, with individuals of color making up the majority of the population. The weakness identified in the area was in the low levels of inactivity that led to high rates of obesity in the region.
Interview Two
The interviewee was a 35-year-old Asian female who had been a resident of the community since birth. The resident’s community experiences were harsh as she belonged to the lower working class within the community. The individual had been struggling to receive services within the region, which she identified as the community’s weakness. The interviewee indicated that congested traffic and long wait times in medical facilities also made her experience worse. However, the community’s benefits lie in the residents’ diverse nature, as identified by the interviewee.
