The local United Way chapter is calling on about 1,500 residents to complete questionnaires sent out Wednesday assessing the socail service program in DeKalb.

Jack Felver, DeKalb United Way charirman, said the DeKalb Human Needs Survey is the third stage of a cooperative effort between the DeKalb United Way and the city of DeKalb.

The DeKalb United Way is the primary source of funds and programs in DeKalb for social service programs, he said. The organization funds about 20 programs in the community at a combined annual cost of about $300,000.

Households receiving the questionnaire were selected at random, he said. Survey results will help assure that money is being spent on programs important to the community, he said.

Mary Goldman, DeKalb United Way president, said “I hope for people’s cooperation. (The questionnaire) will have a positive impact on services offered in the community.”

The questionnaire includes items about almost every social service program in DeKalb, she said. If a program was omitted from the survey, recipients are asked to inform the DeKalb United Way, she said.

The questionnaire was the result of research concluding that the assessment of community-wide socail services sould be conducted. The DeKalb United Way has felt the need for an assessment for the last four years, Felver said.

He said the assessment would serve several purposes such as “a tool for both assessing and addressing community problems and concerns relative to social service needs.”

Other purposes include directing limited recources to specific needs and proving support for the implementation of action and funding, he said.

The overall assessment includes five stages, including focus group interviews, demographic overviews, key informant study, household survey and a summary report, Felver said.

Felver said the whole idea of the study is to have a “cross-section” of input from different prospective users of social service programs.

The focus group interviews consists of talking to community members about the services, Felver said. As part of the interviews, 40 people who work with social agencies were asked of their knowledge of the programs.

People who use the services also were asked about their individual needs and often services are utilized, Felver said.

The demographic aspect of the assessment gathered information such as the birth and death rates of community residents, he said.

After the household survey is finished, a summary of the four stages will be completed by the Northern Illinois Human Services Consultants, a firm contracted by the DeKalb United Way, he said.

The assesment is scheduled for completion in April, he said.