Facing Facts is an effort to identify the region's most pressing health and human service issues and to develop solutions to improve the community. This study is a collaborative effort among United Way of the Midlands, Central Carolina Community Foundation, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, the Central Midlands Council of Governments and Richland and Lexington counties. The first Facing Facts survey, released in 2004, identified 18 issues across five key areas prioritized by need. Since the original publication, the Richland-Lexington county area has grown 7%, and the populations of Hispanics and persons 60 years of age and older have increased significantly. The Facing Facts Community Assessment took place in the summer and fall of 2008. Community members and leaders defined issues, problems and need for services through interviews, discussion groups and surveys. Members of the community responded through paper and web-based surveys to rank the severity of problems and need for services. The results are detailed in Facing Facts 2009: A Community Assessment. The four central issues identified are Poverty and the Struggle to Meet Basic Needs Access to Affordable Health Care Education that Provides Workforce Skills Transportation
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