The Importance of the Census: A Message from Rahsaan
A few weeks ago, the U.S. Census Bureau announced September 30th as the new deadline for officials to complete the 2020 Census survey, one month earlier than planned. That means there are two weeks left to get every New Yorker counted. At a time when we are already struggling to recover from COVID-19, we as a city, cannot risk losing additional federal and state funding.
Participation in the census also impacts the number of congressional seats that are allotted to the state. That means, if we do not have a fair and accurate count, the ways in which we are represented in local, state, and federal government will be impacted.
The good news is that it is easier than ever to respond to the Census. There are NO questions about income, citizenship status, or social security number information. You can complete the Census in just five minutes at my2020census.gov or by calling 844-330-2020.
We've always been inspired by your commitment and support to your community. At this critical moment, we need your help mobilizing your block associations and greater network within your community, to encourage participation in this year's Census survey. Here are a few concrete ways you can help:
Send an Email Blast: help spread the word on why the 2020 Census is important in an email blast to your community members. Draft email blast language can be found here.
Post on Social Media: share Census-related content on your group's social media platforms. A social media toolkit with graphics and copy can be found here. A specific toolkit on door-knocking operations (only if you are comfortable) can be found here and a countdown toolkit to our September 30th deadline can be found here.
Volunteer: encourage your community members to sign-up to volunteer with Census outreach efforts here. From in-person outreach at food distribution sites to virtual phone banking, you may find a way that you are comfortable to help.
Integrate Census Messaging into Virtual Events: talking points about the 2020 Census can be found here.
In addition, we are hosting our September COVID Conversation on Census tomorrow Thursday, September 17th, at noon. Your community members could ask questions from Julie Menin, Director of NYC Census 2020, and Aminta Kilawan-Narine and Nirmala Singh, leaders of our grantee partner South Queens Women's March first hand! Please RSVP here and we look forward to "seeing" you.
Thank you in advance for helping us mobilize your community towards a complete count, and please continue to stay healthy and safe.