The 2020 Census is Here!

• Complete the 2020 Census! Starting March 12, you should receive information about the Census in the mail. We encourage to complete your Census Questionnaire by self-selecting. Complete the Census online at https://my2020census.gov/ or by phone at 844-330-2020.
• The Census counts every person once and in the right place every ten years. This Census data is crucial; it’s used to determine the number of seats in the House of Representatives, electoral votes, and when to redistrict. It’s also used to allocate federal assistance to state and local governments, fuel the economy, and identify the need for and location of community services.
• There are significant challenges and barriers to an accurate Census count, including an increasingly mobile population, constrained fiscal environment, rapidly changing technology, distrust in government, declining response rates, increasingly diverse population, and informal complex living arrangements. The inclusion of a citizenship question will greatly increase the barriers to a complete count.
• History proves the best way to overcome these barriers is to form a Complete Count Committee- a local, grassroots coalition of government, nonprofit partners and community leaders that work with and represent the hardest to reach communities. HWCLI was part of Long Island’s complete count work for the 2000 and 2010 Census Counts. We remain committed to this work as we increase awareness about the 2020 Census and motivate people and communities to fill in their forms and be counted.

Resources

Take the Pledge!

Make Long Island Count In 2020!

• By taking our pledge to be counted, you are signing up to receive reminders and helpful information about the Census next year! There is no risk of being advertised to; the contacts collected through this pledge will only be contacted with reminders and information pertaining to the 2020 Census.CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE PLEDGE TO BE COUNTED!

Get Involved

Complete The Census In March 2020!

• You can now complete your Census Questionnaire online at my2020census.gov and over the phone at 844-330-2020. Don't wait- complete the Census today!

Join The Complete Count Committees!

• Nassau and Suffolk Counties launched Complete Count Committees with the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island (HWCLI) and the Long Island Community Foundation. The committees work together to build awareness, and motivate our communities to fill out the Census in 2020. Subcommittees are focused on business, education, communications, early childhood, faith based communities, immigrants, local governments, people of color, and senior citizens. All are welcome to bring ideas, and insight!
• To learn more, please reach out to HWCLI at 516-505-4427!

Apply For Employment With The U.S. Census Bureau!

• One of the best ways to achieve a Complete Count is to make sure that the Census employees going door to door during the summer of 2020 are local residents, familiar with our neighborhoods, and familiar to the neighbors who will be answering the door. Census jobs pay between $17 to $23 an hour and have flexible hours.
• To learn more please visit: http://census.gov/jobs

Help Spread The Word!

• If you have an upcoming event where you would like to share information about the Census, there are resources and options available to you! One of the most effective ways to build momentum is to start the conversation within your networks about the impact and urgency of the Census right now. You can connect with a local advocate by calling the Health and Welfare Council at 516-505-4427. Long Island has also been assigned four partnership specialists from the US Census Bureau who can provide printed materials and answer questions that your community members might have. It isn't too early to start communicating about the Census and why it matters with your community, and there are speakers and materials available to help spread the word!

Be An Everyday Census Ambassador!

• We all have the opportunity to raise awareness about the Census in our own networks. By simply mentioning the upcoming Census and all of the ways that it impacts our day-today lives, you can start building momentum and motivating your community to be engaged in the 2020 Census.

Special Thanks

• Spanish & Haitian Creole translations of the COVID-19 Toolkit were provided pro bono by: https://www.translationservices.com/