A fair and accurate census is critical to our work to end hunger. The census:

 

• Determines how billions in federal funding will be spent on federal food programs, from SNAP to TEFAP to WIC and more;
   

• Measures how many pe​ople in America​ need food; and even
   

• Shapes everyday business decisions that help create jobs. 
   

​There’s a lot at stake. People need to hear from trusted voices that the census is important, 100 percent confidential, simple, and easy. You can be that voice. Our network has deep, trusted roots in the communities we serve, which means we can help get out the count.

​

It’s particularly important to reach communities that are historically undercounted by the census (what the Census Bureau considers “Hard to Count (HTC)” communities, including:
 

● people who rent

● People of Color (especially Black and Latinx people)

● young children

● people experiencing homelessness

​

​

7 Ways Your Agency Can Help:

​

1. Hang a poster in your lobby:

   • Download PDF-English and Spanish

   • Census 101: What You Need to Know

   • Confidentiality-English

   • Confidentiality-Spanish

   • Fact Sheet for Homeless Individuals

   • Fact Sheet for Multi-Generational Families

   • Why the Race Question is Asked
      

2. Participate in the "Faithful Census Weekend Get Out the Count in Your Congregation!" March 27th-29th
    

3. Promote census job opportunities

   • Census 2020 Jobs - English​

   • Census 2020 Job - Spanish
      

4. Take the pledge and ask others to take the pledge, too: https://secure.civilrights.org/page/s/census-pledge
    

5. Have your intake staff/volunteers ask clients if they have completed their census
    

6. Provide a computer for clients to use when completing their census form online
    

7. Include census information in your e-newsletter, website, and other organizational communications

​

Find more resources available here.

 

 

2020 Census Timeline

​

● January - March 2020: Education and awareness phase; national ad campaign begins.
 

● April 1, 2020: By this date, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the census. Once the invitation arrives, people should respond for their home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. When people respond to the census, they tell the Census Bureau where they live as of April 1, 2020.
 

● April 2020: Census takers begin visiting college students who live on campus, people living in senior centers, and others who live among large groups of people.
 

● May 2020: The Census Bureau begins visiting homes that haven't responded to the Census to make sure everyone is counted.
 

● December 2020: The Census Bureau delivers data to the President and Congress as required by law.
 

● March 31, 2021: By this date, the Census Bureau will send redistricting counts to states. This information is used to redraw legislative districts based on population changes.

​