Even though all of our minds are on the pandemic and its consequences for us, our communities, and our city, now is also a crucial time for Census 2020! From April to August, the Census Bureau is asking everyone in Philadelphia to fill out the census form either online, by mail, or by telephone. Because the Census determines federal funding and political representation for Philadelphia, it is even more important now as we prepare for how our city will recover from the pandemic.

Here are a few steps you can take from home:

Complete the Census!
If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to complete the census form for your household. You should have received an envelope from the Census Bureau with the paper form in March. Or you can complete it online at www.2020census.gov. Remember: every Philadelphian who is not counted could cost the city up to $21,000 over the next 10 years! Our city needs every dollar we can get for schools, healthcare, housing, transportation, social services, and, yes, libraries! 

Tell your friends that you've filled out the census and encourage them to do it, too!
Even though we’re all stuck at home for the time being, neighbors and friends are still the best ambassadors for Census 2020. Once you've completed your form, you can post on social media, text your friends and family, or send a group email letting folks know it only takes 10 minutes to be counted for 10 years!

Volunteer to phone bank.
Phone banking is the next best thing to door-knocking, and PhillyCounts makes it easy for each of us to volunteer. Fill out this volunteer signup form, and PhillyCounts will send you a list of neighbors to call. The list of numbers you get will prioritize households in historically undercounted communities. They need as many volunteers as possible!

Become a Census Champion online.
The training material provided by FactSumo will provide you with everything you need to be ready to talk about the census and why it matters for your community!

At this time, 39% of Philadelphia households have responded to the Census. Thank you for doing what you can to ensure everyone in Philadelphia is counted—and therefore represented and funded. Please view our previous blog post for more deatiled information about Census 2020.