Volunteer Canvassers To Visit Joliet Neighborhoods, Encourage Participation In 2020 Census

From the City of Joliet:

Beginning this weekend, residents on the east and near-west sides of Joliet can expect friendly volunteers from the Spanish Community Center (SCC) to visit their neighborhoods. These volunteers will be encouraging residents to participate in the 2020 federal decennial census. An undercount of the greater Joliet area could result in our region losing out on over $200 million in federal funding per year over the next 10 years!

Census day is April 1. Everyone counts. The 2020 Census counts every person living in the U.S. once, only once, and in the right place. Residents can start to self-respond as early as March 12. It’s against the law for the Census Bureau to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or your household. There will be no citizenship question on the 2020 Census questionnaire.

These volunteers will don light blue Census 2020 shirts and a nametag. They will offer to sign residents up for reminders to complete the 2020 Census questionnaire by April 1. Reminders are available via phone or email from the Spanish Community Center. The SCC will also provide on-site Census assistance leading up to the April 1 completion date.

A count of the U.S. population has been taken every 10 years since 1790. Census data guides the allocation of more than $800 billion in federal funding to programs that are crucial to the well-being of families, including those affecting health, transportation, education and housing. For more information about the Census and why it matters, please visit www.wecount2020.com or https://www.joliet.gov/residents/2020-census.

This press release was produced by the City of Joliet. The views expressed here are the author’s own.