Calling All Superheroes on the Couch!

Census 2020 is underway. By this point, you should have received at least one letter from the US Census Bureau inviting you to respond online, over the phone, or by mail. If you haven’t already, please respond now.

Why now? As the world around us is changing rapidly, the Census count is a critical tool to positively impact our future. While it’s difficult to predict the long term impacts of COVID-19 on the local community or the nation, we know that an accurate Census count is directly tied to better resources for our friends, family, and children.

If you’ve been wondering how to make a difference while still staying safe, one answer is simple: respond to Census 2020! First, the more people who respond to the Census independently, the fewer Census workers have to go knocking door-to-door, creating a safer environment for everyone. Secondly, your response helps the local community have better emergency response resources, hospitals, roads and bridges, school funding, and medical assistance. Less than ten minutes of your time impacts the next ten years of available resources for our community.

Right now, Florida is keeping pace with the nation in response rates. In our four-county region of DeSoto, Charlotte, Manatee, and Sarasota, we need to make sure we continue to keep the pace up to protect local Census workers and make sure everyone is counted fairly. If you’d like to keep an eye on progress, the Census Bureau offers this free response map that is updated regularly.

Interested in local impact stories? Visit the free resources at the Herald-Tribune.