Faith Action Network has posters available from our partners at Washington Nonprofits for you to post in your faith communities. We want to make sure everyone is counted so that critical funding and elected representation is accurately reflected across our state. We’ll have posters available at our Summits, or contact us about getting some sent to you.
Every 10 years, the Constitution requires that there be a full count of the population residing in this country. We are only one year away from the 2020 census, which will begin in Spring of next year. An accurate census count will bring important economic and political benefits to our communities and state. More than $800 Billion in federal funding, as well as fair, proportional voting representation and political power are at stake. Federal programs like SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid are vital to community health. States receive federal dollars to administer these programs based on census results.
People of color, children, renters, folks experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, and rural communities have long been undercounted in the census. Communities more likely to be undercounted are often already facing barriers to health like poverty and unstable housing. We want to be sure these “hard to count” communities are counted in the 2020 census.
Though we are a year out from the census count, we are engaged with the statewide coalition to start preparation and educational outreach. Check out the Census 2020 Toolkit on our website for factsheets and faith-based resources to learn more about the importance of an accurate count. Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) in Seattle is hosting a census outreach and voter engagement training on June 8 – see their website for more details on how you can get involved, particularly if you are from or work with Asian American and Pacific Islander communities or other communities of color. Keep an eye on FAN’s Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as the hashtag #CountMeIn on both platforms to follow along with and share social media actions.
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