New York, NY December 13, 2019— Committee for Hispanic Children & Families (CHCF) is pleased to announce it has received a $125,000 award from the NYC Complete Count Fund — a partnership between CUNY, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Council.
The NYC Complete Count Fund is a first-of-its-kind Census-related community organizing program that will support and provide resources community-based organizations to help NYC reach a full and accurate count in the 2020 Census.
The Complete Count Fund was built with the understanding that local community-based organizations — which serve New Yorkers in the communities where they live and in the languages that they speak — are the most trusted messengers of important and sensitive information.
CHCF is proud to join this coordinated citywide effort to build awareness about the census, convey its importance, fight the spread of mis- and disinformation, and help bridge the digital divide that might prevent many New Yorkers from participating in next year’s first online census.
CHCF is ideally suited to engage with vulnerable, and historically undercounted Latino minority groups in New York City. Our staff are trained in cultural competency, are bilingual English/Spanish and we have been working in communities across New York City’s five boroughs for over 35 years. Census outreach work aligns well with our organization’s mission to combine education, capacity-building, and advocacy to strengthen the support system and continuum of learning for all, because the Census count is used to allocate government resources. Getting the people in our communities counted properly will ensure that these vulnerable communities get the representation they need in order to obtain sufficient educational resources and social services.
CHCF’s general strategic approach to Census work will center around the following: outreach to existing members we work with, one-on-one meetings with community residents, integrating Census advocacy into our services provisions and community informational meetings, phone texting/banking, social media posts, street outreach, and use of community-specific media outlets.
Upon notification of the award, Ramon Peguero, CHCF’s President and CEO remarked, “We are excited and thankful to receive funding to undertake this important work given the population we serve, who are often underrepresented and undercounted in the Census. Ensuring a fair and complete count of our communities will be a great step toward the equitable allocation of public resources.”
A complete and accurate count is critical to the future of New York City. The census will determine how more than $650 billion in federal funds for public education, public housing, roads and bridges, and more, gets distributed annually throughout the country. It will also determine the number of seats each state is allocated in the House of Representatives (and thus, the Electoral College). Based on current estimates, an undercount could cost the State of New York up to two congressional seats.
In such a complex city, enriched by such linguistic and cultural diversity, New York City’s full participation in the first online census faces a unique set of challenges. As New Yorkers, we have embraced these challenges as an opportunity. Together, these citywide efforts will lay the groundwork for a civic engagement apparatus that will continue well beyond the 2020 census.
The Complete Count Fund will launch in early January with an all-day kick-off event and training.
