Title
Honoring and congratulating Philly Counts for their indispensable contribution to the 2020 Census and their service to the residents and City of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, Every ten years, the United States Census Bureau conducts a count of the population of the United States during a defined timeline, as mandated of the federal government by Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution; and
WHEREAS, Census population data is a determining factor when allocating federal relief and recovery funds, such as how significantly increased emergency funding allocated by the federal government to address the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities throughout the country; and
WHEREAS, Philly Counts 2020 was established in January 2019 to execute a campaign to encourage census participation; and
WHEREAS, Diverse communities and neighborhoods require focused and integrated engagement, therefore the strategy was built to support the United States Census Bureau and engage Philadelphians in the 2020 Census, with respect and close attention to historically undercounted communities; and
WHEREAS, A comprehensive, multilayered engagement plan was created to increase capacity by activating partners and volunteers while simultaneously mobilizing subcommittees and creating a community of practice for the entire network; and
WHEREAS, 19 subcommittees were established focusing on building a constituency base among community leaders and organizations that were already deeply rooted in the historically undercounted communities; and
WHEREAS, More than 70 Census Champion trainings were held across the City on September 17, 2019 for residents to become trusted messengers in their community, equipped with knowledge and the tools to accurately answer hard questions about the census; and
WHEREAS, One-on-one conversations are crucial to educate and engage community members and this was the basis of the trusted messenger program, the census champion training mode...
Click here for full text