The Warehouse Worker Resource Center has been participating in expanding the reach of the 2020 Census for the past several months. We have worked alongside partner organizations in the Census IE to conduct outreach and hold workshops in preparation for the Census launch on September 6th! We hope all of our community members understand the importance of being counted and participate in the Census this coming year.
Why the Census?
The data that is collected by the Census will guide the apportionment of Congressional seats and the restructuring of voting districts, playing a big role in deciding how communities of people are governed and represented. Data collected through the Census also helps to decide how much programs like HeadStart, Medicaid, and the school lunch program will receive and where. Underprivileged communities comprise a majority of those who will receive benefits from these programs. Because of this, the Census is crucial for understanding how to better serve communities of people who have historically been disadvantaged. For the Inland Empire, where poverty rates among African American, Latino, and Native American populations remains high, having an accurate count means having the resources to support all of our community members.
Census Events, Timeline of What to Expect
| When | Details |
| Sept 6th | Census Launch, the WWRC will be conducting outreach at the Bel Air Swap Meet. |
| March 12-20th | Invitations to fill out the census outline will be mailed out w/ some houses receiving paper questionnaires. |
| March 16-24 th | Reminder letters sent out to households. |
| March 26th- April 3rd | If you haven’t responded, you will receive a reminder postcard by mail. |
| April 1st | National Census Day |
| April 8-16th | A remind letter and questionnaire will be sent out. |
| April 20-27th | A final postcard will be sent out as a reminder before Census takers begin following up at homes. |
Inland Empire Complete Count Committee
The Inland Empire Complete Count Committee (IECCC) is the leadership body guiding the census work in the Inland Empire. It is comprised of leaders from the governmental, nonprofit, educational, business and philanthropic fields and also steers the CensusIE program. Their website can be found here.
Census IE
CensusIE is the nonprofit outreach table of the Inland Empire Complete Count Committee. It is made up of a coalition of community organizations that have taken the lead in coordinating and conducting outreach to the community. These organizations have been given regions to focus on within the Inland Empire and work to spread awareness about the Census there. The WWRC is the regional coordinator for the San Bernardino metro area.
How to Get Involved
The Census 2020 campaign is looking for people who can conduct field outreach in our community! The U.S. Census Bureau has job and volunteer opportunities for the Inland Empire region on their website. CensusIE also has opportunities to get involved on their website.
