Information provided by Youth Alliance.
On Feb. 29 at 9 a.m., Youth Alliance staff and volunteers conducted a second canvassing session to cover a wide and large region in San Benito County in preparation for the upcoming 2020 Census.
According to a recent release, more than 30 volunteers walked door-to-door to reach over 1,600 homes in Hollister. Members of the Center for Community Advocacy joined the efforts in addition to a large youth presence.
“Because the census is only every 10 years, an accurate count is absolutely critical to ensuring that our community is fully funded and receives the services that our taxes contribute to,” said Diane Ortiz, Youth Alliance executive director. “Just as important in getting an accurate count, is to make sure we get the political representation in Washington D.C.”
The U.S. Census is a mandatory count of all people living in the United States and happens every ten years. The count is about funding and power—the population of San Benito County will determine the federal funding that communities will receive for programs such as free school lunch, road work and repair, medical services, and food vouchers and general benefits.
Youth Alliance recognizes what is at stake if there is not an accurate count of every person, the release said. It’s important for the county and local organizations to come together to ensure that each member of the community feels safe and knowledgeable about the census.
“The 2020 Census is an opportunity to empower our community to be counted and will determine what resources get allocated to San Benito County,” said San Benito County Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz. “Every household and person matters! The county is proud to have partnered with Youth Alliance, as they have been doing excellent work in reaching our hardest to count population.”
Youth Alliance is pleased to partner with San Benito County and other allies who are part of the steering committee to ensure that all of the hard to count populations are engaged and aware of how to take the census. This work is not possible without the contributions and support from the County of San Benito, Health Trust, Sunlight Giving, Community Foundation for San Benito County, and the Latino Community Foundation.
For more information about Census 2020, canvassing, and other scheduled events, go to www.youthall.org/census-2020/ or email Rigo at rigo@youthall.org.