Op-ed
Texting counts
Julie Menin, director of NYC Census 2020.
BY JULIE MENIN
In December of last year, NYC Census
2020 launched the City’s fi rst-ever
community awards program focused
on census-related education and organizing,
the Complete Count Fund. The more
than 150 awardees serve all 245 New
York City neighborhoods in more than 80
languages.
As New Yorkers continue to shelter in
place, Complete Count Fund awardees
have had to fi nd new ways to conduct
outreach. To that end, NYC Census 2020
has partnered with Complete Count Fund
awardees to launch a brand new digital
organizing campaign across messaging
apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, KakaoTalk,
and Viber to help spread the word about
the 2020 Census. The campaign is based
around 15 new group chats housed on
these platforms, each designed for a different
New York immigrant and language
community, from Russian to Korean to
Urdu and beyond. These apps often serve
as the primary way community members
speak to each other, especially as they are
social distancing. Each group will act as
a hub where trusted community leaders
can share key census information and
resources that other volunteers can use to
help get out the count across their own
networks.
It’s no secret that many of the
FILE PHOTO
communities suffering most from COVID
19 include immigrants and people
whose fi rst language is not English. And
as we at NYC Census 2020 know, these
same communities tend to suffer some of
the worst undercounts in the census, which
results in them getting far less than their
fair share of funding for important public
resources like hospitals and emergency
services.
These communities desperately need a
complete count to get the resources they
deserve. And to reach a complete count,
New Yorkers need ways to share information
from trusted sources and encourage
their friends, families, and neighbors to
participate in the 2020 Census.
Many New Yorkers have already been
doing similar work forming local mutual
aid groups and other groups to share information
and resources as we fi ght COVID
19, but language barriers can leave
many behind. We welcome all who speak
one of the over 200 languages spoken in
New York City to join our efforts by joining
a WhatsApp group at nyc.gov/census.
“Making Sense of the Census” is a
weekly column from Julie Menin, Director
of NYC Census 2020. Every week we will
be publishing pieces from Julie and guest
authors laying out the facts and answering
tough questions about this year’s census.
Fill out the census now at my2020census.
gov.
Editorial
Keeping the silver lining shining
Out of every crisis that’s hit New York
City in recent years, a silver lining has
always emerged: the generosity and charitability
of our nonprofi ts and our people.
After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks,
New Yorkers donated blood, brought
food to fi rehouses and police stations
and cheered fi rst responders as they dug
through the remains of the World Trade
Center.
When Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012,
people across the boroughs scrambled to
help those who lost everything in the hardest
hit parts of our city, particularly Staten
Island and the Rockaways.
During this COVID-19 pandemic, that
same spirit emerged with New Yorkers
cheering on healthcare workers at 7 p.m.
every night, and through fi nancial donations
to organizations dedicated to helping
those most in need during the economic
crisis that resulted.
The Robin Hood Relief Fund, an organization
committed to fi ghting poverty
in New York, raised an astounding $115
million in just one hour through a telethon
that aired on May 11. The funds will go
toward nonprofi t groups helping struggling
New Yorkers keep a roof over their heads
and food on their plates.
For years, nonprofi ts across New York
have worked to fi ght poverty are being
pressed like never before for aid. The
economic crisis has caused massive unemployment,
and New Yorkers are turning to
them more than ever for help.
At the same time, the nonprofi ts are losing
money not just from operating expenses
but also canceled fundraisers that serve as
primary funding sources. Government aid
is also in doubt now; most of these nonprofi
ts have contracts with the city, but as
New York faces a massive $9 billion budget
defi cit, it fi gures that many organizations
might see reductions in fi nancial support
from City Hall.
It’s incumbent on the city and state governments
to do everything possible to avoid
severe nonprofi t cuts as they work to close
their budget gaps. But more than that, it’s
incumbent on all of us New Yorkers to step
up and help keep these wonderful organizations
in service to those in the most need.
Nonprofi t relief programs are always
part of the silver lining in the clouds of
crises that gather over our city. It’s up to
all of us to help keep them shining.
Give what you can of your time and/or
money to your local nonprofi t. Let’s rebuild
together.
Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now,
Downtown Express and Manhattan Express
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