CLEVELAND, Ohio — Local churches and organizations are now spearheading the 2020 census campaign since COVID-19 has shut down census takers.
“Good morning! Remember to fill out the census,” said Billy Sharp, the president of the Cleveland Urban League.
Since census workers have been sidelined, he’s made it his mission to get people in his community to fill out the form.
“Encourage your friends to do the same,” said Sharp.
Sharp hosts a food bank twice a month in underserved areas of Cleveland. It’s where he targets people who may not have information about the census.
“Cuyahoga County has the lowest count in the state of Ohio in regards to the 2020 census,” said Sharp.
People in the community said there’s a lot of misinformation being shared about the census, and they believe that’s what’s keeping people from filling it out.
“See, people don’t understand what they’re losing if they don’t fill it out. They feel that the government is trying to intrude on them or find out how many people live in their house, but I tell them that’s not the case,” said resident John Allen.
“Maybe they feel like there’s some issue with having too many people in their house or the wrong people in their house,” said Pastor Sabrina Ellis.
Ellis joined forces with other area pastors to push their community to complete the census. One of their goals is to educate people on why the census is so important.
She said local leaders have a responsibility to reach the people in the community where they are to help them complete the form.
“We want to provide an opportunity at the Pentecostal Church of Christ for people to come through there, get this real quick, brief education: ‘Look I need you to be counted and I need all your people—everyone who lives in your house to be counted. Let’s get this done,'” said Ellis.
This is something Sharp agrees with as well.
“As a leader you have to lead by example, and you’ve got to be talking up the census all the time,” said Sharp.
As families come through the line to receive their bag of food, they’re reminded to fill out the 2020 census. They’re also provided with information on where they can do that.
“A lot of our people in certain neighborhoods don’t have the technology to do that. And you’re probably talking about some senior people,” said Ellis.
Both Ellis and Sharp hope their efforts work so the community can get the resources it needs.
“We live with these results for the next 10 years. We have to be counted. That is our resources and representation,” said Sharp.
