Duval Counts Community Ambassador Newsletter
I March 2020 - Issue 4 I
IN THIS ISSUE
Community Ambassadors:
Call to Action
Mark Your Calendar
How to Respond
How You Can Help
MAKE YOUR
MARK:
CENSUS 2020
In partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, Mayor Lenny Curry and his administration are going to extraordinary lengths to make sure everyone is counted once, only once and in the right place. As a trusted Community Ambassador, you play a critical role in the public education and outreach effort.
Community Ambassadors: Call to Action
As invitations to respond to the 2020 Census begin to arrive in mailboxes this week, the Duval Counts Complete Count Committee wants you to know the ways you can respond to the Census, the questions that will be asked and why as well as how the U.S. Census Bureau will count everyone living in Duval County.

It is essential that you share with your community about why the Census is important, the benefits of completing the Census and how to respond accurately and safely. The Duval Counts Complete Count Committee has developed the Duval Counts Community Ambassador Newsletter to assist you with educating and motivating your coworkers, employees, family members and neighbors to self-respond to the 2020 Census.

Join us to ensure everyone in Duval County is accurately counted!
Mark Your Calendar
Census Day:
Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Census Day is observed nationwide. By this date, every home will receive an invitation in the mail to participate in the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrives, you should respond for your home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail . When you respond to the Census, you tell the Census Bureau where you live as of April 1st .
Important Census Dates to Know
March 12-20:  Invitation letters to respond online or by phone will be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Areas in Duval County that are less likely to respond online will receive a paper questionnaire along with the invitation to respond online or over the phone.

March 16-24:  Reminder letters will be delivered.

March 26-April 3:  Reminder postcards will be delivered to households that have not responded.

April 8-16:  Reminder letters and paper questionnaires will be delivered to remaining households that have not responded.

April 20-27:  Final reminder postcards will be delivered to households that have not yet responded before census takers follow up in person.

May 13-July 31:   If a household does not respond to any of the invitations, a census taker will follow up in person.
How to Respond to the 2020 Census
Ways to Respond
By April 1, 2020 , every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Invitation letters will start arriving in the mail on March 12, 2020. Every household will have the option of responding  online, by phone, and by mail .

The 2020 Census marks the first time you'll have the option to respond online. You can even respond on your mobile device. When you respond online, the website will guide you through each question on the 2020 Census and provide more information if you need it.

If necessary, you can respond  in person  beginning in Mid-May. This is when the Census Bureau will begin  following up in person with homes that have not responded to the Census . They will have Census takers available who can communicate in American Sign Language and additional languages.

To learn more about accessibility of the Census and language support resources, see below for more information.
Accessibility & Language Support
Census invitations arriving between March 12 and March 20 will include an insert in the 12 non-English languages, inviting people to respond online or by phone in their language. These languages, include: Spanish, Chinese (online in Simplified Chinese and by phone in Mandarin and Cantonese), Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Tagalog, Polish, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Japanese.

People will be able to respond to the Census using telephone devices for the hearing impaired and view online videos and webcasts with closed or open captioning. If you prefer to respond in person, you can request a visit from a census taker who communicates in American Sign Language.

To help you respond to the census, the U.S. Census Bureau provides translated web pages and guides in 59 non-English languages. Also, t he Census has a video in American Sign Language on how to respond online as well as guides to the questionnaire available in braille and large print on it's website.

More information can be found on the 2020 Census website by clicking the link below . To view an Accessibility handout and a Language Support handout, please see below under the fact sheet section for a link to view the handouts.
Questions Asked & Why
The 2020 Census will ask for the following information
Number of people at address
The U.S. Census Bureau asks this question to collect an accurate count of the number of people at each address on Census Day, April 1, 2020. Each decade, census results determine how many seats each state gets in Congress. State and local officials use census counts to draw boundaries for congressional districts, state and local legislative districts, and school districts.


Any additional people living or staying there
The U.S. Census Bureau's goal is to count people once, only once, and in the right place according to where they live on Census Day. They ask this question to ensure that everyone living at an address is counted.


Name
The U.S. Census Bureau asks for names to ensure everyone in the household is counted. This also helps them to keep ancestry records. Listing the name of each person in the household helps respondents include all members, particularly in large households where a respondent may forget who was counted and who was not.


Sex
The U.S. Census Bureau asks about the sex of each person to create statistics about males and females. Census data about sex is used in planning and funding government programs, and in evaluating other government programs and policies to ensure they fairly and equitably serve the needs of males and females. These statistics are also used to enforce laws, regulations, and policies against discrimination in government programs and in society. 


Age and dates of birth
The U.S. Census Bureau asks about age and date of birth to understand the size and characteristics of different age groups and to present other data by age. Local, state, tribal, and federal agencies use age data to plan and fund government programs that provide assistance or services for specific age groups, such as children, working-age adults, women of childbearing age, or the older population. These statistics also help enforce laws, regulations, and policies against age discrimination in government programs and in society.
Owner/Renter
The U.S. Census Bureau asks about whether a home is owned or rented to create statistics about home ownership and renters. Home ownership rates serve as an indicator of the nation’s economy and help in administering housing programs and informing planning decisions.


Phone Number
The U.S. Census Bureau asks for a phone number in case they need to contact you. They will never share your number and will only contact you if needed for official Census Bureau business.


Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin
The U.S. Census Bureau asks about whether a person is of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin to create statistics about this ethnic group. The data collected in this question is needed by federal agencies to monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act.


Race
The U.S. Census Bureau asks about a person’s race to create statistics about race and to present other statistics by race groups. The data collected in this question is needed by federal agencies to monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. 


Whether a person lives or stays somewhere else
The U.S. Census Bureau's goal is to count people once, only once, and in the right place according to where they live on Census Day. They ask this question to ensure individuals are not included at multiple addresses.


Relationship
The U.S. Census Bureau asks about the relationship of each person in a household to one central person to create estimates about families, households, and other groups. Relationship data is used in planning and funding government programs that provide funds or services for families, people living or raising children alone, grandparents living with grandchildren, or other households that qualify for additional assistance.
The Census Will Never Ask Certain Questions
During the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau will  never  ask you for:

  • Your Social Security number.

  • Money or donations.

  • Anything on behalf of a political party.

  • Your bank or credit card account numbers.

If someone claiming to be from the Census Bureau contacts you via email or phone and asks you for one of these things, it's a scam, and you should not cooperate.

For more information, click on the following link below to visit the Census Bureau's website on Avoiding Fraud and Scams.
Who to Count
Count yourself in the right place.
If you are filling out the census for your home, you should count everyone who is living there as of April 1, 2020 . This includes any friends or family members who are living and sleeping there most of the time.

If someone is staying in your home on April 1, and has no usual home elsewhere, you should count them in your response to the 2020 Census. Please also be sure to count roommates, young children, newborns, and anyone who is renting a space in your home. These people are often missed in the census. This means they can miss out on resources for themselves and their communities over the next 10 years.

How the U.S. Census Bureau will count everyone in Duval County:

  • People should be counted at their usual residence, which is the place where they live and sleep most of the time.

  • People in certain types of group facilities on Census Day are counted at the group facility.

  • People who do not have a usual residence, or who cannot determine a usual residence, are counted where they are on Census Day. 
A Service Member
If you don’t live in military barracks—and you aren’t deployed or stationed outside the United States—count yourself where you live and sleep most of the time, whether on or off base.
A College Student
If you don’t live in a dorm, count yourself at your off-campus address—even if you go to your parents’ home for school breaks. This includes international students.
A Recent Mover
Count yourself at your new address if you moved in by April 1, 2020. 
A Renter
Count yourself where you live. Even though you don’t own the home, you need to participate. Don’t forget your family and roommates.
Counting Young Children
It is important to remember to  count any children  who are living with you. This includes:
  • All children who live in your home, including foster children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and the children of friends (even if they are living with you temporarily).

  • Children who split their time between homes, if they are living with you on April 1, 2020.

  • Newborn babies, even those who are born on April 1, 2020, or who are still in the hospital on this date.
A Resident of a Group Facility
For people in the following living situations on April 1, 2020, Census Bureau employees will work with a representative from your building to ensure you are counted. They may or may not ask you to complete an individual census form.

  • College Dorms

  • Military barracks

  • Nursing homes

  • Group homes

  • Shelters

  • Psychiatric Facilities

  • Correctional facilities
How YOU Can Help
Education and Awareness
  • Use information from the Duval Counts Community Ambassador Newsletters in creative ways—such as in newsletter articles, bulletins, mailings and in social media content—to raise awareness of the 2020 Census.
  • Host a 2020 Census informational or Q&A session.
  • Invite us to speak to your organization or at a conference, festival, or community gathering.
  • Add 2020 Census materials to event information and invite us to host a table. 
  • Include information about the 2020 Census in correspondence (e-mails, bills, a website banner).
  • Hang 2020 Census posters in common areas
Motivation and Participation
  • Provide computers/tablets that can be used to complete the 2020 Census.
  • Offer transportation for people to visit locations, such as libraries where they can respond to the 2020 Census online.
  • Include an incentive for your customers in their purchases to complete the 2020 Census. 
  • Host a contest promoting the 2020 Census and feature the winner.
Contact us to learn more about how you can partner with us to ensure everyone in Duval is accurately counted!
Sample Media Content & Resources
Share fact sheets about the Census -
Confidentiality Handout
Click on photo above to save and share.
Language Support Handout
Click on photo above to save and share.
Accessibility
Click on photo above to save and share.
Programs based on Census Data
Click on photo above to save and share.
Counting Young Children
Click on photo above to save and share.
Census Bureau "Why We Ask"
Click on photo above to save and share.
For social media -

Kids, parents, grandparents—count them all. No matter how many generations live in your home, make sure you count everyone on your #2020Census form. Learn more about who to count at https://2020census.gov/who-to-count . #MakeYourMark

The #2020Census will shape the future of Jacksonville. Help the @CityofJax make this census the most complete and accurate count yet. Learn how you can respond at 2020CENSUS.gov. #MakeYourMark #DuvalCounts
Read & share previous Issues -
Issue 1 - Census 101 Part 1
Click on photo above to view.
Issue 2 - Census 101 Part 2
Click on photo above to view.
Issue 3 - Counting Young Children
Click on photo above to view.