The Census is coming, take the pledge!
Would you leave $3,000 on the table?
If someone offered you thousands of dollars to complete the Census, would you walk away from it? Well that is exactly what is at stake in the 2020 Census. The last time the Census was taken, Native Americans were the most undercounted population in the country, meaning many of our families did not fill out their Census forms.
That means funding for things like Johnson O’Malley Programs that provide cultural and dropout prevention programs for Native kids, SNAP, health services that provide Native elders with care and medicines, and housing programs (like NAYA’s) that provide housing and rental assistance to Native people, were all underfunded.
This is because such programs rely on Census data to tell them how many Native people live in an area. They determine how much money each of these programs will get based on the number of Natives in the area. While this money doesn’t go directly into our individual pockets, we all benefit from these and many other programs that rely on Census numbers.
When we do not fill out the Census, we are not counted. When we are not counted, the money that would have gone to the Native community is given to someone else. In Oregon, that amount equals $3,200 per person, per year in funding that is left on the table, left to be awarded elsewhere.
NAYA is proud to be a part of Indian Country’s efforts to achieve 100% participation in the 2020 Census. Follow NAYA on social media to stay apprised of our ongoing public education campaign and other Census activities throughout the year.
NAYA will address misconceptions about the Census (for example, there is no citizenship question on the Census). We will also address privacy concerns and other sources of apprehension from the Native community about this Census. We’ll discuss what “Head of Household” and “Mixed Race” means for Native communities. And we will support you in filling out the forms.
Don’t leave money for our people on the table this year. Be proud to be counted.
Pledge to take the Census and help support vital services for your Native community.