'Census Saturday' In Wilmington On September 26

From the City of Wilmington:

September 22, 2020

Mayor Mike Purzycki, Council President Hanifa Shabazz, and New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer encourage City residents to stand up and be counted by completing the 2020 Census. Three Family Fun Day Census Drive events – at Helen Chambers Park, 600 North Madison Street; Brown-Burton Winchester Park, East 26th and North Locust streets; and Congo Funeral Home, 24th and North Market streets – are taking place in Wilmington with support from the City and New Castle County between 12 pm – 4 pm on Saturday, September 26 – “Census Saturday.” This is a last push to ensure our communities receive proper funding for the next 10 years, and to comply with Governor John Carney’s COVID-19 guidelines, each gathering will observe social distancing and all attendees MUST wear masks.

“Throughout our history, the importance of counting all residents in the national census has been demonstrated time and time again,” said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “I urge all City residents to participate and be counted this year. The census drives taking place across our City this weekend provide an excellent opportunity to complete the 2020 Census. If we don’t get counted, we don’t get the funds and programs that our City and you as residents depend on. Delaware was undercounted in 2010, which resulted in the loss of millions of dollars annually to our communities most in need. We can’t let that happen again.”

“It really is that simple,” the Mayor continued. “The data gathered helps create jobs, provide housing, prepare for emergencies, build roads, schools, and hospitals, and is used to determine how many seats the state of Delaware will have in Congress. Everyone must be counted, so please complete the Census today.”

“It’s imperative we get as many Delawareans counted before the deadline as possible,” said County Executive Meyer. “We need you to remind your friends and neighbors to logon and be counted. So many County programs are funded by federal dollars that are directly tied to Census numbers. By filling out the Census, you’re not just helping yourself, but your neighbors and family as well.”

West Center City’s Helen Chambers Park will host the Census 2020 Park Jam, sponsored by the City of Wilmington, New Castle County, and Cultural Restoration Project, Inc. The Art & Music Family Fun Day will feature FREE water ice and arts and crafts kits for children, a skate giveaway courtesy of the county, and a live performance by Richard Raw and The Word Warrior Band featuring DJ Mike Nite. More importantly, attendees will be able to complete the 2020 Census with assistance from an authorized census taker if necessary. New Castle County is sponsoring a “Census Saturday Caravan” through Wilmington on Saturday that will begin at the Woodlawn Library, 2020 West 9th Street, and stop at each of the three community events to help raise awareness.

The 2020 Census – the 24th census in U.S. history – continues until Wednesday, September 30. This year, in addition to filling out the paper census form that the Census Bureau began mailing out in March, residents have the option of participating via phone by calling 844.330.2020, or online by visiting my2020census.gov.

Every 10 years the U.S. Census determines the course of over $3 billion dollars in federal funding to states and local communities across the country. These funds are distributed based on the number of residents that respond to the Census, and are used for services that impact the residents of Wilmington, such as:

• Medicare and Medicaid
• Head Start
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP)
• Free breakfast and lunch for schoolchildren
• After-school Programs
• Section 8 vouchers
• Senior Centers
• Purchase of Care
• Special Education Programs

For more information visit https://census.delaware.gov/.

This press release was produced by the City of Wilmington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.