Census Maryland 2020 Newsletter

July 31, 2020

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Maryland’s Census Response Rate Above National Average, Governor Hogan Encourages Full Participation

Maryland Currently 13th in the U.S. in Self Response Rate;
5th in Internet Response Rate

Census Data Used to Distribute Billions in Federal Funds for Programs
and Services, Local Economic Development and Planning Decisions

ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 31, 2020)—Governor Larry Hogan today provided an update on Maryland’s progress in the 2020 Census and encouraged all citizens to complete their forms at 2020Census.gov. Maryland currently ranks 13th in the U.S. with a 66.7% self-response rate, above the national response rate of 62.8%. Maryland ranks fifth in the U.S. in Internet response. Carroll County leads the state with a self-response rate of 78.4%, ranking 25th in the U.S. out of more than 3,200 counties.

Read Full Press Release at Governor Hogan's Website

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Congratulations to our Census Champions!

Six Named Maryland Census Champions - Each Help Make a Difference in Our Complete Count

Our champions this week are: 

• Jesse Drewer, Wicomico County
• Lisa Orndorf, Caroline County
• Dawn Tucker and Roseanna Vogt, Calvert County
• Robin Brown, U.S. Census Bureau
• Pastor Roosevelt Toussaint, Wicomico County

A Maryland Census Champion is a person or group that has gone above and beyond in spreading the Census message in their community.  Census Champions have devised innovative ways to get their community engaged in completing the 2020 Census. The individual or group being nominated could be a member of a local complete committee, a faith leader, a business leader/owner, or even someone in the community making a difference. Recipients of the Census Champion will be highlighted in this newsletter, on social media, and on the Maryland 2020 Census Champions web page.

Download the Census Champion Nomination form and nominate a champion in your community today.

Jesse Drewer

Jesse Drewer joined the Wicomico County Department of Planning, Zoning, and Community Development in December of 2019, and since that day, has became active in helping the department with the 2020 Census efforts. Jesse's contributions to the county's Census campaign have been extraordinary. He brings talent, creativity, and willingness to help in any way. He assists the Co-Chair, Sonya Whited, with the Facebook page management, the setup of our Virtual Complete Count Committee, and community meetings. He worked with the local planning staff to create a Census tracking thermometer map. Jesse has helped lead local outreach by organizing and setting up Census footprints at community events where residents were able to complete their Census onsite. The Salisbury-Wicomico Complete Count Committee appreciates his commitment to wanting to see all residents of Wicomico County counted.

Lisa Orndorf

Lisa Orndorf has been active with the Census outreach effort by coordinating the Town of Denton's social media and web sites with current Census materials for Caroline County and the town. Lisa also works on print material used for Census outreach and maintains the Visitor and Heritage Center Facebook page to promote a complete count in the Census in 2020. Lisa also works on providing updates to the town on any questions  received through the social media accounts.

Dawn Tucker and Roseanna Vogt

Who best to take the lead to reach the under-counted minorities of every category in Calvert County than the Calvert County Minority Business Alliance’s own Dawn Tucker (Immediate Past President) and Roseanna Vogt (Vice President). Dawn and Roseanna did not leave any leaf unturned alerting African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, women, and the disabled business owners and consumers in their commercial community to be counted in Census 2020. They heeded the U.S. Census Bureau experts’ message, assessed the needs, and planned their targeted strategy to spread the word throughout their network and beyond. Their agile efforts are helping Calvert County reach its response rate goal of 90% for Census 2020. Dawn and Roseanna have featured the 2020 Census on the Minority Business Alliance's website, including posting the county’s two Census videos (English and Spanish language). And... Dawn’s two daughters were featured in the English language video.

Robin Brown

Robin Brown is a Partnership Specialist with the U.S Census Bureau's Philadelphia Regional Office. Robin supported a Census outreach event that was held on Sunday, July 26, at the Word of Life Center church in Salisbury. She was a valuable partner in this event, working in conjunction with Pastor Roosevelt Toussaint, the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning), and the Salisbury-Wicomico Complete Count Committee (CCC). Pastor Toussaint’s church, which serves the Haitian community, had two services and Robin was instrumental in providing guidance and language support and resources to individuals for completing their Census. Planning and the local CCC appreciate Robin for her positive and professional attitude and look forward to her continued support in future outreach opportunities.

Pastor Roosevelt Toussaint

Pastor Roosevelt Toussaint has served as Senior Pastor for Word of Life Center in Salisbury for 25 years, serving a congregation of more than 400 members. While leading many initiatives within his church community that support the Haitian and Latinx residents, he always finds time to willingly serve throughout Wicomico County and the surrounding communities. Pastor Toussaint has played an integral role to ensure that the growing Haitian community participates in the Census 2020 and advocates for an accurate Census count for this group. He has helped provide a meeting place for Census discussions and activities, while providing a nurturing bridge of support from communication to eliminating any cultural barriers that may impact the Census count. Pastor Toussaint is known for his enthusiasm to serve the people of the community while providing information and resources to make sure all feel welcome and supported.

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Already Taken the Census? Let Us Know

The Census Deadline is October 31st

Self response to the 2020 Census continues through October 31. The Census can be completed online, by phone or by mail. Click here to take the Census now.

Follow Maryland Census 2020 on Twitter and Facebook – Follow @MdCensus2020 and like @MdCensus2020 – to stay in touch with Maryland's Census 2020 complete count efforts. Join the conversation by using hashtag #2020MDCensus on Facebook and on Twitter.

In This Issue

1. Governor's Press Release: Maryland’s Census Response Rate Above National Average, Governor Hogan Encourages Full Participation
2. Six Named Maryland Census Champions Making a Difference in Our Complete Count
3. As of July 31, Maryland Self-Response Rate at 66.7 Percent
4. Congratulations to These Counties and Municipalities that Exceeded Their 2010 Response Rate in the 2020 Census This Week
5. Maryland Department of Planning and the U.S Census Bureau Support Eastern Shore Church During Faith Communities Census Weekend of Action
6. Census Bureau to Email Households to Encourage Response to the 2020 Census
7. U.S. Census Bureau Produces Data on the Social and Economic Effects of COVID-19 on American Households
8. Everyone Must Be Counted. Now Is the Time to Act.
9. 2020 Census Will Help School Districts Prepare for Next Generation of Students
10. The City of Seat Pleasant Produced This Fantastic Video About Why Residents Should Complete Their Census
11. Share This Image on Your Social Media
12. Local Complete Count Committee Outreach Highlight: Kent County
13. Local Complete Count Committee Outreach Highlight: Charles County
14. Census Bureau Shifts to Email Campaign
15. Census 'Still Happening’ — Residents Urged to Get Responses In
16. Worcester County Census Participation On Target
17. 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season: June 1-November 30 (Key Stats from the Census Bureau)
18. Census Maryland 2020 Social Media

Note: If the bookmark links to the articles above do not work, check that your pop-up blocker is turned off. Otherwise, scroll down in the newsletter to see the articles.

Upcoming Meetings and Events

For further details, go to the Maryland Census 2020 Events page

News and Events

As of July 31, Maryland Self-Response Rate at 66.7 Percent

As of July 31, Maryland’s self-response rate to the 2020 Census is 66.7 percent, while the national average is 62.8 percent. Maryland is 13th in the U.S., just 0.3% behind #11 Indiana and Idaho, and remains 2nd in the region, behind only Virginia at 67.5 percent. Maryland is ahead of Pennsylvania (65.9 percent), Delaware (60.5 percent), the District of Columbia (59.1 percent), and West Virginia (54.4 percent).

Carroll (78.5 percent and number 25 in the entire U.S. out of 3,200+ counties), Howard (76.5 percent), and Harford (74.9 percent) counties are leading the state.  Twenty two Maryland counties/jurisdictions have achieved self-response rates of over 50 percent and 15 counties rates exceed the national average.  Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, St. Mary's, and Talbot counties have all exceeded their 2010 self-response rates.

View Maryland County and Municipality Response Rates at the MDP's Census 2020 Response Rate At-A-Glance Dashboard

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Congratulations to These Counties and Municipalities that Exceeded Their 2010 Response Rate in the 2020 Census This Week

Caroline, Carroll, and Talbot Counties

Martin's Additions and Riverdale Park

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Maryland Department of Planning and the U.S. Census Bureau Support Eastern Shore Church During Faith Communities Census Weekend of Action

On Sunday, July 26th, representatives from the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Salisbury-Wicomico Complete Count Committee (CCC) participated in an outreach event at the Word of Life Center in Salisbury. The church, led by Pastor Roosevelt Toussaint (see Census Champion profile), primarily serves the Haitian community. The event was part of Maryland's outreach efforts to engage the faith community during the Census Weekend of Action, a joint collaboration between Planning and the Census Bureau. Pastor Toussaint has been a strong advocate for the Census since the local CCC began. His partnership with the CCC resulted in a tremendous outreach event where the committee was able to get more than 40 households to complete their Census. It is estimated that the average household size is four residents which equates to nearly three million dollars in federal funding to this community over a 10 year period from this one partnership. The strong relationship between the local community, the CCC, the state, and U.S. Census Bureau was evident at this event as a historically undercounted population was well represented.

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Census Bureau to Email Households to Encourage Response to the 2020 Census

The U.S. Census Bureau announced that it will begin emailing households in low-responding areas to encourage them to respond to the 2020 Census. Millions of emails will be sent this week and continue into September. The emails supplement a final campaign reminding people to respond to the 2020 Census on their own, as census takers begin asking households to respond to the Census.

Read Full Article at the U.S. Census Bureau

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U.S. Census Bureau Produces Data on the Social and Economic Effects of COVID-19 on American Households

Based on responses collected July 9 through July 14, the Household Pulse Survey estimates that during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• 50.1% of American adults live in households which have experienced a loss in employment income
• 35.1% of American adults expect to experience a loss in employment income
• 10.8% of Americans lived in households where there was either sometimes or often not enough to eat in the previous seven days
• 40.6% of adults had delayed getting medical care in the previous four weeks
• 25.3% of respondents reported having little interest or pleasure in doing things more than half the days/nearly every day last week
• 23.3% of respondents reported feeling down more than half the days/nearly every day last week
• 33.8% of respondents reported feeling anxious or nervous more than half the days/nearly every day last week
• On average, households spent $212.79 a week to buy food at supermarkets, grocery stores, online, and other places to be prepared and eaten at home
• 26.4% of adults either missed last month’s rent or mortgage payment, or had slight or no confidence that their household could make the next payment on time

See the Household Pulse Survey Data Tables

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Everyone Must Be Counted. Now Is the Time to Act.

Now Is the Time. Every Response Matters.

No matter where you’re from, no matter your nationality, no matter your immigration status or who you live with - everyone who lives in your household counts in the 2020 Census - even those who you wouldn’t think count.

View a Public Service Announcement at the U.S. Census Bureau's YouTube Channel

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2020 Census Will Help School Districts Prepare for Next Generation of Students

In counties and cities across the country where the population is growing quickly, demand for new schools and educational resources is growing, too. Take, for instance, the 27J School District outside Denver. The combined population of three counties in the district has jumped by 30% since the 2010 Census – the last nationwide count – and was swelling so fast that the district in 2015 began issuing bonds to construct new schools.

Continue reading at the U.S. Census Bureau about how the 2020 Census will help shape the future of schools.

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The City of Seat Pleasant Produced This Video About Its Why Residents Should Complete Their Census

Watch This Video at the Seat Pleasant Twitter Page

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Share This Image on Your Social Media

...and many more from the Maryland Census 2020 website

Go the Census Social Media page to download this and other images that you can share with your followers.

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Local Complete Count Committee
Outreach Highlight: Kent County

Kent County's Complete Count Committee (CCC) is working to ensure that every county resident is accurately counted in the 2020 Census. Some of their local outreach actions include:

• The Kent County Complete Count Committee distributed Planning’s "Did You Know?" flyers to families at various school lunch “Grab and Go” sites throughout the county.
• The committee partnered with senior living food distribution services that delivered meals to seniors to include Census messaging.
• The committee partnered with the Kent County Department of Economic Development to post on its Facebook page, leveraging their active presence on social media and Tik Tok.
• The CCC built a strong partnership with Washington College in Chestertown, participating in events that engaged students and hard-to-count populations.
• Kent County engaged residents with contests to encourage Census participation during their campaign including the "Get Counted, Get Your Slice of Pie" event and the "Get the Scoop" ice cream giveaway.
• Following the COVID-19 restrictions, the committee transitioned planned in-person events to virtual events, online contests, and raffles that continued to engage the community.
• The county mailed personalized postcards to P.O. Box holders to make sure they were aware of the Census since these addressees did not receive the initial Census invitation from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Local Complete Count Committee
Outreach Highlight: Charles County

The Charles County Complete Count Committee (CCC) is working to ensure that every person in the county is accurately counted in the 2020 Census. Some local outreach actions include:

• The Charles County CCC maintains an active social media presence on Charles County Government’s Facebook page using the hashtag #CensusChallenge
• The county developed a local Census advertising campaign including radio, newspaper (print and online), local websites, and messaging at movie theaters.
• The CCC used local committee members to share Census messages on the radio.
• Charles County produced commercials on the local CCGTV cable station and participated in podcasts.
• The committee created public service announcement videos to engage the community in an active complete Census count.
  Charles County government sent emails to residents using its broadcast email system and posted Census related articles and messaging on its website.
• The CCC sent direct mail pieces to residents in historically under-counted areas of the county with the message “Be Counted.”
  The committee worked with local food banks to include Census messaging materials in meals distributed to families throughout the county.
• The CCC maintains a presence at county farmers markets and local family gatherings to provide information about the importance of the Census count.
• Banners and marketing materials were printed by the county and distributed to its municipalities and local businesses.

Visit the Charles County Census 2020 webpage

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Census Bureau Shifts to Email Campaign

The U.S. Census Bureau will begin emailing households in low-responding areas to encourage them to respond to the 2020 Census. Millions of emails will be sent to supplement a final campaign reminding people to respond to the 2020 Census on their own as Census takers begin asking households to respond to the Census. The messages alert households in low-response areas that time is running out and their response to the 2020 Census is important for their communities. The email messages will invite people to respond at 2020census.gov.

Read Full Article at the Cumberland Times-News

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Census 'Still Happening’ — Residents Urged to Get Responses In

It's crunch time for the Census, and D.C. area residents are being reminded to fill out the 2020 Census if they haven’t already. Despite the pandemic, “the 2020 Census is still happening,” said Rachel Ortiz, media coordinator at the U.S. Census Bureau for the Philadelphia region, which covers eight states, including Maryland and Virginia as well as the District of Columbia. Responses must be in by October 31, “but time is running out before Census takers come to your door,” Ortiz said. Those census takers will be sent out in mid-August and will be equipped with masks.

Read Full Article at WTOP News

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Worcester County Census Participation On Target

Local participation in the 2020 Census is expected to be on target with response rates from previous years. Officials said this week Worcester County’s response rates were near what they were in 2010. Kelly Henry, coordinator of Worcester County’s Complete Count Committee, said people have until Oct. 31, 2020, to complete their survey. “Worcester County is two percent away from hitting the 2010 self response rate, so yes we are on target,” Henry said. “In a year where economics, education, and health care have been the focus of concern, making sure that everyone gets counted is even more vitally important.”

Read Full Article at the The Dispatch (Ocean City)

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2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season: June 1-November 30 

The Census Bureau’s OnTheMap for Emergency Management offers real-time access to data about the people living and working in areas affected by hurricanes. The U.S. Census Bureau produces timely local statistics that are critical to emergency planning, preparedness, and recovery efforts. The population growth of coastal areas illustrates the importance of emergency planning and preparedness for areas that are more susceptible to tropical storms and hurricanes. The Census Bureau’s rich economic and demographic statistics from the American Community Survey and the Economic Census give communities a detailed look at local statistics for emergency planning for the nation’s growing coastal population and businesses.

View Key Stats from the Census Bureau 

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Census Maryland 2020 Social Media

Follow @MDCensus2020 on Facebook and Twitter

July 25: Census Information Centers · 2020 Census Concert Series featuring Brandy

July 26: Salisbury-Wicomico 2020 Census · Salisbury · We have been out again in the community this morning on our “Census Roadshow”, this morning at the Word of Life Church to get the word spread about the Faith Weekend of Action!

July 26: Caroline County Census Complete Count Committee · As of July 23, 2020, Caroline County has MATCHED our 2010 Census Self-Response rate! Our job is NOT yet done, however.

July 27: Are you hooked on the Census? Have you gotten someone else to complete the Census? If not send them to 2020census.gov today!

July 27: Salisbury-Wicomico 2020 Census · Last week, while preparing for events, Maryland Census Outreach Coordinator John Watson presented our Lori Carter, a member of our steering committee, with her census champion certificate in front of our billboard on US Route 50 outside the Government Office Building.

July 27: Congrats Caroline County, Maryland for surpassing your Census 2010 Self-Response Rate!! Let's keep it going! #2020MDCensus Caroline County Government

July 28: Congrats Talbot County, Maryland for surpassing your Census 2010 Self-Response Rate!! Let's keep it going! #2020MDCensus

July 28: Congrats Carroll County, Maryland for surpassing your Census 2010 Self-Response Rate!! Let's keep it going! Carroll County Government Maryland

July 29: Congrats Martins Additions, Maryland for surpassing your Census 2010 Self-Response Rate!! Let's keep it going! #2020MDCensus

July 29: Congrats Riverdale Park for surpassing your Census 2010 Self-Response Rate!! Let's keep it going! #2020MDCensus

July 29: PG Census 2020 · As a part of our 100 Events of Summer initiative, the Office of Community Relations is hosting several Census Completion and Drive-Up Distribution events throughout the County!

July 30: ICYMI: On Sunday, July 26th the Salisbury-Wicomico Complete Count Committee along with representatives from MDP and the Census Bureau participated in an outreach event at Pastor Roosevelt Toussaint's church that services the Haitian community. This event was part of Maryland's outreach efforts to engage the faith community during Faith Action Weekend, a joint collaboration between MDP and the Census Bureau.

July 30: ‪Congrats again to Senator Mary Beth Carozza on being one of our Census Champions! Below is John Watson presenting the award in Berlin, MD. Berlin is .1% away from matching their 2010 Census Self-Response! Thank you Senator Carozza for your efforts to ensure the lower shore is counted! ‬

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