Today is April 1st, Census Day, and an opportunity to complete your census survey! Self-responding to the Census is the easiest way to make sure you are counted amid the COVID-19 situation. Self-response is quick, easy, and can be done online, by phone, or by mail. Residents can self-respond to the Census online at https://my2020census.gov/ or over the phone in English by dialing 844-330-2020 or in Spanish at 844-468-2020. In the face of our current COVID-19 pandemic, it’s now even more imperative to complete the 2020 census. Completing the census is crucial because it provides the necessary data to better plan for emergency responses. Census information collected for example is used to determine where new hospitals should be built and what additional services are needed. This crisis and our current emergency response to it highlights that our social infrastructure wasn’t prepared for it. We must ensure this does not happen again. Emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic are precisely why the government needs accurate Census data. Census Day is also a great time to share with your family, friends, and community that you completed the census! Included are ways that you can share with everyone that you’ve completed the census and encourage others to do so. We’ve even called for a #CensusChallenge! The goal - which Union/Labor Council/County/ can post the most Census selfies and videos. If you’re social distancing at home, now is the BEST time to participate in the #CensusChallenge! Here are some ways to show YOU count! Share a quick blurb on why the census matters to you and use the hashtag #CALaborCounts Take a census selfie of you and your completed survey Tag 3 friends to share who they can count on and why the census matters to them. Record a short video of why completing the census is important to you. Here are some sample scripts you can use or simply make your own. We also have our Labor Counts Census support kit here for quick and easy social media posting! Stay safe, stay well and make sure YOU count today! In solidarity, California Labor Federation Sections Political Action