New York, NY— Sunnyside Community Services is pleased to announce it has received a $150,000 award from the NYC Complete Count Fund — a partnership between CUNY, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Council. The NYC Complete Count Fund is a first-of-its-kind Census-related community organizing program that will support and resource community-based organizations to help NYC reach a full and accurate count in the 2020 Census. These funds will support Sunnyside Community Services’ outreach and engagement efforts to make sure that local western Queens residents are counted.
The Complete Count Fund was built with the understanding that local community-based organizations — which serve New Yorkers in the communities where they live and in the languages that they speak — are the most trusted messengers of important and sensitive information.
Sunnyside Community Services is proud to join this coordinated citywide effort to build awareness about the census, convey its importance, fight the spread of mis- and disinformation, and help bridge the digital divide that might prevent many New Yorkers from participating in next year’s first online census.
“Advocacy is an important part of Sunnyside Community Services’ efforts to protect our community, especially vulnerable populations, and help make sure that all voices are represented,” said Judy Zangwill, SCS executive director. “Having our community accurately counted will ensure we have adequate resources for members’ needs to be met. Thanks to this award, we will conduct census education with local residents, focusing on reaching immigrants, homebound seniors, and public housing residents. You will see our multilingual census outreach workers at local events, public plazas, and schools. Our Center in Sunnyside will lead computer workshops and host lab time for people who need a secure internet connection to complete their census forms, and we’ll have trained staff to help answer questions.”
A complete and accurate count is critical to the future of New York City. The census will determine how more than $650 billion in federal funds for public education, public housing, roads and bridges, and more, gets distributed annually throughout the country. It will also determine the number of seats each state is allocated in the House of Representatives (and thus, the Electoral College). Based on current estimates, an undercount could cost the State of New York up to two congressional seats.
In such a complex city, enriched by such linguistic and cultural diversity, New York City’s full participation in the first online census faces a unique set of challenges. As New Yorkers, we have embraced these challenges as an opportunity. Together, these citywide efforts will lay the groundwork for a civic engagement apparatus that will continue well beyond the 2020 census.
The Complete Count Fund will launch in early January with an all-day kick-off event and training.
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About Sunnyside Community Services
Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) is a community-based nonprofit centered on the belief that every person deserves meaningful support to achieve their aspirations – especially struggling families and individuals. SCS serves a diverse community of over 16,000 people of all ethnicities and income levels throughout Queens with programs that range from pre-K to college and career readiness, home care and home health aide training, Beacon and Cornerstone community centers for children and families, a vibrant senior center and full range of services for at-risk older adults including social adult day care for individuals with Alzheimer’s, and a city-wide program of supportive services for those who care for them. With programs designed to enrich lives and strengthen communities through services and engagement for individuals of all ages, beginning with those most in need, SCS has been lighting up lives with programs as diverse as the people they serve since 1974. For more information visit scsny.org or email info@scsny.org.
About NYC Census 2020
NYC Census 2020 was established as a first-of-its-kind organizing initiative by Mayor de Blasio to ensure a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census. The program is built on four pillars: (1) a community-based awards program, The New York City Complete Count Fund; (2) an in-house “Get Out the Count” field campaign; (3) an innovative, multi-lingual, tailored messaging and marketing; as well as (4) an in-depth Agency and Partnerships engagement plan that seeks to leverage the power of the City’s 350,000-strong workforce and the city’s major institutions, including libraries, hospitals, faith-based, cultural institutions, and higher educational institutions, and more, to communicate with New Yorkers about the critical importance of census participation.