We were a small but mighty group, graciously hosted by Kristen Acosta, food pantry coordinator and programs assistant at the Women’s Building. Others in attendance were Willy Franklin (Healthright 360), Soraya Okuda (Electronic Frontier Foundation), Bret Putnam (U.S. Census Bureau), Ned Raggett (Zuckerberg SF General Library), and Laurie Sanchez (Community Tech Network).
Bret Putnam, partnership specialist of the Los Angeles Regional Census Center (bret.i.putnam@2020census.gov), talked through key elements of the 2020 census.
- The census is to be completed online. Households will receive a PIN, but they may complete the census without the PIN.
- The census form will be available in English and Spanish.
Other parties may do a literal translation of the survey into additional languages. Phone assistance will be available in 60 languages, including ASL (we are unsure if it will be a video call).
- Each household will be contacted five times to complete the census. The fifth contact will be someone in person to complete the census with a primary resident.
- Everyone in the household is to be counted, infant to elder, citizens and noncitizens.
- Citizenship is NOT asked or reported on the 2020 form.
- Data collected is legally mandated to be kept confidential and not shared with anyone, including ICE, law enforcement, Homeland Security, and the executive branch. Data is aggregated and anonymized to report statistics without identity.
- The homeless will be counted on the street, in shelters, and in other suitable locations 3/30, 3/31, and 4/1.
The current phase of the census is raising awareness across all communities and engaging community partners to be trusted messengers of the importance of participating in the decennial census. Census Day will be April 1, 2020, though the form will likely be available online a little before then. People will have through August to complete the census, but all are encouraged to do it immediately after receiving their PIN in the mail. Bret is interested in presenting to any and all interested groups — staff, constituents, and community.
- The Census Bureau is hiring 600 enumerators for San Francisco.
- Work will run March to July 2020; $30/hour (full- and part-time positions available).
- There will be one week of training in March.
Soraya (Electronic Frontier Foundation) is working on issues related to unhoused individuals and is seeking additional ways to connect with this population. She is working with St. Anthony’s and Glide.
Kristen (Women’s Building) sought input from others working with databases. They use Salesforce but are beginning to do case management and need something suitable for HIPAA privacy requirements.
Ned (Zuckerberg SF General Library) is adjusting to being the sole dedicated staff member with fewer public computers and anticipated rules that will require visitors to present formal ID to use the library.
Willy (Healthright 360) noted they are growing, recently adding six staff with desks in space that used to be open. After three years, he is leaving the organization soon and is excited for new challenges in a different environment.
We closed the meeting with a tour of the historic four-story building purchased and first occupied in 1979. The Women’s Building is a safe place focused on women’s issues. Here everyone can come together and find their own confidence and strength. Everyone is offered the tools and resources to create better lives for themselves, their family, and their community. Other organizations with offices in the building are:
- Affordable Immigration Services
- California Domestic Workers Coalition
- Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic
- Dolores Street Community Services
- Girls on the Run Bay Area
- Mission Neighborhood Centers (Head Start Program)
- Mujeres Unidas y Activas
- Parents for Public Schools in San Francisco
- San Franciso Women Against Rape
The October Breakfast Brag & Borrow meeting is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, October 16, at 9:30 a.m.
Comments are closed.