News

The Census Bureau continues to carefully monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. The key message right now is: It has never been easier to respond to the census on your own—whether online at 2020census.gov, over the phone, or by mail—all without having to meet a census taker.

Promotion of census participation is important, particularly to support challenges like the coronavirus (COVID-19).

As we enter this election year, we remember our call to conversation and prayer around our role as U.S. residents and as people of faith in ensuring our election systems promote dignity and respect for all.

We are called to act by speaking out as advocates and engaging in local efforts to guarantee the right to vote to all citizens. More info at: elca.org/Our-Work/Publicly-Engaged-Church/ELCAVotes

Our communities are significantly shaped by census data, and Census 2020 will update these numbers for the first time in 10 years. The ELCA is an official partner of the 2020 Census to encourage the most accurate count possible.

Posters placed in your congregation’s common areas and social ministry locations can raise awareness and encourage all to follow-up when their invitation to complete the census arrives by National Census Day on April 1, 2020. A toolkit with additional tools and bulletin inserts as well as the posters can be downloaded from the “Civic Engagement” tab at ELCA.org/resources/advocacy.

The ELCA is an official partner of the 2020 Census as we work toward a just world where all are fed and further our commitment to greater justice in public policy and the electoral process. An accurate count determines electoral maps and ensures that $675 billion in federal funds justly go where they are needed most.

Posters are available from ELCA.org/resources/advocacy to help ELCA congregations encourage participation, particularly among hard-to-count populations such as people residing in rural areas, young children, LGBTQIA people, people experiencing homelessness, indigenous people, people who do not speak English, and racial and ethnic minorities. National Census Day is April 1, 2020, at which time all homes should have been invited to complete the census.

From the ELCA Advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, director, comes the February Update of Advocacy Connections: Travel Ban | Girl’s Education | Disaster aid for Puerto Rico | Fair Housing Rule | Census 2020

When it comes to responding to homelessness in our congregations, often there is a will but not a way. We would help if we only knew how to do it safely, if we could guarantee that our money was not going to support an addiction, if we had more time to understand best practices and so on. Fear causes us to freeze and walk or drive past the neighbor in need on our everyday Jericho roads.