Faith leaders: Be counted

A major push is underway to get Philadelphians to fill out their census forms. Faith leaders started spreading the word on Sunday through their sermons that people need to fill out their census forms, and city officials are going to do all they can to make sure people follow through and mail the forms in. The reason as Mayor Michael Nutter explains is federal funding is determined by census data.

A major push is underway to get Philadelphians to fill out their census forms.  WHYY’s Tom MacDonald reports the effort began Sunday with messages from the pulpit.
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Faith leaders started spreading the word on Sunday through their sermons that people need to fill out their census forms, and city officials are going to do all they can to make sure people follow through and mail the forms in.  The reason as Mayor Michael Nutter explains  is federal funding is determined by census data.

Nutter: We’re trying to keep everyone as focused on this as this as possible because this is what it’s all about it’s about money, it’s about resources it’s about support for  this community here in Philadelphia.

Patricia Enright is Executive Director of Philly Counts.  She says a grassroots effort will go right into neighborhood hubs of activity.

Enright: We’ll be visiting barbershops and beauty salons throughout the city places where people gather where they talk to friends on a regular basis.

Enright says neighborhoods were English isn’t the first language is where they run into problems because people don’t understand census data is completely confidential.

The census count begins April 1, 2010.