Hayward Public Library can help you respond to U.S. Census
The Hayward Public Library this month will begin providing multilingual support for residents seeking assistance responding to the upcoming 2020 U.S. Census questionnaire.
This week, households in Hayward and across the country are scheduled to begin receiving official U.S. Census Bureau mail with instructions on how to complete the 2020 Census questionnaire online, by phone or by mail.
Starting March 16, the Hayward Public Library will begin operating Census Questionnaire Assistance Centers at its downtown location, 888 C Street, and Weekes Branch, 27300 Patrick Ave., during regular business hours—11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.
The Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QACs) will be staffed with trained volunteers called Census Ambassadors and supplied with supportive materials, including videos, available in 59 languages to answer residents’ questions. The Centers also will provide free access to computers and the Internet—and are part of an effort by the City of Hayward, other local agencies and nonprofit groups to promote understanding of and participation in the 2020 Census among all Hayward residents.
The U.S. Census takes place every 10 years and helps to determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow annually to states and communities to support health clinics, fire departments, schools, nutrition and transportation. The Census also determines how seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are apportioned among the 50 states. By law, individual responses to the Census questionnaire and the personal information provided are kept strictly confidential by the Census Bureau.
