November 9, 2009

In light of the recent Pew Charities report exploring the preparedness of major cities for the 2010 Census, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory offers an exemplary campaign. Mallory and special guest Marc H. Morial, President of the National Urban League and Co-Chair of the US Census Bureau Advisory Committee, were joined by a broad faith-based coalition to highlight “Census in the Houses of Faith” in Cincinnati during the month of October. Census in the Houses of Faith is only a part of Cincinnati’s innovative outreach effort created in partnership between the Cincinnati Complete Count Committee and the US Census Bureau to build awareness about the importance of an accurate and complete count.

In 2008, Mallory established the Cincinnati Complete Count Committee, which includes more than 100 community leaders and city residents. Cincinnati Urban League President and CEO Donna Baker and Cincinnati Planning Department Director Charles Graves were named as Co-Chairs of the Committee. Charged with developing a comprehensive plan to ensure a complete and accurate count, the Committee launched Cincinnati Counts, the city outreach and education campaign that was launched in April with an accompanying website: www.cincinnaticounts.org.

“Cincinnati is actively working to make sure that our city is prepared for the 2010 Census,” Mallory said. “The goal of our awareness campaign Cincinnati Counts is to make sure everyone in our community is included in our efforts to produce an accurate and complete count for the city.”

Nearly 100 multi-denominational faith based organizations across Cincinnati participated in the Census in the Houses of Faith program in October. Participants took part in a number of activities including weekly messages to their congregation, including Census information in the bulletins, posting a copy of the census questionnaire, including census facts in an email blast.

“Census in the Houses of Faith is just one of many activities we are doing in Cincinnati,” said Graves. “Over the past five months, volunteers have been present at over 60 community events. We have also utilized traditional print and television advertising to reach our hard to count populations as well as those who simply need a reminder on the importance of the Census.”

Cincinnati Inspirational Baptist Church Bishop Victor Couzens commented that, “In partnership with our esteemed Mayor Mark Mallory’s Complete Count Committee, and with a preponderance of citizens identifying with or participating in a faith organization of some type there is no better way to reach into the social, economic, educational, racial, ethnic and gender pools in our community to ensure a complete count. The vast and far reaching network that exists among houses of faith and the expectation on our local government to fund programs and services for all of its citizens makes enthusiastic collaboration a no brainer.”

“Every American must be counted in the 2010 Census. I applaud the efforts being made by Mayor Mallory in Cincinnati to ensure an accurate count in 2010 as this census will be used to distribute vital government funds for schools, hospitals, and the very infrastructure of our cities,” said Morial.

“There are few other initiatives that are worth more in the long term to the community than an accurate census count,” said Baker.

Mallory is the Chair of The U.S. Conference of Mayors 2010 Census Taskforce and a national leader on improving and modernizing the census process in preparation for the 2010 count.