How US Together Helped Ensure a Complete Count in the Census

Programs Coordinator Elisia Hersh (Left) and Luda Pinchuk (Right)

To make sure everyone counts, US Together led a project to help refugees and immigrants in Ukrainian and Russian-speaking communities understand the goals of Census, and to fill it out. Our European Case Manager, Luda Pinchuk, helped more than 1200 people in these communities to have their voices heard! She was able to accomplish this incredible task through a grant provided by a coalition of funders including the George Gund Foundation, The Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation, The Saint Luke’s Foundation and the Cleveland Foundation in partnership with the Ohio Census Advocacy Coalition.

The Ukrainian-speaking community in particular had some misperceptions about the Census, and some were concerned that it was a way for the government to spy on them.  Luda helped to explain what the Census is and how it benefits the entire community. She also went through a database and compiled a list of all her refugee clients since 2014 and reached out to all of them; they would in turn reach out to their friends and family. Filling out the Census became like a ripple effect in the community. Luda also promoted the Census by putting ads in Ukrainian stores and in ESL (English as a Second Language) classrooms. With the Russian-speaking population, Luda targeted senior citizen retirement buildings, and was assisted by a social worker who spoke Russian and could help residents fill out their Census forms.

This work is so important because everyone should count in the Census. Luda holds great trust among those in the Russian-speaking and Ukrainian-speaking communities, so she was able to locate, contact and persuade many immigrants and refugees in the Cleveland area. Overall, Luda has been working hard and making a huge difference in the Cleveland area!