Tag Archive: media

1. Coronavirus, shelter in place upend California census count just as it’s starting

   March 19, 2020 6:00 pm Comments Off on Coronavirus, shelter in place upend California census count just as it’s starting

   San Francisco Chronicle News Article by: Alexei Koseff

   Federal officials and community organizations that had geared up for the 2020 census are delaying operations, canceling events and shifting to online outreach as the coronavirus pandemic upends the once-a-decade count in its opening stages.

   In San Rafael, Stephanie McNally, advocacy and policy senior manager at Canal Alliance, has been working on census outreach since 2018. Her organization, which predominantly serves Latino immigrants, is in a census tract that the state rates as the hardest to count in Marin County.

   McNally said about 80% of her census strategy was focused on in-person contacts. She spent the past year training “trusted messengers” like librarians and city council members who could remind people to fill out the questionnaire and answer questions.

   All of that went out the door with the coronavirus outbreak. McNally had to cancel a community kickoff event scheduled for March 28, along with all of Canal Alliance’s canvassing. Read rest of this article on San Francisco Chronicle.

   

2. Marin parents grapple with school closure complications

   March 13, 2020 5:00 pm Comments Off on Marin parents grapple with school closure complications

   Marin IJ News Article by: Matthew Pera

   School closures across Marin have sent some parents scrambling to find child care, or to rearrange their schedules so they can watch over kids at home.

   The ramifications of school closures have the potential to hit low-income families the hardest, said Omar Carrera, executive director of Canal Alliance.

   He said that many parents in San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood are service industry workers who don’t have paid time off. Parents who must miss work to stay at home and supervise children will lose out on wages, which can crush their ability to pay rent and other bills.

   Some Canal neighborhood residents lack high-speed internet connectivity. Carrera said that can be a major burden for students who are asked to complete schoolwork at home during the closures.

   Carrera said it’s critical for nonprofit organizations like the Canal Alliance to step up and meet the needs of low-income residents who are struggling during the coronavirus crisis.

   “At this moment, we need to think outside the box,” he said. Read rest of this article on Marin IJ.

   

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