Brownsville/Cameron County CCC

The City of Brownsville and Cameron County established separate CCCs for the 2020 Census and partnered on numerous outreach projects.

A major funder and leader of the area’s work was the United Way of Southern Cameron County, also called the Rio Grande Valley United Way.

A unique barrier to Census completion in the RGV was a lack of internet access, preventing some residents from completing their questionnaires online or learning about the importance of the Census. Much of the community is also low-income and suffered from food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Strategies the CCC utilized to reach these HTC communities included delivering free groceries door-to-door with Census information, having Census volunteers attend food distribution events, and partnering with local churches and other faith-based organizations to encourage Census response.

Utilizing trusted community voices was also important in alleviating fear of the Census question, as many HTC community members were undocumented.