Census Bureau celebrates launch of community outreach campaign

Beginning today, the U.S. Census Bureau will launch community operations in the Denver with what they are calling a “Spirit of Community Celebration,” featuring City Councilman Paul Lopez and Diedra Ann Garcia from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The celebration kicks off marketing operations throughout the metro-area designed to increase awareness that the big count will begin just four months from now and to encourage residents across the metro area to take part.

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The Celebration, held at the Denver Inner City Parishbeginning at 11 a.m., will include presentations by Councilman Lopez, who is also Chair of the Denver Complete Count Committee, Garcia of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as well as Tony Hernandez, Director of the State Division on Local Government and Chair of the State Complete Count Committee, and Assistant Regional Census Manager Russ Frumm.

“Our operations will play a very active role in reaching out to people where they live and encouraging them to complete their Census forms, Said Regional Census Director Cathy L. Lacy. “We want residents to understand what activity to expect in the coming months. We also want to make sure they know that filling out their forms is safe, easy and important and that funding for roads, schools, and social programs is at stake.”

The Census Bureau has reported it will recruit and train workers to conduct outreach operations across the country. The enormous operation will impact federal, state and local funding. Estimates suggest funding tied to the census amounts to close to $875 per person per year in Federal aid alone. That money is provided to communities directly as a result of their participation in the census, a fact the Bureau is determined to braodcast as wide as possible.

The census, of course, is also used to determine the apportionment of Congressional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Colorado, however, will likely neither lose nor gain seats.

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