With Census Day (April 1, 2010) less than three months away, all operations are moving into high gear to ensure that every person residing in the United States is counted. As offices open throughout the region, the Census Bureau is recruiting thousands of local residents and taking its message on the road.
Today, Census officials and community leaders celebrated the opening of a new office, located at 5070 Parkside Avenue, Suite 3400, 4th floor, with the visit of the national 2010 Road Tour vehicle, “Mail it Back.” The office, one of three located in the city, is serving West Philadelphia.
During the opening ceremony, Fernando Armstrong, Regional Director for the Philadelphia Regional Census Center welcomed community leaders and elected officials and provided highlights of major initiatives that will be undertaken in the coming months to increase the response rate to the 2010 Census.
Speaking on behalf of the community about the importance of a complete count to the region were: Michael Nutter, Mayor, City of Philadelphia; Christopher Chaplin, Mayor’s Commission on African and Caribbean Affairs; and J. Holland Brown, Carroll Park Community Council.
Armstrong stated “We are pleased that Mayor Nutter, local elected officials, and the leaders of this community have taken such a proactive approach with the 2010 Census. Alliances such as these are vitally important to achieving a complete census count. We rely on these community leaders who are trusted messengers to help spread the word about the importance of the census to the community and to reinforce that completing the 2010 Census is easy and safe because all information remains confidential.”
With just 10 questions, the 2010 questionnaire takes about 10 minutes to complete. All information is confidential and is not shared with any other government agency. The Census is important because congressional representation and the distribution of federal funds, for a wide variety of projects that range from social services for people of all ages to transportation and infrastructure, are determined by using Census statistics.
Armstrong also announced that the recruitment process is underway for jobs that will be available in the spring. Hundreds of local West Philadelphians will be hired to fill field positions. Interested applicants are encouraged to call 1 866-861-2010 for information on how to apply.
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