With April 1, 2010's Census Day fast approaching, Census Bureau Regional Director Fernando Armstrong, Gov. Martin O'Malley and Sen. Barbara Mikulski and other leaders officially opened the doors of the Baltimore East local census office as operations and awareness about the 2010 count kick into high gear. The new office at 250 S. President Street will support field operations in the eastern portion of the City and employ as many as 1,400 local residents for the 2010 Census.
"The success of the 2010 census and Maryland's position in securing federal funding for programs such as education, health care, highways, workforce development, housing and energy, depend largely on the opening of Census offices that are essential in ensuring an accurate count of every Maryland resident," says Gov. O'Malley. "Today, we celebrate the opening of the 2010 Census Office in East Baltimore, and the creation of up to 1,400 jobs for our hardworking families. We encourage every Marylander to stand up and be counted."
As an extension of the census awareness campaign, the regional 2010 road tour vehicle, "The Constitution," made its first stop in Maryland at the grand opening celebration. The exhibits on the vehicle allow residents wherever the bus goes to learn more about the upcoming census in a creative and interactive way. The road tour will travel throughout the region to encourage participation in the upcoming census by reaching out to historically hard-to-count audiences.
"This is our last push to get folks on board and start talking about the 2010 census," says Fernando Armstrong, Philadelphia Regional Census Director. "Our partners in this community are great ambassadors and we appreciate their efforts to help us increase the mail-back response rate in Baltimore.
The 10-question census form will arrive in mailboxes beginning March 15. The 2010 form is one of the shortest forms in history and should take on average about 10 minutes to fill out. The form asks for name, gender, race, ethnicity, relationship and whether you own or rent your home.
"Everyone counts and everyone must be counted," says Sen. Mikulski, Chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Census. "I've stood sentry to make sure we're ready this year to meet our Constitutional obligation for a timely and accurate count. The Census will help determine where to build new schools, libraries, new roads and bridges and new police and fire stations. That's why it's so important we count everyone in Maryland from East Baltimore to the Eastern Shore."
The Census Bureau is hiring thousands of temporary workers as this is the largest domestic undertaking the nation undertakes. The Baltimore East local census office is recruiting and testing applicants now for census taker positions. Census takers are needed for the non-response follow up operation to visit households that did not return their questionnaire. Applicants can call 1-866-861-2010 for more information on how to apply or visit www.2010census.gov for more information.
The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States. By law, everyone in the United States, both citizens and noncitizens, must be counted every 10 years. Census data determines how more than $400 billion in federal funding is allocated each year to local, state and tribal governments. The 2010 Census form is one of the shortest census questionnaires in history and takes about 10 minutes to complete. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' answers with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Writer: Walaika Haskins