It’s something for you to do while you are sheltering in place today, and it will only take a few minutes. Fill out your census form, if you haven’t already. Today is National Census Day, and April 1 is the snapshot of the American population taken every ten years. Connecting Point Executive Director Heather Heckler is coordinating the effort for Nevada County, and says some people are hesitant to fill out the forms because they think the questions might be too invasive….

There are only nine questions on the form, it takes five to ten minutes to complete, and there are no questions about citizenship or immigration status. You can fill it out online, by phone, or send it back in the mail. Heckler says a large county-wide census awareness campaign was going to be conducted, complete with several ‘questionaire assistance centers’, but then Covid-19 hit…

Anyone living in your household * today * should be included on the form, including young children, newborn babies, and non-relatives living with you. Census data determines representation in Congress, and funding availability for federal programs.

–gf