AZALEA PARK, Fla. – Less than a month away from the 2020 U.S. census and already, residents might be hearing a knock at the door to help guide them through the process.
Paid volunteers with the Hispanic Federation plan to reach at least 63,000 people, many in the Azalea Park area, to raise awareness about what to expect with the upcoming census.
“[We’re] educating every single household to make sure they are going to participate in this census process,” Yanidsi Velez, Florida state director for Hispanic Federation, said.
Melvin Pittman is the chairman of the Orange County Complete Count Committee and admits they’re focusing on quite a few areas that are typically leery of government officials knocking on their door.
“Population data is a driving force for money,” he said. “Azalea Park is one of several areas in Orange County and it’s one of those that had a lower count in the 2010 census.”
Pittman pointed to the Renaissance Senior Center on Econ Trail as a tangible example where federal dollars funded a local project as a result of Census numbers.
“Its real things we’re talking about,” he said. “It’s not just a survey, it means money, services to you personally down the road.”
That means money for daycare, meals on wheels, headstart and other federally funded programs. The census bureau is expected to be sending out notices to much of the country this week.