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Organizations raising awareness ahead of 2020 Census

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Posted at 11:52 AM, Jan 27, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-27 12:52:29-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Organizations across the Kansas City, Missouri, area want to raise awareness about the importance of completing the 2020 Census.

The US Census Bureau is currently hiring thousands of part-time, temporary employees to help with the process.

Emily Kelley, the Census partnership coordinator for Kansas and Oklahoma, said people should start receiving census forms in the mail by mid-March.

Groups have formed the “Count me in KC” slogan to encourage people in the Kansas City area to fill out and return the survey by mail, by phone, or online. Members say about $675 billion in federal funding depends on data from the Census.

“A lot of those funds are determined based upon the number of people working in a certain community. So the more people who are counted, the more money we potentially get,” explained Jim Torres, the health insurance services manager for the Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center in Kansas City, Missouri, which receives federal funding.

Aside from funding, the Census helps determine representation in U.S. Congress. After the 2010 Census, Missouri lost a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

You can earn between $17 and $21 an hour by working as a census taker this year.

The census is hiring thousands of employees to help people fill out the Census.

“If a census taker shows up at your door, if it's someone you recognize from your grocery store, you may feel more comfortable talking to someone from your community. It's really important we get people from our communities here in the Kansas City area to apply for those jobs,” Kelley explained.

To apply, click here or text “MissouriJobs” or “KansasJobs” to 313131.