Special to the
Opelika Observer
In early October, the city of Opelika kicked off the first Complete Count Committee meeting for the 2020 Census. They gathered many Opelika community leaders and talked about the importance of the census and different ways to reach out to the community.
The 2020 Census provides an opportunity for everyone to be counted. Tribal, state and local governments; community-based organizations; faith-based groups; schools; businesses; the media and others play a key role in developing partners to educate and motivate residents to participate in the 2020 Census.
When community members are informed by trusted leaders, they are more likely to respond to the census. Through collaborative partnerships, the U.S. Census Bureau and Opelika community leaders can reach the shared goal of counting everyone in 2020.
The Complete Count Committees (CCC) program is key to creating awareness in communities all across the country:
-CCCs utilize local knowledge, influence and resources to educate communities and promote the census through locally based, targeted outreach efforts.
-CCCs provide a vehicle for coordinating and nurturing cooperative efforts between tribal, state and local governments; communities; and the Census Bureau.
-CCCs help the Census Bureau get a complete count in 2020 through partnerships with local governments and community organizations.
The Opelika Complete Count Committee will be sending additional information for residents during the next few months. Residents can also stay up-to-date by following the Opelika Counts Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Opelika-Counts-Census-2020- 110351850376203/.
