Counting "Snowbirds" in the 2010 Census

Counting college students in the 2010 Census

Military fact sheet

Open your door to the census taker. We can't move forward until you give your answers back! If a census taker visits you, here's what you should know:

• First ask to see his or her ID. All census workers carry official government badges marked with just their name; they may also have a "U.S. Census Bureau" bag.
• Note that the census taker will never ask to enter your home.
• If you're still not certain about his or her identity, please call the Regional Census Centers to confirm he or she is employed by the Census Bureau.
• Answer the census form questions for your entire household (you must be at least 15 years old to answer questions) so that the census taker can record the results for submission to the Census Bureau.

According to the Census Bureau, 77 percent of Oak Forest residents returned their census forms as of April 20. On May 1, census takers will begin going door-to-door to households that did not mail back their forms. A census taker is a person from the community who is hired by the Census Bureau to make sure that each neighborhood gets represented as accurately as possible. The Census Bureau provides the census taker with a binder containing all of the addresses that didn't send back a filled out census form. The census taker then visits all of those addresses and records the answers to the questions on the form. If no one answers at a particular residence, a census taker will visit that home up to three times – each time leaving a door hanger with a phone number that residents can call to schedule the visit. The census taker will ONLY ask the questions that appear on the census form.

 

Today is the last day to mail back your 2010 U.S. Census form. Census data is used in many ways, most importantly to determine our representation in Congress and determine the amount of federal funds distributed to Oak Forest. By mailing back your form today, you also are helping our nation save money. Did you know it costs taxpayers $25 per person to send a census taker door-to-door to collect the same information if they didn't mail it back? For every one percentage point increase in the national participation rate by mail, taxpayers can help the Census Bureau save about $85 million in operational costs. If you did not receive a census form, you can pick up a form at the Oak Forest Park District (15601 S. Central Avenue) from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. If you need help filling out your form, please call the Telephone Question Assistance Center at 1-866-872-6868.

Over 70 percent of Oak Forest residents have completed and returned the 2010 census form.  If you have not completed your form, please do so and March to the Mailbox on Saturday, April 10. It is important to our government, schools, businesses, community, etc. that everyone be counted.  Census volunteers will be at City Hall (15440 S. Central Avenue) and the post office (15811 S. Central Avenue) on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Get your census items while supplies last. 
Most Citizens don't think twice about sharing personal information with a census worker, and that's why these scams can be very effective. It's important to remember there are distinct differences between a real census worker and an identity thief posing as a census worker.

U.S. Census workers will have identification, a handheld device and a confidentiality notice. But these things can be easily fabricated, so it's important to know what census workers will not do:

March to the Mailbox - April 10:

 

Today, April 1, is National Census Day! If you have not done so already, please complete and return your census form today. If you have questions regarding the census or you did not receive a census form, please visit the Census Information Desk at the Oak Forest Park District (15601 S. Central Avenue) from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Also, Saturday, April 10 is national March to the Mailbox, another day to encourage residents to mail in their census forms. Census volunteers will be at City Hall and the Oak Forest Post Office handing out giveaways (while supplies last) from 9 a.m. to noon.

 

Here are the census response rates as of Friday, March 26: nation – 29 percent, Illinois – 32 percent, Cook County – 24 percent, and Oak Forest – 37 percent. Click here to track the response rate. Did you know that it costs just $.42 cents to mail back the census form in a postage paid envelope. It costs taxpayers $25 per person to send a census taker door-to-door to collect the same information if they didn't mail it back. For every one percentage point increase in the national participation rate by mail, taxpayers can help the Census Bureau save about $85 million in operational costs. For details about the Census, visit www.2010census.gov. If you have not received a census questionnaire, please call the Telephone Question Assistance Center at 1-866-872-6868.

 

Identity criminals are taking advantage of the census law and targeting unsuspecting victims in an attempt to steal sensitive information. The scams perpetrated range from fraudulent emails designed to obtain sensitive information to attempts to impersonate census collectors.

If you have not received a census questionnaire for any reason, please call the Telephone Question Assistance Center at 1-866-872-6868.

You should have received your 2010 Census Forms in the mail this week.  Remember 10 questions, 10 minutes is all it takes to complete the forms and return it in the provided envelope. 

 

Join us at the 2010 U.S. Census Road Tour on Wednesday, March 24from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Oak Forest Park District (15601 S. Central Avenue).  There will be guest speakers, local performances, and giveaways.

• Remember some of the ways the Census Data is used:
• Distributing over $400 billion in federal funds and even more in state funds
• Forecasting future transportation needs for all segments of the population
• Planning for hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and local health services
• Designing public safety strategies
• Planning for school projects
• Planning budgets for government at al levels
• Attracting new businesses to state and local areas

Beginning March of this year the U.S. Census Bureau's will send out a short questionnaire to every household in the U.S. and Puerto Rico in an effort to collect important demographic data. As a citizen, you are required by law to respond to the 10 short questions. From April to July, those that haven't completed their census will receive a visit at their home address from a census taker.
 

•They will not ask for your Social Security number or financial information, e.g. bank or credit card accounts.

•They will not ask you for money or say that you owe money.

•They will not harass or intimidate you.

•They will not contact you by email- only by phone, by mail, or in person.

For more information on this scam or variations of it visit the Social Security Administration's website at www.ssa.gov. Use the search function and enter keywords "email scam".
It is recommended that you follow universal safety rules-- even with U.S. Census workers. For example, avoid inviting strangers into your home, and be suspicious when someone asks for your personal and sensitive information.

To learn more about the 2010 Census and U.S. Census workers, call (800) 923-8282 or visit them online at www.2010census.gov.

 

About 56,000 census workers began hand delivering 2010 Census questionnaires on March 1 to roughly 12 million addresses across the nation, mostly in rural areas where people do not receive mail at the same location as their residence. Most of the nation's 120 million households, about 90 percent of the U.S. population, should look for their 10-question forms to arrive by mail mid-March.

We hope all residents take 10 minutes to answer 10 census questions. It is very important to our community, business develop, schooling, roadways, and more. Mark your calendar for these important dates:

 

Mid March: residents should receive their 2010 U.S. Census Package - 10 questions 10 minutes

 

March 24: 2010 U.S. Census Road Tour pulls into the Oak Forest Park District (15601 S. Central Avenue). All are welcome to join us!

 

April 1: National Census Day

 

On Wednesday, March 24, from 2 to 9 p.m., the 2010 U.S. Census Road Tour will be pulling into the parking lot of the Oak Forest Park District (15601 S. Central Avenue).   All are welcome to join us!  We will have guest speakers, local entertainment, free raffles and, of course, great census information to share with all!

The U.S. Census is in need of approximately 20 additional candidates from Oak Forest for a variety of positions with pay ranges from $11 to $19 per hour. Anyone interested in the positions must take the basic skills test as well as pass an FBI background check. It can take up to four weeks for a background check to clear. Therefore, it is important that potential candidates take the test as soon as possible and submit their fingerprints for the background check. Testing is being administered Monday, February 8 through Thursday, February 11 at 5:30 p.m. at Eisenhower High School, which is located at 12700 S. Sacramento in Blue Island. Each candidate should arrive early and bring two forms of identification to the test location.

In March, a census packet will be mailed to your residence.  Please take 10 minutes to answer the 10 questions and return the form to the government. If the government does not receive a form from you, a U.S. Census worker may visit your house to gather the information and/or verify your address. Please be cooperative but cautious. Ask to see the census worker's identification and badge before answering any questions. 

 

10 minutes – 10 questions – April 1^st is Census Day!

1.       How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?

2.      Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Questions 1?

3.      Is this house, apartment, or mobile home – (owned, rented, etc.)

4.      What is your telephone number?

5.      What is Person 1's name?

6.      What is Person 1's sex?

7.      What is Person 1's age and what is Person 1's date of birth?

8.      Is Person1 of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?

9.      What is Person 1's race?

10. Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else

 

You will be asked to answer questions five through 10 for every person living in your residence. 

 

Questions regarding 2010 Census can be e-mailed to census2010@oak-forest.org

 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has become the 150,000th partner for the 2010 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau recently announced. The U.S. Chamber joins a long list of national, local and community-based organizations that are voluntarily promoting awareness of the 2010 Census. National corporations such as Target, Best Buy and Sprint as well as nonprofits like the AARP and NAACP use their own resources to promote the census with employees, customers, members and the public. Community-based organizations, whether churches, neighborhood associations or service clubs, send the message that participating in the census is vital to ensure that the more than $400 billion in federal spending allocated annually based on census figures is fairly distributed.

In March 2010, the Census Bureau will mail or deliver more than 130 million questionnaires to households across the United States.  It is important to our community, government, schools, etc. that the quick, 10-question form be completed and returned to the Census Bureau.