photo by Jenny Peterson

Members of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority helped organize a Census 2010 rally on Sunday in downtown Summerville. The sorority’s members have volunteered to serve on a “complete count” committee, which will encourage all citizens to fill out and return the Census form.

photo by Jenny Peterson

The U.S. Census vehicle made a stop at the rally, enticing members of the community with its GPS technology, informational exhibits and census giveaways.

Madelyn Robinson, Summerville town planner, says that results from the U.S. Census will be a vital tool in determining the town’s future.

“Our council districts are off-balance,” Robinson said. “Council district lines will be the most direct changes (in Summerville as determined) from the census (results).”

U.S. Census forms are an important element in calculating the country's population; they are nation-wide questionnaires mailed to all citizens every 10 years. The goal is to track the entire country’s population in order to determine how much federal money goes to each state for new roads and schools and new job training centers, etc.

Results from the census also determine where to draw school attendance lines and where to provide needed services for the elderly.

Robinson said South Carolina is very close to getting a new, additional representative in the U.S. Congress, and the state will get one if all South Carolina citizens properly fill out and return their forms. This census is intended to accurately count native-born, naturalized, and undocumented citizens as well.

On Sunday, Robinson, along with Dorchester County employees and members of the Delta Sigma Theta service sorority, held a rally to help spread the word about the importance of filling out and returning the forms, which are scheduled to be mailed out in March.

There were official Census bags, shirts, water bottles, magnets, fact sheets and more at the rally, along with a large spread of food and speakers from the U.S. Census department.

A Census vehicle with GPS technology and interactive panels helped get children engaged in the process.

Robinson said the town of Summerville will send out notices in customers' water bills to remind them to fill out and return their U.S. Census forms.

“It will be a quick recap to show how simple it is and how important it is,” Robinson said. “We’re thinking of having a booth at the Flowertown Festival, too.”

Having citizens return the forms on time is an important element, according to Robinson, since U.S. Census workers call and visit homes that have not returned the form.

“We did a very poor job of completing our (Census) forms in South Carolina (last year),” said Terry Seabrook, a partnership specialist with the U.S. Census and the Summerville-area coordinator.

She is trying to decrease the amount of Census workers who must visit homes and make phone calls to people who do not fill out or return the forms.

“We’re happy to have everyone help spread the word,” Seabrook said.

To learn more about the Census, visit http://www.2010census.gov/.

Contact Jenny Peterson at 873-9424 ext. 216 or JPeterson@journalscene.com.

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