The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Group plans census next steps
Complete Count Committee works to raise awareness for accurate count, reports work
Census preparation, organization and promotion is the big talk in Lorain County, according to Lorain County Complete Count Committee officials.
The committee, which is working to raise awareness about the importance of Lorain County getting an accurate 2020 census count, met March 5 and reported on progress and next steps before Census Day arrives on April 1.
Richard Romero, census partnership specialist for Lorain County, said the work that the county is putting in has gained momentum on a national scale.
“Lorain County is recognized on a national level in the census community,” Romero said.
“They’re doing amazing stuff, and something special is happening in Lorain County, that’s for sure.”
In addition to hanging up and passing out flyers, starting social media campaigns and organizing census events, the census committee is preparing to hire a temporary census coordinator.
“We estimate at least a thousand children in Lorain County will go uncounted if we don’t intervene.” — Jackie Boehnlein, Lorain County Community Action Agency
That person would help with the cause, according to Victor Leandry, executive director of El Centro de Servicios Sociales Inc. and member of the Lorain subcommittee.
“That person would be more in charge of going to census meetings, trying to gauge what you need, trying to get the resources that you need,” Leandry said.
The position also would be kept on a month after the census number collection ends to help coordinate a celebration and compile a report on the initiatives of this year’s census committee, he said.
Leandry said he met with the Nord Family Foundation on Feb. 28, which donated funds to use for the position.
The Community Foundation of Lorain County also donated funds, he said.
Now, with a job description already written, Leandry said there are two potential organizations he is eyeing that would house the contracted employee.
An accurate count
Lorain County Commissioner Sharon Sweda said this position is vital for recording an accurate census count.
“We do know that this is going to be 24/7, and it’s our one shot,” Sweda said. “We won’t have a do-over, we won’t get to go back and correct mistakes for 10 years.
“It’s critical that we have somebody who can be all in. We need somebody who can literally take this, execute it, sleep, breathe census until we accomplish our mission here.”
Subcommittee initiatives
The complete count committee subcommittees also gave their reports for what is being planned so far and what is on the table.
Lorain
For the Lorain subcommittee, Darlene Dowell, of the committee and administrative assistant to the Lorain safety-service director, said there are plans to wear promotional shirts every Friday, create a YouTube video and reaching out to new businesses in downtown Lorain to post flyers and posters in their windows.
As for census event plans, utilizing the Lorain Palace Theater, United Way of Greater Lorain County and the Ariel on Broadway hotel all are on the table for events ranging from films to health fairs.
Elyria
As for Elyria, the subcommittee is working to engage churches on the city’s south side to participate in Census Sunday and distribute posters in the community.
Suburbs
The suburb committee is working to institute a challenge between Avon and Avon Lake for who can get the highest count rate between the two.
In 2010, Avon beat out Avon Lake by a 10th of a percent.
Ted Esborn, member of the committee and economic development director for the city of Avon Lake, said all four mayors will mention the census during the North Coast Chamber of Commerce’s State of the City addresses March 12.
Additionally, Esborn said he found that Kipton has the lowest turnout rate in the county.
Oberlin
The Oberlin subcommittee also is working with churches and businesses in the city’s downtown to promote the census with flyers.
Two hiring events for census workers will take place in the next two weeks in the city.
One of those events is for Oberlin City Schools students who are 18 years old who wish to work for the census.
Oberlin Schools has circulated census information, and the subcommittee will meet with Oberlin College’s census committee March 18.
Faith-based and health
University Hospital has representatives on the subcommittee to help promote the census through flyers and by educating staff.
One initiative on the table now includes adding census messaging in discharge letters and paper notifications sent out by the hospital.
Social services and community
The social service and community subcommittee has utilized community service block grant funds to post 14 billboards around Lorain County.
Additionally, organizations in the subcommittee will re-post a photo frame through social media accounts on April 1 to raise awareness for the census.
Jackie Boehnlein, president and CEO of Lorain County Community Action Agency and member of the subcommittee, said the main area of population the subcommittee is focusing on is children.
“Children are actually one of the populations that, actually they are the population, that gets the most under-counted,” Boehnlein said. “We estimate at least a thousand children in Lorain County will go uncounted if we don’t intervene.”