U.S. Census to host mobile assistance location at Shen. Ambulance building
SHENANDOAH – If you haven’t filled out your Census response, time is running out to do so, and, tomorrow afternoon, representatives from the Census Bureau will be in town to help out.
From 2:00pm to 7:00pm Wednesday, the Shenandoah Ambulance building at 229 North Main will be the site of a mobile questionnaire assistance center.
According to a release from the county, northern Schuylkill’s three main municipalities have the lowest response rates in Schuylkill County as of August 25 — Shenandoah with 38.3%, Mahanoy City with 44%, and Ashland with 50.5%. The mobile assistance location is part of an effort to get the response numbers up.
The Census count will end earlier than expected this year, ending on September 30.
County Commissioner George Halcovage emphasized in the media release the importance of responding.
“More than $675 billion in federal public funding is distributed annually using Census data. For every person not counted, Schuylkill County loses $2,000 per year,” Halcovage said. “Multiplied by 10 year years, that’s a potential loss of $20,000 per person that can go directly towards programs our residents depend on.”
Later this week, similar assistance centers will be set up in Mahanoy City, at the Good American Hose Co. on East Mahanoy Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 3 from 10am to 2pm, and at the West End Fire Co. on West Mahanoy Avenue on Friday, Sept. 4 from 3pm to 7pm.
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