Family Fun and Facts: Salsa for Your Census

By Chelsey Panchot
Contributing Writer

The cities of Fargo and Moorhead have people hard at work distributing information about the US 2010 Census to ensure an accurate count. Included in these groups are two non-profit organizations, Centro Cultural de Fargo-Moorhead and People Escaping Poverty Project (PEPP.)

These non-profits are hosting an all day family event: Salsa for your Census. The event is taking place this Saturday, Feb 27, at Centro Cultural starting at 10 am Entertainment, great information and job opportunities with the census will be available. Everyone is welcome!

When the event opens at 10 a.m. children can enjoy coloring books, face painting, cookie decorating and refreshments.

The second part of the event, starting at 1:30 pm, involves tips, tricks and administration of the census job test. Helpful hints are provided to teach you how to take and pass the test. It’s especially important to have a diverse group of census takers with a variety of skills, including the ability to speak a second language. If this sounds like you and you’d like to make some extra money, stop by.

Finally to close out the evening, at 7 pm, DJ Ren from the Twin Cities will be set up so you can salsa the night away for the census. You can also enjoy taco-in-a-bag and the chance to win prizes in the free raffle. Everyone is welcome at this event, so grab some friends and salsa for your census!

So, why all of the hype about the census in a day of family fun? Well, basically because the census has an effect on your entire family, whether you’re a college student living in the area for school, a New American family trying to obtain citizenship, a Fargo-Moorhead native or any combination and anything in between.
If you’ve ever gone to the hospital, public library, school, received grants or financial aid or used our city’s roads, bridges or emergency services; then you count!

The census affects how over $400 billion is distributed across the nation to fund services, facilities and infrastructure such as those just mentioned. You directly have an effect on the care we receive in hospitals, the type of roads we drive on and the schools you or your children attend, plus much more. You can make your community a better, safer more enjoyable place by being counted!

It’s important to understand that all census information is deemed confidential, no personal information such as social security numbers is collected and that regardless of citizenship or student status, if you live here when the census is distributed, then you’re counted here.

So come out for a day of fun, mingle with friends; enjoy good food and salsa for your census!

If you are interested in learning more about the US 2010 Census and how it affects you visit: http://www.2010census.gov. Also feel free to join our Facebook group for updates and contests: ‘It’s In Our Hands - Census 2010.’

The Census will be delivered to your mailbox sometime in March. Simply fill out the 10 questions (seven if you live on campus) and return it, in the postage-paid envelope, by April 1st.

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If You Go

What: Salsa for Your Census
Where: Centro Cultural de Fargo-Moorhead
When: Sat, Feb 27, 10 am–11 pm
Info: 218.236.7318