Heather Bell
RADFORD – Census 2020 is underway, and the City of Radford recently kicked off its effort with a fun event.
City and Census officials recently teamed up with the Radford Public Library to hold a census party, designed to make people aware of the upcoming census. Radford Mayor David Horton, who helped host the event, said it was a fun way to raise awareness.
“The Radford Counts 2020 census kick-off event at the library was a big success in helping to start our process for ensuring that everyone in Radford is counted during the census,”said Horton. “Awareness is so incredibly important in this process, and dispelling myths and fears about the census is part of the task at hand. Helping folks understand how this benefits our community in dozens and dozens of ways from money to representation to perspective growth is Incredibly important and something we are going to spend a lot of time doing over the next few months.”
Radford resident Janiele Hamden, who is employed by the U.S. Census, was also instrumental in the kick-off event and the city’s census effort as a whole. Horton thanked Hamden and the city’s census committee for those efforts.
“I really want to thank members of the Radford complete count committee as well as the library staff and city staff for coming together to make this great event possible,” said Horton. “Janiele has been an invaluable resource with the census and has helped us find ways to continue to partner with different people in Radford and around the region to make sure that we have the best count possible.”
Hamden offered information to people who may not have attended the event.
“If you missed Radford’s Kickoff Event on Wednesday, here are some important reminders,” she said.
For questions about the Census Bureau, surveys, data products, or general information: Call the Census Bureau Customer Service Center at 1-800-923-8282 or 301-763-INFO (4636) or visit their website at 2020census.gov OR census.virginia.gov.
If a person completes the census survey in March online or in March by phone, a census taker will not come to their place of residence.
Parents and/or guardians, are reminded all children need to be counted if they live with them. If they live elsewhere, they will be counted there. If they are under 18, it is the responsibility of their parent and/or guardian to fill out the survey on their behalf. If they are under 18 and have a split residence arrangement sharing equal time, they are counted where they live on April 1, 2020. For other arrangements, they are counted wherever they live the majority of the time.
University and college students are counted where they are going to school, even if their primary address is not there. Students are not counted back home, unless they are actively living there April 1, 2020.
Please remember to call the Census National Hotline or visit their website with any questions.
Library Executive Director Elizabeth Sensabaugh thanked the Lamplighters for funding the party.
“The program was funded by the Library’s fundraising volunteers, known as our Lamplighters,”she said. “Many ‘counting’ activities, to support the theme that Everyone Counts in the 2020 census, were held for children including a counting storytime, a best guess count of candies in a jar, a treasure hunt and more.”
