Shannon Ellis Will Speak on 2020 Census and Its Importance to the Northern Neck

The 2020 census and the Complete Count Committee are the subjects of the August 21st Rappahannock Indivisible—We the People open meeting. Complete Count Committees are becoming operational throughout the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.

Shannon Ellis will present an overview of the census process and discuss the importance of counting every person residing in the United States. Ellis is a Partnership Specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is based out of Richmond County, Virginia and serves the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula area. Shannon is a native Virginian and holds both bachelor's and master's degrees of science from Virginia Tech.

Almost every household will receive their “census invitation” via the US Postal Service. The invitation will explain how to respond to the questions. Those households where mail is not an option will receive invitations from a census worker. Fewer than 1% of households will be counted in person.

Since Congressional representation, distribution of federal funds, and governmental decisionmaking depend on accurate counts, complying with the census is a vital contribution made by each person. Local businesses and local and state governments also benefit from access to the data collected as part of the census. However, information provided by individuals can only be used to produce statistics; it may not be shared or used for any purpose other than those statistics. More information on the 2020 census is available at https://www.rappahannockindivisible.org/ The program begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21st at the Unitarian Fellowship of the Rappahannock, at 366 James Wharf Road in White Stone.

Mari Bonomi

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