By Kristen Diaz, Pennsauken 2020 Census Complete Count Committee

In March and April 2020, households across the country will receive mailed invitations to complete the 2020 Census. Why should you bother filling it out?

If you would like afterschool programs for the children in your life; emergency medical care for the senior citizens you love; enough fire stations to keep your block safe; or companies to bring you new job opportunities, then completing the 2020 Census is for you.

The 2020 Census will ask you just nine questions, including the age, sex, ethnicity, and number of people in your home, so that Pennsauken will get the funding we are entitled to from all levels of government for the number of people who live here. Your answers to the Census will provide the data that Pennsauken Township and Camden County will use to determine where we need new roads, schools, and fire stations. Companies also use the information gathered by the Census to learn where they will find enough workers to staff new stores and to learn which products would serve Pennsauken residents best.

Finally, Census numbers will be used to make sure that our congressional district and our state have the right number of representatives in the New Jersey and federal congresses.

So, if you want to be accurately represented in government and would like to see health, education, and work improvements, keep an eye out for the Census invitation; and when it arrives, complete the Census. Because the Census can make a huge difference.

For more information about the 2020 U.S. Census, visit 2020census.gov.