Group has guide to help rural places with census

As the 2010 U.S. Census gets under way, rural communities are in particular need of accurate counts. "Each person represents around $1,200 in federal funding for their community for services such as schools, hospitals and transportation," the Main Street Project, the nonpartisan arm of the League of Rural Voters, reports. "That’s more than $10,000 per person and more than $40,000 for a family of four over ten years."

The Main Street Project "works to document the strengths and challenges facing people in increasingly diverse rural communities, give voice to their hopes and aspirations, and provide creative and practical tools to turn possibilities into realities," their Web site reports. In preparation for the 2010 Census the group has released a guide for helping your community receive an accurate representation. "Communities lose around $1,200 every year in federal funds for each person who goes uncounted," Steven Renderos, organizer with the project, told the Daily Yonder. "Many of the people in these communities will be unlikely to participate unless they get information from organizations and leaders they know and trust." (Read more)