You are Caribbean and You Count!!!

Red Carpet Shelley is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to raise awareness of the 2010 Census and to help achieve a complete and accurate count of the growing and changing U.S. population. Specifically, redcarpetshelley.com is partnering with the U.S. Census to ensure that Caribbean Americans are completely and accurately counted in the upcoming 2010 Census. This can be achieved by answering Question #9 with your ancestry and/or country of origin. Remember, each and every Caribbean counts!!

The partnership is part of a larger effort by the Census Bureau to increase participation in the 2010 Census. Census data directly affect how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is distributed to state, local and tribal governments, and are used to distribute congressional seats to states.

As an organization that serves the informational needs of the community, we are dedicated to ensuring every Caribbean citizen and noncitizen understands the importance of participating in the 2010 Census, said Shelley Maxwell, Founder & President, Redcarpetshelley.com. We are honored to partner with the Census Bureau on this critical initiative and are committed to help increase overall participation in 2010.

RedCarpetShelley.com will help deliver information to the general public and many of the hard-to-count and undercounted groups, such as immigrants, migrant workers and ethnic populations. In addition, RedCarpetShelley.com will help to educate the public about the safety of census data. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents answers with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities. All Census Bureau employees take an oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

With the help of our 2010 Census partners such as redcarpetshelley.com the Census Bureau has a far greater chance of reaching every U.S. resident than if we were to attempt this monumental task alone, said Linda Baptiste of the Census Bureau. Through its unique role in the community and surrounding areas, Red Carpet Shelley can help to frequently deliver the 2010 Census message to a large and diverse audience.

Census data are used for legislative and congressional redistricting, as well as to determine funding and locations for schools, housing, child-care centers, shopping centers, roads and more. These improvements can have a significant impact on the lives of everyone in the community.

One of the shortest census forms in history, the 2010 Census form asks 10 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Census forms will be delivered or mailed to households in March 2010. Census Day is April 1, 2010, the official day of the population count. Households should complete and mail back their responses upon receipt. Census workers will visit households that do not return their forms to take a count in person.

We move forward when you send it back. For more information about the 2010 Census, visit 2010census.gov.