Justice Hobson speaks at a recent meeting of Southside Community United for Change at Lincoln Library about the importance of an accurate census count. Hobson works with Robin Grantham at PCCEO. Seated to the right of Hobson is Robert Johnson, board president of SCUC.

The census 2010 undercount in Peoria County cost $54 million a year in lost revenues, according to Robin Grantham, community development & engagement manager with PCCEO.

“We have to make sure our population is accurately counted. We need to reach the hard-to-count –– the mobile, homeless, immigrants,” she said. “Trump has scared them with citizenship questions and has intimidated marginalized communities. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is coming forward, realizing the importance of this count.”

Justice Hobson, who works with Grantham at PCCEO, said, “People are scared, especially immigrants and undocumented. But remember, all information is confidential by law and there are just nine questions.”

Hobson is out in the community meeting people at libraries, community forums and grocery stores.

Important dates to remember: March 1, census forms go online; March 12 to 20, people will receive official census mail; April 1, people can respond online, by phone or by mail; May – July, households that have not responded will get visits from official census representatives. Go to www.census.gov for more information.