MOULTRIE, Ga. — Every. One. Counts. That is the name of the recently launched Census campaign by Gov. Brian Kemp. 

In Colquitt County, the census campaign is being led by the local Complete Counts Committee (CCC). The official kickoff for the local count will be 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at the Lewis Hill Amphitheater on the Colquitt County Courthouse Square. All are welcome. Colquitt County Archway Professional Sarah Adams is helping to coordinate.

The Colquitt County CCC has been cited as an example organization by Census Bureau Southwest Georgia Partnership Specialist Sherrell Byrd, who helps all CCCs in the region coordinate promotion efforts and provides support via volunteers, personnel, and materials for census recruitment and awareness events. 

“The Colquitt County CCC is a critical partner for the U.S. Census Bureau as they know the value of the census and the importance of an accurate count in their community. They also know the value of one trusted person telling another person that the census is easy, safe and important,” said Byrd. 

This is the first time much of the census will be conducted online and it is critical that respondents know the importance of participation, according to a press release from the CCC. The kickoff on Friday is a great opportunity to hear about the importance of the census and support our elected officials. There will also be a table set up nearby to distribute promotion material packets to local businesses/organizations.  

Starting this month, the state CCC and its related partners will have workshops scattered throughout the state to showcase numerous free resources that can be used in the community to promote the census, the local CCC release said. There will be another CCC meeting later this month to plan for the final couple months ahead of Census Day in April.

The University of Georgia Archway Partnership in Colquitt County has identified work on the census as a critical part of its work and Adams has been involved with planning for nearly a year. The Archway Partnership played a crucial role during the 2010 Census in Colquitt County and continues this role for the 2020 Census. 

“Each person counted ultimately means more federal money may be bound for Colquitt County and south Georgia over the next ten years, which in turn provides a significant impact on the local economy,” the release said. 

According to an economic impact report of the Archway Partnership in Colquitt County, University of Georgia professor Jeff Dorfman — now the state fiscal economist — found that 2010 Census outreach efforts provided a better count of the local populations and resulted in a $6,187,500 economic impact. 

From giving presentations at nonprofit and service club meetings to coordinating booths and distributing materials at large community events such as the Sunbelt Ag Expo, Fiesta Latina, and Community Action Council events, Archway has had a consistently strong presence educating and encouraging residents to fill out their forms.

“It is important for Archway to exercise its substantial organizational strength in support of the 2020 Colquitt County census. Two factors, our agricultural economy and the opening in 2019 of our PCOM Medical School, make this census a challenging one for us,” said Brooks Sheldon, retired businessman in Colquitt County and member of the Colquitt County Archway Partnership Executive Committee. “Our governmental entities including county, city, hospital authority, board of education, and recreational authority will rely on an accurate count in order to plan for the next ten years. Our Archway Board committed support to the 2010 Census to excellent effect, and we are well on the way to being prepared for this one.”

Recently, the Colquitt County CCC built a float and participated in the Christmas parade in downtown Moultrie. Participants on the float included representatives from Colquitt County’s Hispanic, African American, and Caucasian residents ranging in age from young children to adults. The float won first place in the “Organizations” division and was recognized recently in front of the City Council.