NANAY President Joins Governor-Appointed 2010 Census
Statewide Complete Count Committee

Miami, Florida - March 29, 2009

Dr. Joy Bruce, NANAY President representing the South Florida Filipino-American community, was among the diverse, 45-member 2010 Sunshine Census Complete Count Committee appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to ensure an accurate count of every resident in Florida.

Two other Filipino-Americans appointed to the committee were Leilani Fontanilla representing Filipino-American organizations in Central Florida, and Belinda Keiser, Vice Chancellor of Community Relations and Student Advancement for Keiser University in Fort Lauderda.

?The diversity of Florida?s cultures, backgrounds and experiences is quite possibly our greatest strength, and we must do all we can to ensure an accurate count of every Florida resident during the 2010 Census,? Crist said.

Structure: The Complete Count Committee is the backbone of the 2010 Sunshine Census. The Committee members represent Florida?s diverse geography and population, as well as many organizations throughout the state. Every member on the committee offers a unique perspective and will help ensure many different channels and mediums of exposure. These people represent various groups and will help reach specifically targeted groups and communities.

Objective: Every effort has been made to create a team that mirrors the diverse population of Florida. Together we will develop an outreach strategy that ensures every resident in Florida is counted and avoids an undercount in the 2010 Census. Our campaign will inform, enlighten, and inspire the residents of Florida to be counted in the 2010 Census. In working with the Complete Count Committee, we will be able to reach different demographic groups that reside in Florida.

Target Market: Ideally, the target of the initiative would be every man, woman, and child who live in Florida. To help achieve this goal, we will focus on the hard-to reach populations of Florida. These groups include African-Americans, migrant workers, Hispanics, immigrants, children, Asian-Americans and young adult males. Historically, these groups have had a low response rate to the census; therefore, the Complete Count Committee will focus on identifying strategies for reaching these hard-to-reach populations.

The 2000 census counted about 15.9 million people in Florida and 281 million people nationwide.
That allowed Florida?s U.S. House contingent to grow by two seats in 2003 to 25, based on newly drawn district lines for the November 2002 elections.

Following is a timeline of how the 2010 U.S. Census will proceed:

-- During February and March 2010, census questionnaires will be mailed or delivered to every household in Florida;

-- April 1, 2010, is the deadline for the questionnaires to be returned by mail;

-- Between April and July 2010 census takers will visit households that do not return a questionnaire by mail;

-- In December 2010 the Census Bureau will deliver state population counts to the president to begin the process of dividing the 435 House seats proportionately among the 50 states.

NANAY Community Center, currently undergoing renovation and temporarily located at 915 N E 125 Street Suite 203, North Miami,. is a registered 2010 Census Questionnaire Assistance Center and ?Be Counted? Site in  South Florida.

 For more information on 2010 Florida Census, visit: http://www.sunshinecensus2010.com