Count and Be Counted

by Toni Locke

This is the year of the census—2010. It's time to be counted. Only about two-thirds of Oakland's residents were counted in the 2000 census, Norman Brown, regional director of the Census, told the "Summit on Aging" gathered at Lincoln Court on January 27. He was speaking to twelve agencies for, of, and by seniors that had come together to plan action on a range of issues. He wants to put everybody in the picture in 2010, including seniors. Being counted would be a start. Mr. Brown lives in the Dimond, and only had to step across the street to Lincoln Court (corner Lincoln and MacArthur) to join the group.

'A concentration of senior housing made the Dimond a natural location for the meeting: Beth Asher on Dimond Way (49 units), on MacArthur Blvd. the Altenheim (93+80), Adel Court (30), and most recently Lincoln Court (82). Well-established agencies manage these complexes: Eden Housing, Satellite Housing, and Self-Help for the Elderly. Fortunately for the community, they were all represented at the "summit," ready to share and be active on public issues, as were these organizations: the Dimond Improvement Association, the City of Oakland Human Services, the Oakland Commission on Aging, Oakland Unified School District Adult Education, United Seniors of Alameda, District 4 City Council Office. Beverly Kravatz of Self-Help for the Elderly, the agency that manages Lincoln Court, was in charge of the three hour session.

"We count," declared Ishebe Carmichael of the Altenheim. "We must learn to be the squeaky wheel."

The United States has made a count of all its residents every ten years since 1790, Norman Brown told us. Federal funds in the amount of $400 billion go to states and communities every year based on the count. Data are used to determine location of schools, hospitals, and new housing, boundaries for state and local legislative and congressional districts, and much more.

The 2010 census needs to include elders, sixty-five and over, whose numbers are predicted to be doubled by 2030. Today in Alameda County over half of them do not have enough income to meet their basic needs, much less the range of special needs. A new census count will establish their numbers, providing a sound base for organized strategies to meet the crisis now confronting them as the already inadequate social safety net they had is being ripped away.

'As the March Metro hits the stands, the Census office in Oakland will still be taking applications for part-time jobs that pay $22 an hour for those qualifying for a four-day training. Through the mail by April 1, 2010, all households should have in hand the questionnaires. Households should complete and mail back the questionnaires upon receipt. There are 10 questions that should take about 10 minutes to complete. In May through July the census workers will go out and collect the data from all those who have not responded.'

If you want to do more than mail your own questionnaire, you can apply to be a census worker by calling the Oakland office at 250-4340. When I called I got, not a menu, but a clear, helpful human being with the answers. You can also go to www.2010censusjobs.gov; or call toll free: 1-866-861-2010. Look for future stories about seniors in action.