Local organizations and community leaders are going to raise awareness of the 2020 Census with a Census Caravan Saturday.

The Caravan will take place in hard-to-count communities that have low response rates and urge them to get counted. This event is part of the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund’s 2020 Census Week of Action.

The caravan will start at 4 p.m. at the corner of Haley Street and University Avenue and travel through various communities in east Bakersfield, some with response rates as low as 37.3 percent, compared to Kern’s response rate of 54.1 percent as of Wednesday.

The caravan of cars will then travel to Lamont for another caravan set to begin at 6 p.m and travel through the farmworker communities of Woods and Weedpatch. 

The goal is to inform residents that it’s not too late for families to be counted. Residents can complete their Census forms online, by phone or by mail. 

Historically, Black and Latino communities have been historically undercounted. If these communities are not counted, the implications are vast. If one person is missed, that person will not receive funding for the next 10 years. 

Census data determines the allocation of more than $685 billion in federal funding over the next ten years.

Residents who wish to complete their Census questionnaire online can visit, my2020census.gov or call the U.S Census Bureau directly in English: 844-330-2020 or Spanish: 844-468-2020.

The KCCC is comprised of community stakeholders, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, faith based groups, foundations and media partners. The San Joaquin Valley Health Fund aims to improve the health and well-being of residents of the San Joaquin Valley by strengthening the capacity of organizations.

Featured Photo: On April 10, 2020, Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union, celebrated her 90th birthday. Huerta stepped out of her daughters house and waved as a parade of family and friends drove by honking horns, playing and singing music and wishing the beloved leader a happy birthday. People drove by to comply with the social distancing restrictions that are encouraged to stop the spread of the Coronavirus that has spread throughout the world including the United States. Photo by Henry A. Barrios