SEMO Food Bank awarded grant to help improve census stats

SIKESTON — The Southeast Missouri Food Bank has been awarded grant money to help achieve a more accurate count in the 2020 Census.

The Food Bank was awarded $15,000 from the Missouri Foundation for Health to implement programs to get a more accurate count in the 2020 Census. The Food Bank’s Count Me In program will provide outreach, education and assistance in Census registration to typically undercounted populations.

“The census is very important to our mission and southeast Missouri,” said Joey Keys, president and CEO of the SEMO Food Bank. “Many resources are allocated to states and counties based on census data. The grant will help us educate our 140-member agency network on fielding questions and reaching traditionally hard to count areas. The grant also allowed us to train a staff member on fielding census questions.”

Each year, Missouri loses $1,300 in federal dollars for every adult and child that is not counted. An accurate count of southeast Missouri ensures:

 • Rural businesses get the support they need to grow, succeed, and keep workers employed.

• Health care programs and community health centers get more funding to take care of our family, friends and neighbors.

• Communities receive more funding for schools, child care and other services our children need.

• Medicare Part B is fully funded so our seniors can get the care they need, and Medicaid long term care services can help more seniors stay in their homes and live with dignity as they age.

More information about the census and how you can register is available on the food bank’s website at semofoodbank.org/2020-census/.