‘Let your voices be heard’ It’s vital for veterans to participate in the Census; their benefits and services depend on it by Al l e n P ierl eo ni The U.S. Census Bureau has somesus ultimately funds thing to say to the nation’s veteran veteran services, which community: “Think of the 2020 include pension benefits Census as a mission-critical roll call to and employment opportunities. make your numbers known. Veterans Pre-pandemic, Wimmer’s benefit directly when their communioffice blanketed the county, spreadties are counted correctly. Tell other ing the word to veterans about the veterans how the Census impacts importance of Census participation. services they rely on.” It hosted benefits fairs and employUSAF senior master ment fairs, had a presence at sergeant (retired) and veterans events at VFW veterans service officer “Veterans and American Legion Virginia A. Wimlove to tell war posts, and visited mer would like to college and unistories, but now they emphasize that versity campuses. message. She’s need to start telling Now, with such the deputy direcoutreach prohibCensus stories.” tor of the San ited, it has turned Joaquin County Virginia A. Wimmer largely to video and Veterans Service Deputy director, San Joaquin audio conferencing Office, which assists County Veterans Service as well as posters. thousands of veterans Office “Veterans love and their family members to tell war stories,” Wimeach year. mer says, “but now they need to start “First and foremost, veterans telling Census stories. I think more should take part in the Census to be veterans would participate if they counted,” Wimmer says. “It’s imporheard from a prominent veteran at the tant that our legislators know who we front of this. Getting (retired four-star are, where we are and what we need, general) Colin Powell as a spokesman so they can appropriately allocate would be nice.” funding and resources to the commuIf Wimmer could speak directly nities where we live.” to the millions of veterans in CaliforThere are livelihoods at stake, nia, she would first assure them that Wimmer points out. Census data are the Census does not share personal used to guide the distribution of huninformation, a concern among many dreds of billions of dollars in federal veterans, she says. Then she would tax dollars, with veterans receiving urge, “Stand up, be counted and let a portion of that in a broad menu of your voices be heard.” • earned benefits and quality-of-life dividends. In a real sense, the Cen-
Virginia A. Wimmer, who served in the Air Force, now pilots veterans and their families to the services they need. Photo courtesy of Virginia A. Wimmer
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