ESCANABA — Residents of Delta County’s townships will be able to complete the 2020 United States Census while enjoying a free lunch later this year, thanks to a grant-funded initiative organized by the Complete Count Committee of Delta County.

The committee, which is a partnership between government and community organizations and individuals, aims to ensure the 2020 census count in Delta County is as accurate as possible. It uses local knowledge, influence and resources to develop census related-ideas, identify budget resources, evaluate risks and educate people on the importance of the upcoming census.

Delta County Commissioner Theresa Nelson, who is a member of the Complete Count Committee, said the committee analyzed data from the 2010 census. Spots in Delta County where Nelson said census participation was particularly low that year included the Garden Peninsula and southern Escanaba.

“The south side of Escanaba surprised everybody,” she said.

The committee reached out to local townships to seek their assistance in boosting census participation. Additionally, Workforce Services Manager for Michigan Works’ Escanaba office Darren Widder successfully applied for a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Marquette County, Community Foundation of the Upper Peninsula and Grow and Lead in late October last year. Locally, the Community Foundation for Delta County will serve as the fiduciary for the funding.

Nelson said, in a series of events supported by the funding, volunteers will be able to help people complete the 2020 census at township halls with internet access in Delta County.

“We need volunteers for this that are trained and can help people do the census online,” she said.

Efforts are underway to find an alternative for township halls that do not have internet access.

“We’re also looking at utilizing the Educational Access Network,” Widder said.

Funds from the grant will be used by townships to encourage people to stop by and fill out the 2020 census.

“We will give each township that has internet access in their town hall … $250 of this grant money to pay for food,” Nelson said, noting many townships would not be able to offer this incentive without financial support from the committee.

The events are likely to take place on different days in different townships.

“The townships are going to set the days and the times,” Nelson said.

Widder said the events will be able to start by mid-March and should be wrapping up by the end of July at the latest.

A meeting of the Complete Count Committee will be held in the boardroom of the Michigan Works office in Escanaba at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5. At the meeting, committee members will hear from township representatives and learn about upcoming food distribution opportunities where census information could be provided.

Nelson encouraged anyone interested in volunteering at upcoming census completion events to attend this meeting.

“Please come to that meeting and let us know that,” she said.