Organizers of the U-S Census are preparing for the start of the mandated population count early next year.

The Saginaw Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is among local organizations urging full participation. Sorority Connection Chairperson Lisa Coney says that’s because so many governmental services or financial allocations depend on how many people are counted in a given area.

Coney added besides filling out and returning your own form, you can also encourage others to do the same or work on forming partnerships with different groups of residents or organizations.

Coney spoke as part of a “Road to the Census” event Thursday at the Saginaw YMCA which featured Chicago based Census Partnership Specialist Linda Clark.