Volunteers to help attendees fill out forms at coffee shop’s Greenup grill-out
COVINGTON, Ky. - The Covington Census Committee is “crashing” Bean Haus Too’s community grill-out on Saturday in an effort to raise Census participation rates in surrounding neighborhoods.
The grill-out runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature free food, such as burgers, hot dogs and salad. It is the second that Bean Haus owner Tim Eversole is holding at 1316 Greenup St. to get to know his neighbors ahead of the new coffee shop and bakery’s pending opening.
But this cookout will also feature an important public purpose: 2020 Census volunteers will pass out instruction sheets in English and Spanish (plus “swag bag” rewards) while helping attendees use their phones to fill out the Census forms.
“We need the numbers to go up, especially in the surrounding Eastside and Helentown neighborhoods,” said City Commissioner Michelle Williams, who is leading the City’s effort. “Millions of dollars in federal funding is allocated based on population, and we need to make sure every Covington resident is counted.”
As of Thursday, the nearby Census Tract 671, for example, has recorded a low 36.2 participation rate, with the City as a whole at 54.4 percent. In comparison, Kenton County is at 67.8 percent and the state at 63 percent.
People who do fill out a form will receive a “swag bag” with things like water bottles, coffee mugs, and lip balm, Williams said.
Eversole said the first cookout two weeks ago had attracted 250 people by 5:15 p.m.
“It’s a neat neighborhood,” he said. “The cookout is our way of giving back. Hopefully, we can open at some point in the near future.”
About Bean Haus Too
Eversole bought the vacant building in fall 2018 and said its renovation is about 95 percent complete. The first floor will be a coffee shop and bakery that will sell onsite and also wholesale to other restaurants. The second floor will include additional public seating and a conference room.
Bean Haus Too on Greenup will join the popular Bean Haus Bakery & Café in MainStrasse Village.
About the Census
Forms can be filled out via paper, phone (1-844-330-2020), and online at 2020census.gov. Two options are presented: for people who have a geographic-specific access code and those who don't.
The form only takes a few minutes to fill out, and all answers are confidential.
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