Every 10 years since 1790, the U.S. Census has conducted a nationwide count of every resident in the United States. The U.S. Census is required by the Constitution, and serves as an important tool for allocating resources across the United States.

The 2010 Census will help communities receive over $400 billion in federal funding each year for things like hospitals, schools, job training centers, senior centers, emergency services, and public works projects.

The data collected by the census also helps determine the number of seats California has in the U.S. House of Representatives.  For the first time in the our 160 year history, California may lose an existing congressional seat if we do not have a complete count in 2010.

WASHINGTON -- En Español -- The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched this week www.PorTuMatrimonio.org, a new Web site in Spanish for couples. The Website, completely in Spanish, is the Hispanic version of the popular www.ForYourMarriage.org, although it is not a translation of it, said Alejandro Aguilera-Titus director for Hispanic Affairs of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church and coordinator of the project. The initiative responds to the bishops’ current priorities on marriage and cultural diversity with special emphasis on Hispanics.

“PorTuMatrimonio.org is a space to inspire, help and urge Spanish-speaking couples to live more fully their marriage relationship,” Aguilera-Titus said. “The idea is to help them be happy couples, committed to their vocation.”

Advice, stories, testimonials and other resources to liven up the daily life of couples are found on the site along with valuable information about common challenges for couples and how to overcome them in healthy and respectful ways.

The letter was signed by Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, chairs of the bishops' committees on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Pro-Life Activities and Migration, respectively.

The bishops urged the House and Senate to adopt legislation that ensures access to quality, affordable, life-giving health care for all; retains longstanding requirements that federal funds not be used for elective abortions or plans that include them; effectively protects conscience rights; and protects the access to health care that immigrants currently have and removes current barriers to access.

"We hope and pray that the Congress and the country will come together around genuine health care reform that protects the life, dignity, consciences and health of all," said the bishops.

For more information about the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' teaching on health care reform, visit www.usccb.org/healthcare.

Full text of the bishops' letter follows.

In California, this lead to CalWORKs: California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program. CalWORKs serves 1.3 million Californians, with one million participants being children under age eighteen. (This is why the state has more recipients compared to other states.)  The federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant supplies $3.7 billion annually for more than 575,000 families.

CalWORKs provides cash assistance to families. A family of three receives an average of $743 per month, supplemented with $350 in food stamps. The cash assistance has remained relatively static since the mid 1990's and is 17 percent lower in real dollars compared to 1997 payments. Recipients receive job skills assessment and training for employment opportunities.