By Eden Gordon,
Public Relations Manager, Bowery Mission in New York City

As we prepare to celebrate Easter — whether it’s attending an early mass on Sunday morning, taking children to an Easter egg hunt in the park, or even attending the Easter parade — this year we have a lot to be thankful for.

A sense of purpose and fulfillment can be brought to each of our lives through the gift of volunteering. I’ve been experiencing this gift through my work at the Bowery Mission. The level of commitment and giving is quite an investment of one’s time. With the state of our economy, pinching every penny we have, we’re also sharing more than we ever have — and it’s bringing our country closer together.

Though wars may rage on overseas and even in our own neighborhoods, we find our sense of community through the simple acts of service. I’m seeing more and more volunteers in my age bracket – late 20’s and early 30’s – losing their jobs and making the decision to serve those who have absolutely nothing. Instead of mourning the loss of their jobs, they do just the opposite. They stay connected and even learn new job skills. This month showed the highest rate of unemployment – 8.5% in March.

The Bowery Mission, over its 130 year history, has not only sheltered the men and women on these city streets of New York, but it has transformed lives. I love seeing the smiling faces of our volunteers come through the famous Red Doors of The Bowery Mission; they come with a sense of purpose — the feeling that “I’m here for a reason”; they come with hands willing to give; they come with open hearts ready to share. They put their problems aside for the moment to give to the men, women and children who come to be fed, find community and see a smiling face. We have seen a 40 percent increase in our volunteer involvement due in part to our community of young Americans who have followed the call to service. Will you join them??

** We want to know what you’re doing to give back this Easter. Click “comment” below to share your stories with FOX. **

by Bill Sammon,  Deputy Managing Editor, Washington Bureau, FOX News Channel

The Census Bureau seems like a benign enough operation, mandated by the Constitution to physically count the residents of the United States every 10 years. The next census, a massive logistical undertaking, begins next year.

So, why should we care about the Obama administration’s quiet disclosure late last week that the Census Bureau, which has long been a part of the Commerce Department, will now be report directly to the staff of the White House?

1.) The results of the census determine the decennial redrawing of Congressional districts. In other words, the census has tremendous political significance. Political parties are always eager to have a hand in redrawing districts so that they can maximize their own party’s clout while minimizing the opposition, often through gerrymandering.

2.) The census determines the composition of the electoral college, which of course chooses the president. If one party were to control the census, it could arguably try to perpetuate its own hold on political power.

3.) The results of the census are enormously important in another way – the allocation of federal funds. Theoretically, a political party could disproportionately steer federal funding to areas dominated by their own members through a skewing of census numbers. (A cynic might liken this to buying votes.)

4.) How, exactly, can census numbers be skewed? After all, a physical count is a physical count, right? Well, not exactly. Democrats have long advocated using mathematical estimates, a practice known as “sampling,” to count urban residents and immigrants. Republicans say the Constitution requires a physical head count, which entails going door-to-door.

5.) How much do such counting rules really matter? Well, just ask Utah Republicans, who recently lost out on a bid for a fourth congressional seat in the nation’s most conservative state. The GOP took the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, but fell short by a few hundred votes because the Census Bureau wouldn’t count Mormon missionaries from Utah serving temporarily overseas.

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