My Gift to Families: Peace of Mind

by Kelvin Ceasar, Project Manager - United for Military Families
 

Give. Advocate. Volunteer. Here in the United Way office, those words are etched in our brains. Today, I want to focus in on the third word in that trifecta – volunteer.  I want to share some recollections from a special volunteer experience I had.  A couple of years ago I spent time during the winter and early spring training as a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) volunteer based out of South Sound Outreach Services.  Across the country each year, thousands of people are trained by the IRS in tax preparation.  The training covers tax filing for simple 1040 EZs and goes up to some fairly complex tax situations involving the dredged  “long form”— pretty scary stuff.  But the training is great and you are allowed to progress as far up the mountain as you desire.  I made it about half way.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable and mentally challenging experience.  In particular what made the experience so special for me and what motivates me to encourage you to take on this opportunity as well is the earned income tax credit (EITC among us tax gurus).  No I didn't earn a tax credit for volunteering (I wish!) but I was able to ensure that several single moms and hardworking couples did.

The “working poor” is routinely talked about in the circles I operate in, yet in a lot of instances it can seem like an abstract.  We know the statistics and we know, in the grander scheme, what United Way dollars are invested in but we don’t often get a chance to hear from specific individuals who have been lifted through our support. During my cycle as a VITA volunteer I met many people who were hard workers, yet struggling. They would tell me their stories as I worked through their taxes; stories about working multiple jobs or working extra-long hours at a job but still not being able to quite make ends meet.  It felt really good to spend an hour with a young couple and at the end to be able to tell them that in a few weeks they would have the money they needed to finally get the car fixed. That meant they wouldn't have to take the bus anymore, saving them an extra two hours every day commuting to and from work— two hours that they could now spend with their kids. Another precious memory is of an elderly woman who had recently lost her husband, and for the first time had to prepare a tax return on her own.  To be able to reassure her that I would take care of it and that she would be getting money back to help her get caught up on bills was something I will never forget.

All in all it wasn't a bad way to spend some of those cold, wet winter days we have here. I sincerely encourage you to take a few moments to research the VITA program. It’s a great opportunity, with a fascinating origin, for those looking to give back. Then I want you to seriously consider signing on as VITA volunteer next winter; you won’t regret it.