This is truly life changing for some residents, like Maria. Maria, the divorced mother of a nine-year old child, tried to do her taxes herself and discovered she owed money to the IRS. She had made an appointment to have her taxes done in South County through the VITA program and almost didn't show up, because she couldn't afford to pay what she thought she owed.
With
the help of a VITA volunteer, Maria actually wound up with a refund of $4,160.
Maria was overwhelmed with emotion upon receiving this life-changing news. Her
car was in disrepair and this refund enabled her to get her car back on the
road, with money left over to pay some bills!
Berkshire
United Way will be offering VITA services at three locations this coming tax
season—Berkshire South Regional Community Center and Berkshire Community
College, South Campus in Great Barrington, and October Mountain Financial
Advisors in Lee. We are currently looking for volunteers to fill several roles,
so we can serve as many people as possible.
If
you do not know much about taxes, don’t fret! Berkshire United Way offers
training for tax preparers and reviewers; there are also other positions, which don’t require
tax certification, such as greeting clients and serving as an interpreter. The
hours are flexible, the training is free, and the time commitment is entirely
up to you.
I
invite you to email me at jswinchoski@berkshireunitedway.org or give me a call at 413.442.6948 x36 if you are interested in giving back to your
community as a VITA volunteer. If you are interested in helping, but don’t live
or work in south county, we can connect you with our VITA partners at
additional sites throughout the county, including the Hilltown Community
Development Corporation, Berkshire Community
Action Council, Williams College, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (in
conjunction with their Business Department), and Central Berkshire Habitat for
Humanity.
I
look forward to hearing from you!
James Swinchoski
Economic Prosperity VISTA
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