HELP LOW-INCOME WORKING FAMILIES GET THE TAX REFUND THEY'VE EARNED. RETURN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO OUR NEEDIEST COMMUNITIES
Each year, millions go unclaimed because the lowest-income taxpayers don't file for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a federal anti-poverty program designed to help. In today's economy, these refunds are desperately needed to help struggling families pay for heat and food, create savings or build a better future for their children United Way is recruiting volunteers to help. Last year, this effort resulted in more than $6 million dollars in tax refunds-- money that has helped local communities while helping our neediest families.
Volunteer Description: Work one-on-one with low income working families to help them identify and apply for tax credits they're eligible for. Families will come to different sites with their tax information, and you will work with them to input the information into a software which will then give them the information on the credits they're eligible for. You will then give them the information on how to access these credits. Each family consultation takes between 60 - 90 minutes and on average each family saves $1800.
Where: We have sites in many areas in the Greater Boston area (Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Chelsea, Quincy, Lynn, Lawrence), and if you have a geographic preference that isn't represented we can work with you to find a site that's geographically convenient for you.
When: Each volunteer must go through a training to get VITA certified. This training lasts between 6-8 hours and there are training sites in Boston (Fort Point, Chinatown, and Dorchester). These trainings happen in late December and throughout the entire month of January. However if you are already familiar with the VITA software you can test out of it and expedite the training process. After you are VITA certified you can choose a volunteer site and volunteer until the last day of tax season (April 17th). There are volunteer shifts after work and weekends. We ask that you volunteer at least 20 hours between January and April.<br><br>If you're interested in this volunteer opportunity, please email Bret Carr, Volunteer Manager at bcarr@supportunitedway.org
Thanks,
Bret Carr
Volunteer Manager
United Way of Mass Bay
