Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) United Way South Central Michigan

United Way South Central Michigan (UWSCMI)'s mission is to bring together the people, ideas, and resources to lead with our communities and create a flourishing, equitable life for everyone.

UWSCMI's VITA Program strives for strong, caring communities where every person is valued, thriving, and connected for the common good. Primarily focusing on serving low-to-moderate income taxpayers with a secondary focus on our rural communities, we help to bring awareness to available credits and provide free tax preparation services, that can change the story of those most vulnerable in our communities aiding them in attaining financial stability.

Our work lifts up local communities by reducing racial and economic disparities, addressing the needs of ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households in focus areas of youth opportunity, healthy communities, financial security, and community resiliency. We recognize that impoverished families are more susceptible to physical health risks, mental health challenges, job loss, housing stability, and lack of access to quality education and childcare. UWSCMI’s VITA Program primarily advances the financial security focus area not only by providing free tax preparation services, but also through advocacy to advance the economic well-being of low-to-moderate income individuals and families by ensuring our community is educated about valuable tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Michigan Home Heating Credit, and Michigan Homestead Property Tax Credit. In conjunction with providing free tax preparation services, UWSCMI works with a diverse group of partner organizations, providing financial literacy education and connecting VITA participants to other community resources such as Benefit Access Point, FAFSA assistance, credit checks, foreclosure prevention programs, BankOn, and budget management.