Sometimes helping a neighbor begins with something as simple as giving your time.
By Angie Matthiessen, Chief Executive Officer
There are some United Way programs that are especially close to my heart, and our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is one of them.
Maybe it’s because I love seeing what happens when people come together and simply decide to help a neighbor.
Imagine volunteering a few hours of your time and helping a local family keep an extra $300 in their pocket. For someone working hard to make ends meet, or a senior living on a fixed income, that $300 can mean groceries, a utility bill, a car repair or a little breathing room for an unexpected expense.
That is the power of VITA.
Each year, United Way Charlotte County brings together volunteers who give their time and talents to provide free tax preparation for local ALICE households—those who are working but still struggling to afford the basics—as well as seniors throughout our community.
And right now, we need more neighbors to join us.
VITA volunteers serve in several different roles. Tax preparers help individuals and families complete their returns and make sure they receive the tax credits and deductions for which they are eligible. Greeters’ welcome taxpayers, help them get organized and make sure they have what they need. Spanish-speaking interpreters help make the experience comfortable and accessible for taxpayers with limited English proficiency.
And here is the part I especially want people to know -- you do not have to be a tax expert to volunteer.
VITA provides comprehensive training and IRS certification, along with the materials and support volunteers need to be successful.
What makes this program so special, though, goes beyond the tax returns.
VITA has become a community of volunteers who come together year after year. They build friendships. They learn from one another. They share stories. And they know that the time they are giving is making a difference for someone right here in Charlotte County.
Last tax season, our VITA volunteers gave approximately 2,800 hours of their time and prepared more than 1,100 tax returns for local ALICE households and seniors.
They helped taxpayers save an average of $300 in tax preparation fees and helped eligible clients claim more than $512,308 in Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit benefits.
Altogether, the combination of tax preparation savings, refunds and credits returned to taxpayers, and volunteer service generated an estimated $1,774,571 in economic impact for our community.
Those are impressive numbers.
But behind every number is a person.
A parent who can pay a bill.
A senior who has a little more room in the budget.
A family that can put something aside for an unexpected expense.
That is why I love VITA. It is a wonderful example of what happens when we use what we have—our time, our talents and our willingness to help—to make life a little easier for someone else.
Bar none, the greatest reward is knowing that you showed up for your neighbor.
If you have ever thought, I’d love to volunteer, but I’m not sure what I could do, VITA might be the place to start. You don't need to know everything. You simply need to be willing to learn, to serve and to help.
Sometime making a difference isn't complicated.
Sometimes it looks like sitting across the table from a neighbor, helping them complete a tax return and knowing that when they walk out the door, they have a little more money in their pocket and a little more breathing room.
Neighbors helping neighbors. That’s what United Way is all about.
If you are interested in becoming a VITA volunteer, I encourage you to visit www.unitedwayccfl.org/vita26 to learn more about volunteer opportunities and our upcoming training.
For more information about United Way Charlotte County’s mission: Mobilizing the power of our community so all can thrive, please contact Angie Matthiessen, Chief Executive Officer. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.