VITA Tax Prep Volunteers Needed
ORGANIZATION: Mid Michigan Community Action Agency
Please visit the new page to apply.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Mid Michigan Community Action Agency’s VITA programming! VITA prepares tax returns, for free, for seniors, low-income and moderate-income households. I believe this program offers incredible valuable to our community by bringing thousands of dollars back into our area to support families and the local economy. We rely on a team of dedicated and passionate volunteers to provide this service.
Below you will find an overview of the program, application process, and training process. Please note that previous tax preparation experience is not required. We provide all training, free of charge, to prepare our volunteers.
I hope you will consider sharing your time and energy with this worthwhile program. This is truly a unique opportunity to make a positive impact both on the people you serve, and our greater community!
Thank you,
Jennifer Raymond
MMCAA Volunteer Coordinator
jraymond@mmcaa.org
989-386-3805 x1024
General Volunteering & Program Info:
About VITA:
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistants (VITA) serves low and moderate income households, and senior citizens by providing free tax preparation services.
- Last year, MMCAA’s VITA Volunteers prepared hundreds of returns, and brought thousands of dollars back into Clare and Gladwin County!
- Clare County-377 State Income Returns filed for $94,582 in refunds, $4,573 EITC, $22,046 in Home Heating Credit, $71,820 in property tax credit. 228 Federal Income Returns filed for $228,126 in refunds, $78,165 in EITC, $4,471 in Child Tax Credit
- Gladwin County 113 State Income returns filed for $29,854 in refunds, $1,868 in EITC, $10,297 in Home Heating Credit, $22,931 in homestead property tax credit. 88 Federal income returns filed for $57,708 in refunds, $25,914 in EITC, $1,304 in child tax credit
Application Process:
- Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Jennifer Raymond, MMCAA Volunteer Coordinator at jraymond@mmcaa.org (989) 386-3806 ext. 1024 to request a copy of the MMCAA volunteer application
Mileage Reimbursement:
- Volunteers can request mileage reimbursement for travel to VITA training and worksites. Reimbursement is set at 51 cents/mile.
Scheduling:
- Volunteers select their own schedule/hours.
- We have a "rotating" clinic that serves 4 different sites, each for one day a week. (One site on Monday, a different site Tues, etc. Dates are listed below)
- Sites are open from 9a-4p.
- Although scheduling is flexible, we would encourage volunteers to plan on volunteering at least a few hours a week. We ask this as it seems to facilitate volunteers with the tax prep learning curve, and it allows us to provide more consistent service to our customers.
Training Info:
Training Method & Schedule:
- Training is available both in-person and online via the IRS "Link and Learn" platform. Most of our VITA volunteers complete training by utilizing both options.
- In person training is Jan 17 th-19 th, 2017 from 9a-4p at MMCAA’s main office in Farwell. Volunteers are not required to attend the in-person training, as the online option provides the same curriculum. However, we recommend that volunteers join us for as much of the in-person training as their schedule allows, as they have the opportunity to also learn from the experience of our veteran VITA preparers (some of whom have been volunteering in this project for over 20 years!).
Training Focus:
- Volunteers can choose to complete training for basic tax prep, or can opt to train for more complicated tax prep scenarios.
Site & Scheduling Info:
- Services are provided in Clare and Gladwin Counties
- Mileage reimbursement is provided to volunteers at the rate of .51/mile
- Each site is open one day/week.
Currently scheduled sites & dates:
- MMCAA Gladwin Office: Mondays (Jan 30, Feb 6, 13, 27, March 6, 13, 20, 27, April 3, 10) Closed President’s day
- MMCAA Farwell Office: Tuesdays (Jan 31, Feb 7, 14, 21, 28, March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11)
- Michigan Works Harrison: Wednesdays (Feb 1, 8, 15, 22, March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, April 5, 12)
- United Way Clare: Thursdays (Feb 2, 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, April 6, 13)
More opportunities with Mid Michigan Community Action Agency
No additional volunteer opportunities at this time.
About Mid Michigan Community Action Agency
Location:
PO BOX 768, FARWELL, MI 48622, US
Mission Statement
Mid Michigan Community Action Agency supports families and individuals byproviding access to resources and opportunities.
Visit http://www.mmcaa.org/who_we_are/mission.html to learn more.
Description
Mid - Michigan Community Action Agency serves the Central Michigan area. Visit http://www.mmcaa.org/what_we_do/ to learn more about our programs.
Want to learn more about Community Action Agencies?
The Community Services Network is made up of approximately 1,222 local, private, non-profit and public agencies that work to alleviate poverty and empower low-income families in communities throughout the United States. Most of these agencies are Community Action Agencies (CAAs) created through the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. CAAs provide services to more than 9.3 million low-income people annually in 96 percent of the nation's counties. Thus, over a quarter of the poverty line are served by CAAs each year. Among them are 2.8 million children.
Every Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) dollar leverages almost $4 of state, local and private contributions. A total of nearly $5.6 billion is administered by the CAA network to provide support, services and improvements in low-income communities.
There is no "typical" CAA. No two CAAs are exactly alike because each is governed by the leadership and specific needs of its local community. But despite this fact, there is a typical CAA approach to fighting the causes of poverty. Local agencies approach these goals by offering a variety of programs that serve low-income children, families and seniors. They coordinate emergency assistance, provide weatherization services, sponsor youth programs, operate senior centers and provide transportation in rural areas. CAAs provide linkages to job training opportunities, GED preparation courses and vocational education programs. They provide counseling to entrepreneurial development and small business incubators; from domestic violence crisis assistance to family development programs and parenting classes; from food pantries and emergency shelters to low-income housing development and community revitalization projects.
The common goal, enabling people eventually to become independent of any public or charitable assistance, engenders common CAA operating methods. The requirements of the CSBG, the expertise of state and local managers shared over a generation of training and peer exchange, and above all the observation of the outcomes of various interventions have led to similar program designs across the nation. In general, CAAs prioritize prevention initiatives and provide extended involvement with clients as an introduction to opportunities for moving the clients away from dependency on stop-gap aid. The eight goals outlined in the CSBG statute address different causes of poverty, and since each family is likely to be affected by more than one of these, the purposes of the CSBG in part, is to determine the type of coordinating role that CAAs play. The statutory goals are:
o Securing and Maintaining Employment
o Securing Adequate Education
o Better Income Management
o Securing Adequate Housing
o Providing Emergency Services
o Improving Nutrition
o Creating Linkages Among Anti-Poverty Programs
o Achieving Self-Sufficiency
Source: National Association for State Community Services Programs, Community Services Block Grant Statistical Report: FY 1998 (View the report on NASCAP's website.)
CAUSE AREAS
WHEN
WHERE
1302 Chatterton Stgladwin, MI 48624
DATE POSTED
November 7, 2016
SKILLS
- Basic Computer Skills
- ETC / Tax Assistance
GOOD FOR
N/A
REQUIREMENTS
- Background Check
- Must be at least 18
- Orientation or Training
- 4 hours/weekly during tax season only