United Way of Southwest Michigan’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, commonly known as VITA (pronounced VYE-tuh), said today that this year’s program helped 1,094 clients across Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties with free tax preparation and filing, returning over $1.4 million in refunds to Southwest Michigan residents, a 12% increase in refund dollars year-over-year for the program.
“This program is so integral to the ALICE population,” stated Anna Murphy, President & CEO of United Way of Southwest Michigan. “These working families may not have the time or resources to truly sit down and do the work themselves or contract a service to do the work. To know that this population is getting the support of certified volunteers to receive all of the money they are owed is heartwarming.” ALICE is the Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Educated vulnerable population United Way works to serve.
“Our volunteers are incredible. The time they take to patiently prepare clients for success is admirable,” said Sara Barlow, Impact Project Coordinator for United Way of Southwest Michigan. “Not everyone enjoys doing taxes, but we have a great group of 46 volunteers that simply want to help people. It’s just great to watch people light up with appreciation when they see their returns.”
The VITA program is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) initiative designed to support free tax preparation service for the underserved through various partner organizations. Returns are prepared by IRS tax law-certified volunteers who are trained in tax software and specific tax law issues. One of the focal points of the VITA program is raising taxpayer awareness and receipt of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). VITA was founded in 1971 and has grown to several thousand sites nationwide, partnering with nonprofit organizations like local United Ways, municipalities, and colleges and universities.
The VITA Program offers free tax help to people who make $67,000 or less and live in Berrien, Cass, or Van Buren County.
This year’s VITA program served clients during appointments at eight sites across the three-county area, including South Haven, Paw Paw, Niles, Stevensville, Benton Harbor, Dowagiac, and Cassopolis. 46 volunteers contributed over 2,060 hours of service, representing a time value of $71,667. The highest concentration of clients served were situated in Paw Paw, Benton Harbor, and South Haven.
This year’s program also carried a sense of tribute. Linda Thomson, a cornerstone of the VITA program for nearly 30 years, was honored posthumously at United Way of Southwest Michigan’s Annual Celebration in April with the inaugural Volunteer United Excellence in Service Award. During her years with the program, Linda prepared more than 125 tax returns annually, logged more than 200 volunteer hours each season, mentored fellow volunteers, and helped return more than $150,000 in refunds to the families she served. Her dedication set a standard that continues to shape the program today and serves as a reminder of the difference one committed volunteer can make.
United Way of Southwest Michigan is actively recruiting volunteers for future VITA seasons. No prior tax experience is required and training is provided. To learn more about how you can help your neighbors keep more of what they earn, contact Sara Barlow at sara.barlow@uwsm.org or (269) 982-4029.
