Jane is a single mother of five who first walked through the door of the Earn It! Keep It! Save It! free tax preparation site at Community Action Marin in 2009. United Way and Community Action Marin have partnered for several years on Earn It! Keep It! Save It!, offering free tax assistance and asset-building programs to thousands of low-income Marin residents.
The Earn It! Keep It! Save It! volunteer tax preparer helped Jane claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and a refund of more than $5,500 last year. Through her visit, Jane was introduced to other programs offered through Community Action Marin’s Prosperity Partners, which are further improving her financial situation.
Jane participated in financial management classes and enrolled in the Individual Development Accounts (IDA) matched-savings program. She is now saving money, receiving matching funds for every dollar she saves, enabling her to more quickly reach her goal of going back to school. Jane hopes post-secondary education will help her gain the skills necessary to earn a more competitive salary to support her children.
Further discussion with Jane revealed she was paying overdraft fees on her checking account. Prosperity Partners was able to offer her a prepaid debit card, which eliminates overdraft charges. She now uses this card to manage her money and pay bills.
Jane now has hope and motivation to go back to school and move toward financial stability for her and her family.
Building on our existing partnership, United Way and Community Action Marin are working together to launch the SparkPoint Marin Center this year to help even more families like Jane’s. The Center will bring a full-range of resources together at one location to help low-income families easily access the tools and support they need to move toward financial stability. Learn more about United Way’s SparkPoint Initiative.
