Hometown Huddle a Big Hit at Oakland’s Garfield Elementary School

Tax-Season Countdown

April 6, 2011 By Breana Stokes 1 Comment

There are 12 days left to file your 2010 tax returns!

From January through April, Earn It! Keep It! Save It! is preparing tax returns for low-income individuals and families in seven counties around the Bay Area. The goal of the United Way-led coalition is to help individuals and families claim their maximum benefits and refunds, especially the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which goes unclaimed by as many as 20% of eligible, low-wage tax payers each year.

Earn It! Keep It! Save It! ensures eligible taxpayers claim the EITC which be as much as $5,666 per family. For instance, Mayra Lopez and her father, both loyal Earn It! Keep It! Save It! (EKS) clients were both able to claim the EITC this year thanks to the help they received at the EKS site at the San Antonio Community Development Corp. in Alameda County.

Earn It! Keep It! Save It! is helping thousands of Bay Area taxpayers claim all the refunds and tax credits for which they are eligible.

Mayra learned about Earn It! Keep It! Save It! several years ago, while working as a volunteer for the San Antonio CDC, doing outreach and administrative work. She has been getting her taxes done for free there ever since. Mayra said, “I used to go to a family friend to do my taxes, but once I learned about Earn It! Keep It! Save It! and their knowledgeable preparers during my volunteer experience, I could see it was a perfect fit for me.”

Mayra added, “The volunteers are great at explaining how to fill out the proper documents, the tax credits that we are eligible for, and then reviewing our taxes when we are done. My dad now goes to the same site and is able to take advantage of some tax credits that he didn’t know about in the past. I recommend Earn It! Keep It! Save It! and the San Antonio CDC site to everyone that I come across.”

Learn more about Earn It! Keep It! Save It! at www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org.

Filed Under: Disaster Preparedness, Pathways out of Poverty Tagged With: Alameda, Bay Area, Earn it Keep it Save it, taxes, United Way Partners, Volunteer

Three Extra Days to File Your Taxes This Year

March 31, 2011 By Breana Stokes 1 Comment

The United Way’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It! program has been in full swing since the end of January, preparing over 20,000 tax returns in the Bay Area. We are well on our way to reach our goal of helping more than 50,000 low- and moderate-income tax payers.

Tax season is nearing a close, but taxpayers have until April 18th to file their returns this year. Why the three extra days? Friday, April 15, is Emancipation Day, a holiday observed in the District of Columbia. So tax filers rejoice! You get three additional days to visit an Earn It! Keep It! Save It! site and file your taxes.

We spoke with new client Caesarae, who had nothing but positive things to say about her experience. Until this year when her mother handed her an Earn It! Keep It! Save It! flyer, she had been a frequent customer of H&R Block.

Caesarae had only positive things to say about her experience as an Earn It! Keep It! Save It! client

Caesarae said, “It was costing me a lot of money to get my taxes done until I came to the 4C’s,” an Earn It! Keep It Save It! VITA site in Alameda County. She was expecting a refund, but nothing like the one she got. “I worked with Eric and Hazel and they were great. They were both knowledgeable and very helpful. I am very happy.”

When asked what she planned to do with her return, she said, “I can pay my mom back with my refund and have money left over. I’m moving to Colorado and will definitely be looking for free tax sites like this one there.”

You can find free tax help near you by calling 211 or visit www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org.

Filed Under: Pathways out of Poverty Tagged With: Alameda, Earn it Keep it Save it, Volunteer

Hometown Huddle a Big Hit at Oakland’s Garfield Elementary School

October 28, 2010 By Maria Stokes Leave a Comment

As United Way’s Joan Byrne pulled up to Garfield Elementary School a couple of weeks ago, she was delighted to see a farmer’s market selling fruits and vegetables right in front of the school. Many of these vegetables came from the school’s garden, which United Way, UPS volunteers and the Oakland Raiders built together during the 2006 Hometown Huddle.

Joan was at Garfield to participate in the 12^th annual Hometown Huddle, a United Way-NFL partnership that encourages volunteerism, raises awareness about childhood obesity, and encourages youth to be more active. Garfield is one of several community schools supported by United Way, which bring community services onto school campuses to ensure families’ basic needs are covered so that students can come to school prepared to learn.

This year, 45 volunteers came together to promote active and healthy living among Garfield students and their families. Oakland Raiders Nnamdi Asomugha, Khalif Barnes, Marcel Reece, Sam Williams and Joe Porter arrived early to autograph 200 reusable grocery bags, which UPS volunteers then packed with food for the students’ families. When students arrived at the afterschool event, East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC) staff and volunteers were there to help with homework. EBAYC operates a large afterschool program, where students receive homework and reading support and a range of enrichment activities.

United Way’s LIVE UNITED Ambassador Nnamdi Asomugha kicked off the festivities, speaking to the students about the importance of staying active and healthy. Afterwards, he and his teammates led everyone outside for a fun football scrimmage. Nnamdi played with one squad, while Joe Porter coached the other. Khalif Barnes was the referee, while Marcel Reece tried his hand at cheerleading, and Sam Willams fetched water for thirsty students.

Special thanks to NFL Charities and UPS, which each provided $5,000 to support the event and the school.