$879,372 reclaimed for wallets of local seniors and low-income residents;
your United Way is program’s “main supporter”
Hope. Security. Stability. That’s what the Hudson Valley CA$H Coalition provides for those in need.
Through free tax preparation for qualifying seniors and lower income families, Coalition members work to find Earned Income Tax Credits for those eligible, helping to put money back in the pockets of people struggling to make ends meet.
“This program is recognized federally as the largest anti-poverty program in the United States,” said Mary Marshall, Director of Catholic Charities Community Services in Dutchess County and Chair of the Hudson Valley CA$H (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) Coalition, which encompasses Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties.
Some taxpayers do not realize they may qualify to claim those credits when their taxes are filed. Then, too, many can’t afford to have their taxes prepared by a professional in order to claim those funds. That’s where the CA$H Coalition steps in.
Last year, tax preparers working with the five-year-old program enabled 2,333 residents to receive $879,372 in credits, which made a $1.32 million-dollar impact in the Dutchess County economy since much is spent locally.
United Way provides program support
Yet such dramatic results would not have been possible without the help of United Way of Dutchess County and the various community business, organizations and agencies that support the Coalition. “United Way has really been the main supporter of securing grants for us,” said Marshall. A recent $82,540 grant enabled the Coalition to buy equipment and supplies for tax preparation sites as well as extend its community outreach.
More than that, United Way of Dutchess County provides support services for the program, including making the
2-1-1 health and human helpline available to handle caller appointments and questions, as well as supplying needed manpower.
“It’s not just about doing a free tax preparation,” said Marshall, for not only do qualifying consumers get a refund but those dollars are spent on products and services that support the local economy. There’s more. The tax refunds are not charity or a handout; they are money returned to those who earned it. “You give them empowerment,” said Marshall of program participants. “You make them feel good. It’s great.”
