Today has been A Really Good Day.

Bonnie came into the Broad Street Presbyterian Church (BSPC) OBB site in Columbus, Ohio to complete her 2009 Tax returns through the Ohio Benefit Bank (OBB). While she was in, OBB counselor Brenda Hauser checked to see if she qualified for any other benefits. Bonnie completed a Food Stamps application with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services through OBB. She also found some articles of clothing in the Clothing Closet and was able to have a onetime shopping trip through the BSPC Food Pantry. Bonnie is currently living with friends looking for permanent housing. She received a list of housing resources and additional clothing resources. Bonnie also ran into an old friend in the lobby while she was waiting to shop the Food Pantry.
Bonnie explained, "Today has been a really good day. My friend gave me a lead on some possible housing and Brenda fixed me up with some services. I don't have many good days, but today was one!" OBB Counselor Brenda Hauser remarked, "Being able to help Bonnie made me feel really good. She had been through such tough times and I am so glad that I could help her through the Ohio Benefit Bank."
Brenda Houser, Broad Street Presbyterian Church BSPC) OBB site in Columbus, Ohio

The United Way of Muskingum, Perry and Morgan counties celebrated raising $925,471 during its 2009-10 campaign at its annual banquet on March 23. On Tuesday night the organization also hit the $1 million mark of money coming back to residents seeking assistance with the free tax preparation seminars.
"That's incredible," said Amy Davis, Financial Stability Partnership coordinator. "That means people didn't have to pay and they got to keep all of their refund, and we were part of making their lives better. It's an honor and very humbling."
Davis said this is the fourth year of conducting the free tax prep seminars through the Financial Stability Partnership, an initiative of the United Way started in 2007, as well as the third year using the Ohio Benefit Bank. The local United Way has also partnered with the American Association of Retired Persons to host seminars at the Muskingum County Center for Seniors, as well as CPA Brad Wolfe of Wolfe, Wilson & Phillips.

Tax preparation sites include the Muskingum County Opportunity Center, St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Brighton Presbyterian Church, and Rolling Plains United Methodist Church. Davis said the endeavor wouldn't be possible without the help of loyal volunteers who assist at the clinic sites.

Davis said the endeavor wouldn't be possible without the help of loyal volunteers who assist at the clinic sites. "We have a wide network of volunteers from the community, and we average about 18 counselors every year who receive training through The Benefit Bank," Davis said. "It's exciting and humbling to see so many people come together to provide help to over 700 clients through the years."
Holly Richards for Zanesville Times Recorder.com
http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/article/20100401/NEWS01/4010332

In the beginning of March, at our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Site in Media, PA, we were approached by our first taxpayer who was curious about what The Benefit Bank could do for him. I sat down with the taxpayer and explained all of the different types of services Benefit Bank has to offer. After hearing about the numerous programs provided, he decided to apply for medical insurance, because he was having a hard time keeping up with his doctor/medical bills.

Then a few months later he was involved in a car accident, and was unable to afford the medical care he needed. The taxpayer was impressed by how easy the Benefit Bank was to use. He went on to explain that instead of an overwhelming paper application, the online Benefit Bank application was straightforward and very user friendly. Since, applying for medical insurance through Benefit Bank I have contacted the taxpayer several times to follow up on his progress. Although, he has not yet received his benefits, because he is still waiting for the application to be processed, he is extremely thankful and appreciative of the service that we were able to offer.

Since then, our VITA site has reached out to two other applicants, one for FAFSA and the other for medical insurance. In the final weeks of our tax preparation program we will continue to promote The Benefit Bank and help the taxpayers of Delaware County to apply for the benefits and services provided therein.
Kristen Claypoole
Americorps, Community Action Agency of Delaware County, Inc., Media, PA

This Ohio Benefit Bank story I am going to tell is about a working couple who over the past two years have faced recession issues. Though he worked though the union he lost his full-time job of 13 years and had to start “traveling” to work again. The wife had lost her full-time job of 15 years in 2002 due to a plant closing and she had gone back to college after 27 years to receive an associate degree. She started full-time work in 2003.

So in 2007 he and his wife had two W-2s for their taxes and then in 2008 they had seven W-2s and his unemployment statement due to “traveling” to be able to work.

This tax year the couple had five W-2s and again his unemployment statement yet though planning on their part the state taxes was only a $14 payment and they received a refund from federal. They are so pleased that they do not have to pay to have their taxes done as this money can be used for necessary bills.
Diane Jett
Washington-Morgan Community Action Agency, Marietta, OH

Wow, what a great tax season. The Potter's House Ministries has currently 12 counselors that have served 397 unique clients with 378 clients completing 751 applications as of March 22. Our goal for 2010 was to serve 400 families during this year. We are blessed with dedicated volunteer counselors that have put in numerous hours to serve our clients. Our clients had been so thankful for the free service though OBB. They have told us over and over again how wonderful this service is. We have a local tax agency that has sent clients to us so they wouldn't have to spend their return money on tax fees. How wonderful it is when we can "all" help our community.
Anita Casper
The Potter's House Ministries, Inc., Sciotoville, OH

The Kansas Benefit Bank in Parsons, KS is sponsored by Southeast Kansas Independent Living and assisted by Interfaith Ministries of Wichita, KS. 2010 is our first year helping residents of Labette County file their income taxes. We have assisted a wide range of individuals and families from age 20 to age 86, and our volunteers have found this project to be a very rewarding experience.

One disabled individual was filing her income taxes for the first time and the various tax credits gave her an extra boost toward self-sufficiency and independence. We also helped a couple with two children. The husband had lost his job, the wife was working in a nursing home, and they were needing to borrow money in order to make their mortgage payments. The tax credits they received gave them a large enough refund to cover a car payment, a couple of months of mortgage payments, the purchase of new tires for their vehicle, and they were able to put a little money aside for their future needs.

Robert M. O'Kelly
Southeast Kansas Independent Living, Parsons, Kansas

Last week Anne made an appointment to have an Ohio Benefit Bank counselor assist her with her federal and state income tax filing. She came in and after completing her tax forms was to get a federal refund of $111.00. Anne is married with 1 child, but was filing separately from her husband. After asking her a few questions, I told her that by filing separately she would be losing the Earned Income Tax Credit. I explained to her that if her husband would agree to come in we could file their return jointly and she would probably get a larger refund. He agreed, so they came back a few days later. Not only did they qualify for the EITC of $2,000, they also received the child tax credit. In total their federal refund was over $4,000.00.

They have filed separately for several years, and did not know that they were losing the Earned Income Tax Credit because of filing separately. Anne and her husband will be making an appointment to have their 2008 return amended, chances are that they will get a refund for last year also. Major Jim Sayer says, "This is why we provide this service, this family did not know that they could qualify, and that their filing status prevented them from claiming the EITC." Together the United Way and The Salvation Army are Doing the Most Good.

Several days later a lady named Pat came into The Salvation Army for a food appointment. She had gone to a local "professional tax preparation chain" and charged just under $300 to have her return filed. She did not have the money to pay the company, so they were deducting the fee from her refund. She still owed taxes from a previous year and her refund was not going to be returned, now she still owes the $300. Once she found out that we would have filed it for free she vowed to come here next year.
Sheryl Simmons, Administrative Assistant, The Salvation Army Marion, OH

As a tax counselor for The Benefit Bank, I was able to help a couple in Clinton County, Ohio through The Wilmington Ohio Benefit Bank learn that they would get refunds of almost $7,500 with federal, state, and school taxes combined. This couple is taking care of their daughter and grandchild and the breadwinner of the family was laid off from his job and had to work various jobs to maintain income for the family (he is now currently unemployed). Their refund will give them as much as half of what they made for the year in income and would significantly improve their financial situation. The couple had utilized The Benefit Bank in 2009 for their 2008 taxes and decided to utilize the free service again this year.

They were very pleased with the service they received and the information they found out about their taxes. They stated that they would tell others about the service that WOBB offered and would utilize the WOBB in the future.
Jane Riley, LSW, CDCA CPST
Scioto Paint Valley Mental Health Center
Criminal Justice SAMI IDDT/ACT Reentry Team
Greenfield, OH

Recently, one of our clients used the Ohio Benefit Bank Tax software to complete her taxes. She was so impressed with how easy and complete the software system was to use, she felt confident that she could use it to help others who may not be as computer savvy as she. Our client is currently signed up for OBB training and will soon be one of our OBB tax counselors at Gospel House!
Lynn McCoy
Macedonia, OH

I was about to prepare a lady’s tax return and she began telling me that times are so hard right now that she was 3 months behind on her mortgage & was about to lose her home due to her hours being cut at work and that she was supporting her adult son, his girlfriend and their 1 year old baby. After going through the questions it was determined that she could claim them as dependents, claim head of household & was eligible for the EIC. When we finally finished and I explained that her return would be in the 5,000.00 range, she began to weep and cry & thanked me and hugged me & stated that she would now be able to catch up her mortgage and repair the roof that was leaking.

After we completed the OBB transaction, I had to take a few minutes to collect myself, I went outside put both hands in the air & thanked and praised God for his grace & mercy & thanked him for the OBB and the great work they are providing.
I am proud to say that I am an OBB counselor.
Mark Perry
Fairfield Community Action, Lancaster, Ohio

As you know, the Prosperity Campaign of Hillsborough County launched a new mobile TBB site this year at MacDonald Training Center in Tampa, one of the largest sheltered workshops for people with disabilities in Hillsborough County. The Center’s mission is to help people with disabilities lead the lives they choose, and this year that included being able to have their tax returns filed for free on-site at the center. We have long known that taxpayers with disabilities are often an under-served group when it comes to free tax filing services. Many do utilize our existing sites, but it’s a small percentage compared to the total number of adults with disabilities living in Hillsborough County.

From our IRS partners we know that many of these filers may be eligible for the Earned Income Credit and are not claiming it, either because they don’t know they qualify for it and/or they’re concerned about how it might impact their income or benefits. Our goal this year was to reach more of these consumers with information and free filing help to ensure that they claimed all of the benefits to which they were entitled and that they received accurate and up-to-date information on how a potential tax refund might affect their income and assets.

We approached MacDonald Training Center because we were familiar with their highly regarded programs and knew they could help us reach out effectively to the consumers who were already using- and comfortable with- their services. They came aboard very enthusiastically, and their staff not only ensured that we had a dedicated room set aside for tax preparation services but also took on the responsibility of scheduling and confirming appointments for us. We had a site coordinator and several volunteers from Bank of America who helped out at this location. Armed with laptops and portable printers, we visited the site a number of times during the months of January, February and March and, to-date, have completed 18 returns there- not a huge number, but still one we are proud of. Just today, actually, I did a return for a gentleman whose income was not substantial enough to warrant needing to file, and who might not otherwise have done so but for the fact that he was eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit and also for the Making Work Pay credit. He left with a refund just over $600.

I think we’re most proud this year of the collaborative effort that made this possible. In addition to United Way, MacDonald Training Center and the volunteers from Bank of America playing a role, we were also fortunate enough to find a sign-language interpreter willing to donate her services - and those of her students, as she’s also a professor in the communications department at the University of South Florida- to help us prepare returns for several individuals who were deaf or hard-of-hearing. They enabled us to accommodate the needs of these taxpayers, and the students got to put what they had been learning in the classroom to the test in a real-world setting. Everyone benefited.

It is our hope that we can take the successes of this first season at MacDonald and build on them in the future to enable us to serve even more taxpayers with disabilities.
Kara Moore
Prosperity Campaign of Hillsborough County, Tampa Bay, Florida

Client Uses EITC to Reach Savings Goal

Martha C. was working under the Senior Aide program and riding the Community Action Rural Transportation system (CARTS) to her position at the Salem Library. One of the stipulations is that Senior Aides work at a particular location for a one year period and then must be transferred to another organization. Martha was limited in her travel area due to lack of dependable daily transportation and was not sure if she could remain employed if there was not an organization in the Salem area where she lived that needed a senior aide.

Martha was provided information on the By-Car program through a member of the Salem Rotary club. She contacted the Martina Grimm of the Community Action Agency concerning the By-Car program. The By-Car program is a match savings program available to assist those that are in need of a vehicle to obtain/retain employment or attend post secondary education. During her initial appointment under the By-Car program, Martha was provided information on The Benefit Bank and the tax preparation services. Martha met with the CAA staff member, Beth LaClair to assist with tax preparation and calculation of her Earned Income Tax Credit. Martha made regular monthly deposits into her By-Car savings account and then deposited a portion of her EITC into the account to reach her savings goal of $1,333. During the time that she was saving, Martha also completed 10 hours of financial and consumer education through the Community Action Agency Financial Literacy program.

These financial literacy sessions were by CAA staff members, Melissa Ammon and Martina Grimm. After reaching her savings goal, Martha worked with Columbiana Ford, a local auto dealership to locate a vehicle that met her budget and needs. Martha received match funding in the amount of $2,666 that was combined with the $1,333 to purchase a 2002 Ford Focus in March 2010. During that same month her one year commitment under the Senior Aide program with the Salem Library was over and with the use of the vehicle she was able to continue employment with the Senior Aide program because she was able to travel to another town to secure employment.

Martha also has a teenage son that will be obtaining summer employment in the evenings with the use of the vehicle and he is looking into participating in the Seniors to Sophomore program available to local high school seniors with their own transportation to enroll in college classes at a Kent State University Branch free of charge with the opportunity to graduate high school and at the same time completed their freshman year of college.
Beth LaClair
Community Action Agency of Columbia County, Lisbon OH

I have enjoyed doing the tax returns so much because I feel like Santa Claus. Everyone leaves our appointment excited and happy to get money back as soon as possible-except one man. He was pleasant and certainly easy to work with and did have a sum of money due him. I explained that if he had it direct deposited it would get to him faster. He said that was okay because he was in no hurry. I thought that unusual since his finances weren't that great and I told him he was the only person that I worked with that wasn't in a hurry for their refund. He said "then I must be the only person you worked with that owes it all back to the government".
Sandi Bernstein
Warren County Community Services, Inc., Lebanon, OH

A client came to our Urban Ministries center to receive food assistance and learned about the free tax services that were also available. For three years, he shunned the idea of completing taxes but was encouraged by a co-worker to get it done. Life challenges kept him from seeking assistance but through encouragement and support of friends, he took the next step.

Upon arriving to our site, he had already completed his 2009 taxes but asked that we do his 2008 and 2007 taxes. He had been saving the W2s in his wallet for several years. His hope an expectation was to have monies to offset taxes owed for 2009. After completing his 2007 taxes he owned a modest amount primarily because his exemptions were set so high due to the need to have extra income coming in for living expenses. After completing is 2008 return, he received a return that would cover his back due taxes for 2007 + the 2009 amounts owed. He was quite elated. We were able to offer him Food Assistance as well as access to other benefits to help his financial assistance. He was very grateful of the help and guidance.

His motto for 2010 was "I CAN DO IT IN 2010". It goes to show that it takes one person to be an encouragement and a light of hope. Had it not been for this man's co-worker he would not have been able to reap the benefits of receiving a return to cancel out the amounts owned. Fear no longer consumed him but only hope of success and betterment in 2010.

I'm now more motivated to help others and will proceed with taking the Benefit Training so that I can be of additional service to others.
Decarla Hodoh
Vineyard Urban Ministry, Columbus OH

The YWCA of Youngstown a unique organization lead by women, who express the YWCA mission of empowering women and eliminating racism. Partnership with The Ohio Benefit Bank has enabled the YWCA to expand the services offered and reach more families in need.

Ruby* is one such individual who was helped by the partnership between the YWCA & Ohio Benefit Bank. In addition to being a former foster mother who had devoted her life caring for others, Ruby is also a full-time student. She was worried about adding more debt to the money that she already owed the I.R.S. Ruby came to the YWCA to utilize the 2009 tax assistance through The Ohio Benefit Bank.

We were able to obtain all of the credits that she was eligible for, reducing the amount she owed. After discussing everything that The Ohio Benefit Bank software was able to perform, our project coordinator learned that Ruby had not filed her Ohio State taxes for the past two years. After looking over her back federal taxes, which were prepared by a former neighbor, we found that they had missed several credits that she was eligible for. The project coordinator and Ruby went on the IRS website to download paperwork and worked on filing an amendment. Together they were able to not only eliminate the money that she owed the I.R.S., but get her a refund!
The YWCA project coordinator also helped Ruby file for Food Assistance, Medical Assistance, and also directed her to one of the Second Harvest Food Banks.

*To maintain the privacy of our client, we have changed her name.
Jennie Andrews
YWCA of Youngstown, Youngstown, OH