VITA is Vital Resource for Low-Income Families

Wow! Isn’t it great when a plan comes together … and when it makes a big difference in people’s lives? The Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS) administers the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in the state. It recruits volunteers to do free income-tax preparation for low-income families and, most importantly, ensure that families have made the most of their deductions. The results for the 2017 tax year have just been tabulated, and the bottom line is that VITA put more dollars back in CT families’ pockets than ever before. Here are the stats:

• 675 people volunteered to prepare income-tax returns for free
• 59 sites throughout the state were open to the public needing tax assistance
• 16,216 income-tax returns were processed
• $25,207,124 in federal refunds were recovered
• $7,984,701 in earned income tax credits were recouped

These extra dollars coming back to low-income residents … many of whom are one paycheck away from homelessness … help them continue to cover vital expenses like rent, food, childcare and healthcare. Thanks, CAHS and VITA for giving these families a bit of a financial cushion. They can really use it!

On behalf of CAHS, Gloria Caesar accepts a Liberty Bank Foundation check for continued support of the VITA program. At left is Mike Helfgott, Liberty Bank Foundation Chairman, and at right is Liberty Bank President and CEO Chandler J. Howard.