The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) at GRACE completed its yearly services on June 15th. Provided through a partnership with the United Way, the City of Ft. Worth and GRACE, VITA is designed to help get income tax returns prepared and securely submitted to the IRS at no cost to the hard-working families they serve.
This year, the services were provided on an appointment basis and with social distance procedures that allowed families and individuals to remain in their vehicles as their refunds were being completed. This program model began in February and ran through the middle of June. In that time, 303 tax returns were prepared with over $556,800 going straight back into the hands of the families who earned the income! In addition, over $109,000 in Earned Income Tax Credits and $149,200 in Child Tax Credits were earned. These are often the return dollars that are never retrieved because of the way some tax preparers charge for returns being filed.
GRACE sincerely thanks the volunteers who worked to make this program available to residents of north Tarrant County! It simply could not have been achieved without you.
If this program sounds like one for which you would be interested in helping, please contact Stacy Pacholick, Chief Program Officer, at spacholick@gracegrapevine.org.
