NeighborWorks Umpqua release – ROSEBURG, Ore., (February 2, 2020)— NeighborWorks Umpqua is recruiting volunteers to help prepare taxes for Oregonians needing assistance this upcoming tax season. Thanks to a partnership with the IRS, NeighborWorks Umpqua will open free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites in Roseburg and North Bend. Due to the 2020 Economic Impact Payments (EIP), many more families may need help filing their taxes this year than last year. NeighborWorks Umpqua will provide 40 hours of online self-paced training, so no experience is needed to volunteer. After passing the IRS exams to be a volunteer preparer, volunteers will work as a team to prepare and file taxes for community members. In addition to training, the minimum time commitment to volunteer as a tax preparer is 40 hours from mid-February to April 15. NeighborWorks Umpqua is committed to customers’ safety and will follow COVID-19 guidelines outlined by the State of Oregon. The services will be contact-free; documents can be shared through a drop-off process by appointment only. Additional follow-up consultations will be done by phone. “Our generous donors and skilled volunteers enable many people to file their taxes who normally do not have the means to do so; for example, people who are minorities, students, and the homeless,” explains Michelle Martin, Director of Community and Economic Empowerment for NeighborWorks Umpqua.? A significant reason for providing these services is to help more individuals receive the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC adds dollars to the Oregon economy by giving working people more money to spend and contributes to reducing poverty. According to the Oregon Center for Public Policy, historically EITC participation has been in the 70-percentile range, which translates to over $100M in loss of economic activity in the state. NeighborWorks Umpqua hopes to increase the number of participants in the EITC by helping individuals file their taxes. Those interested in volunteering can find more information on the website: https://www.nwumpqua.org/taxes/ or call 877-527-5630.
