Meet the Boston EITC Coalition – Info Session 11-10 @ Whole Foods Cambridge

Join Boston Cares and the Boston Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition in educating low- and moderate-income wage earners about maximizing their tax returns through the Earned Income Tax Credit!

We’ll be having another one of our “Meet the Coalition” seesions where you can get more details about how to be an EITC volunteer on November 10th from 6:00-7:30pm, at the Cambridge Whole Foods, 340 River Street, Cambridge.

Also – If you are a returning Boston EITC volunteer and would like to share your experiences (good or bad) with other potential volunteers, please call Craig Far at 617-803-1679 or email him — bostontaxhelpvolunteer@gmail.com

Thanks. CF

Boston Cares

 

Voting is sexy, part 2

Today is election day!

You know the shpiel: voting is an important part of fostering healthy communities. And we’re all about that. Yada yada. So get out there and do it!

–Your local EITC Coalition

P.S. I still think this is just hilarious. And there’s more on where to vote here.

 

Boston EITC volunteer info session tonight @ Boston Cares

Join Boston Cares and the Boston Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition in educating low-to-moderate income wage earners about maximizing their tax returns through the Earned Income Tax Credit.

The Campaign is entering its eighth year of providing free tax preparation to low-to-moderate income taxpayers and increasing EITC awareness. During the tax season of 2009, Boston’s EITC Campaign served over 13,000 households to return $17.2 million in refunds to taxpayers.

Volunteer opportunities are available to help clients prepare tax returns, pull credit reports, and enroll in public benefits programs such as food stamps are health insurance.

All volunteers are welcome, and bilingual volunteers are needed. Comprehensive training is provided.

Boston Cares will be hosting an information session tonight for you to “Meet the Coalition” and get more information about how to be an EITC volunteer.

October 26th from 6:00-7:30pm. Boston Cares, 190 High Street, 4th Floor- Boston
Team EITC (scheduled to appear) – Craig Far; Christina McRorie (Disability Initiative and College Recruitment (EITC); Shauntell Foster (Dotwell); Dave Eby (photography); Judy Tyme (EITC/MBA volunteers)

 

Day of Action

Happy National Day of Action to Strengthen the Impact of the EITC and Community VITA!

Our Campaign Director, Mimi Turchinetz is currently down in D.C., participating in NCTC’s shindig.

Unable to pop by D.C. to hear their policy briefing, you say? No problem – just call your elected officials! Tell them to support funding for local VITA programs, to expand the EITC for childless workers, establish a consumer financial protection agency, and all that good stuff. You can do it from the comfort of your own home, in your pajamas if you like! No Amtrak tickets required.

 

Take action on October 21st –A note from Mimi Turchinetz

An advocacy update from our Coalition Director, Mimi Turchinetz:

Good afternoon to those who support fair taxes and economic justice –

October 21^st is the first National Day of Action sponsored by the National Community Tax Coalition (NCTC).

Please join your friends at the Boston EITC Campaign to advocate for financial equity Wednesday the 21^st.

We will be sending out an advocacy tool on Tuesday. Please e-mail or call you Congressperson in support of the following policies and legislation:

Ø       Strengthen the EITC

Ø       Expand the EITC for childless workers (HR 2454)

Ø       Establish a Consumer Financial Protection Agency

Ø       Regulate Paid Preparers

Please watch for the alert and tell your national leaders how important it is to support financial equity and the EITC for families of modest means. For more information, to receive this advocacy tool on Tuesday, to join our advocacy network, or to participate in the newly forming Advocacy Working Group, please contact me.

Thanks everyone for your continued support and action on behalf of those less fortunate.  

 

Mimi Turchinetz

Campaign Director

mimi.turchinetz.jcs@cityofboston.gov

 

Craig Far and Christina McRorie at Boston University

We’ll be talking to BU Accounting Association students about upcoming plans for the Boston EITC Campaign. Look for the Q&A session on a future Boston Tax Help podcast. -CF

Event date: 10-14-09 at 5:30 pm. KCB – 565 Comm. Ave. Rm. 107

 

call for financial coaching volunteers, part 2

Just about a month ago, I first posted about our brand-spanking-new financial coaching program, “Strengthen Your Financial Future.” Since that time, Jessica has been putting in a serious amount of overtime prepping the three sites (DotWell’s Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester, the Roxbury Resource Center, and ABCD’s Tremont Street) for this program’s October 17th launch.

But, just as a reminder, I thought I’d let you all know, she’s still taking and training new volunteers! Are you financially-savvy? Committed to financial literacy and education? Interested in year-round volunteerism?

Well, then! Fill out the volunteer application attached to this earlier post, and send it to Jessica Cook at jessica.cook.jcs@cityofboston.gov.

 

Oct 28th Financial Education Summit info, part 2

This just in:

The lovely Shauntell Foster has just informed me that she will in fact be a panelist at the Massachusetts Financial Education Collaborative’s Financial Education Summit! (It only  makes sense, really – she’s not only got that great Skills for Life program at Dotwell, but she is great at public speaking.)

So, for a chance to mingle with her, our financial coaching maven Jessica Cook, and a number of other key people in financial education, we definitely encourage you to sign up.

 

calling financial educators interested in collaboration: Financial Education Summit on October 28th

At yesterday’s Steering Committee Meeting over at City Hall, Shauntell Foster (the inimitable lovely lady over at Dotwell) brought this piece of awesome to our attention:

On October 28th, the Massachusetts Financial Education Collaborative is hosting a Financial Education Summit in the Federal Reserve Bank’s stunning New England Room. (Can’t beat that view.)

This summit will provide all the things you’d expect: breakout sessions on program information, open discussion on policy and program proposals, informational tables on current financial education programs… That, and, it’ll be a great venue for collaboration between different financial education programs.

Down to brass tacks: The event is free, and since it runs from 9:00AM until 2:30PM, it includes both a breakfast and a light lunch. (Heck yeah!) You do, however, have to sign up ahead of time, because it’s limited to the first 125 registrants. Massassets.org has the link to register.

 

Upcoming national day of action for VITA programs!

Just to keep you updated, Wednesday, October 21 2009, the National Community Tax Coalition (NCTC) is sponsoring a National Day of Action for VITA programs. This is a first-ever for NCTC! According to their website,

“VITA programs around the country will speak with one voice as we highlight the impact of community VITA; build relationships with our legislators; and advocate for NCTC policy priorities, including: funding for community VITA, regulation of paid-preparers, safe financial products for all consumers and savings opportunities for low-wage workers.”

I know, I know… there are days designated for everything now. Left handed people (I kid you not), fans of the color purple, people who look at the sun when they want to sneeze, etc. It can be a bit ridiculous. Buuuut… if you’re reading this blog, you probably already know the genuine difference that VITA programs make to their communities. So. We’ll let this particular day slide.

More about the schedule of events in D.C. can be found at NCTC’s website. Our very own Mimi Turchinetz is thinking about heading down, actually. (Interested in joining? Shoot us an email!)

Or, stay tuned for a way to be involved here on a local level. We’re thinking, calls into congresspeople? Letters? We’ll keep thinking, we promise – more on this later.

– the EITC Coalition