As part of our expanding financial coaching program, we have contracted with an accounting professional to help our Members complete and file their income-tax return at no cost to the Member.
With the help of generous volunteers and dedicated staff who have been willing to work six days per week, we expect to help 400 individuals file their tax returns this season between Members at our Downtown office and employees at six Workforce Connection locations.
Ebony (pictured at right) is one of a handful of Members who have taken this opportunity to complete their tax return on their own, utilizing the accounting professional merely to review their work – another milestone as they become financially self-sufficient.
No matter how involved a Member is in the filing process, the service has been an insightful introduction to our financial coaching program.
“It is an opportunity to ask how they plan to spend their refund and start talking about a spending plan for the year,” said Lisa Mauthe, Director of Advancement & Financial Wellness. “Maybe we can pull a credit report and address collection issues, or help them understand they can build credit without going into debt.”
The tax program is one of many ways Mauthe is making financial coaching more accessible for our Members, no matter their circumstances.
“We talk about a ‘spending map,’ not necessarily a budget,” she said. “You want to get there. You are starting here and it might be a wiggly road, but here is how we can get you there.”