The United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County has awarded a $31,000 grant to Milwaukee County’s Social Development Commission for its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.
The VITA program offers free federal and state tax preparation and filing assistance for low-income residents. It also offers financial workshops and banking assistance for those with a household income of $56,000 or less.
The SDC aims to raise $82,000 for VITA and also garner matching funds from the Internal Revenue Service for the 2015-’16 tax season. It expects to provide free tax return preparation and filing for 8,000 people this season.
“Learning of the grant from United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County was a magnificent holiday gift to SDC and the individuals and families that rely on the VITA tax program,” said George Hinton, chief executive officer of SDC. “United Way’s support means we can maximize our VITA operations and help thousands of program participants save hundreds of dollars which they can use for bills or to purchase food for their families.”
“Part of United Way’s mission is to mobilize people and resources to change lives and improve our community.” said Nicole Angresano, vice president of community impact for United Way. “We were honored to be able to assist the Social Development Commission with the resources needed to continue this vital service to help local families.”
The VITA program will begin Jan. 19 and run through April 18. Locations and hours for assistance will be posted at www.cr-sdc.org in mid-January.
