For the last six weeks, eight students in Mary O’Keeffe’s economics class have spent their evenings helping local residents file tax returns free of charge through the state Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.
This is the fifth year the College has been involved in the program, and it’s the first year former VITA volunteers have returned to lend a helping hand.
“Two alumni are back this year, one volunteering at our site at Kenney Community Center and the other at the Schenectady YWCA’s site,” said O’Keeffe.
“Not many classes provide something like this where you actually get work experience, gain skills you’ll use your entire life and help others at the same time," said Vincent Chau ’09, an interdepartmental history and economics major.
In addition to Chau, Yu Chen ’10, Jacob Deveney ’09, Moosa Haider ’10, Chelsea Hargis ’09, Karin Santiago ’09, Jeremy Taglieri ’09 and Sarah Scott ’09 also prepared tax documents since the VITA site opened its doors Jan. 21.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the group had filed more than 150 returns for working families and senior citizens. O’Keeffe projected that by the close of the VITA season on Thursday evening, Union students will have aided Schenectady residents in obtaining some $400,000 in federal and state refunds.
The Union VITA site partners with the IRS, Schenectady County Department of Social Services, United Way of the Greater Capital Region, and the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
Since its launch in 2005, the VITA program at Union has secured some $1.4 million in cumulative tax refunds for local residents and should top the $2 million mark next year, O’Keeffe predicted.
“Some people have been coming in every year and referring friends and neighbors to us,” she said. “One client said to me, ‘Do you realize you’ve saved me over $1,000 in preparation fees during the last five years?’
“It’s wonderful we’re able to help the community like this.”