Free tax program for low income families brought back by Davidson Medical Ministries
The free tax preparation program that helps Davidson County residents has been given an extension thanks to Davidson Medical Ministries.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides assistance for low- to mid-income families, the elderly and underserved with free help preparing and filing their federal and state income tax returns.
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For the past several years, the program has been provided each year by the Davidson County Tax Coalition through grant funding from Davidson County Social Services. In April, VITA program leaders were informed the county would no longer be funding the program after this year due to budget issues.
But according to VITA Program Coordinator Bill Gilleland, he was recently informed that Davidson Medical Ministries has agreed to sponsor the program.
“I am so glad we were able to find a way to continue it,” said Gilleland. “And being part of DC Connect will help us get more volunteers. I have talked to several places who are willing to let us set up in their buildings, we are so glad to have the support of the community to serve the population that needs it the most.”
Previously, the program was offered each year between January and April at local libraries and other county owned properties, but it will now be located at other sites.
Lexington’s primary site will now be at First Evangelical Lutheran Church on S. State Street. Thomasville’s site will be at Memorial United Methodist Church on Randolph Street. The Davidson-Davie Community College VITA Site, which is a part of their Single Stop program, will still be on campus in the Love Resource Center. At this time, the new Denton site location has not been determined.
This is a full-circle move for the VITA program, as Davidson Medical Ministries was part of the original group that started the program in Davidson County almost 20 years ago. The organization also previously hosted the program before it moved to being funded by Davidson County.
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The VITA program will be part of Davidson Medical Ministries' new DC Connect program.
This group is a cooperative of private, non-profit, and governmental agencies that provide services to Davidson County residents, including Davidson County First Hope Ministries, the Salvation Army of Davidson County, Davidson County Medical Ministries, and other agencies.
The purpose of DC Connect is to give any resident a single location to contact when they are in need of services whether it be for mental health, homelessness, substance abuse, medical needs, food insecurity or etc.
The VITA program is also looking for volunteers to help assist residents with their taxes. Tax seasons are ten to eleven weeks and sessions are in the afternoon. Return preparers should be comfortable using computers and numbers. Previous return preparation experience is a plus, but not required as the IRS provides all the training materials and software access needed to become a certified preparer.
Those interested in being a VITA volunteer or wanting more information should contact Bill Gilleland at billg@medicalministries.org by October 31. They may also call DC Connect at (336) 243-3222 and leave a message.
This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: Free tax preparation program gets reprieve by Davidson Medical Ministries
