October 9, 2014
centre county community super fair
Centre County VITA PROVIDES TAX PREP ASSISTANCE
By Andrea M. Puzycki, Pen Pal and VITA Coordinator, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program Centre County Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program is neighbors helping neighbors navigate the increasingly complicated tax-filing process. Twenty returning VITA volunteer tax preparers need your help in providing tax assistance at sites in Bellefonte (Church of the Good Shepherd), State College (Schlow Library), Aaronsburg (Penns Valley Family Service Center) and Philipsburg (Moshannon Valley YMCA). The sites generally open the first week of February and close on or before the tax deadline of April 15. Tax preparation volunteers attend trainings in order to pass the IRS certification exam at the advanced level, and to gain experience using TaxWise software and filing returns electronically. New tax preparers will be assigned a mentor to assist them with initial use of the program, and with questions along the way.
37
New tax preparers are asked to attend orientation trainings on Mondays in November and then join the returning tax preparers for final certification exam preparation in January. For 2013, Centre County VITA preparers completed more than 1,400 returns for families with incomes of less than $52,000 and saved the taxpayers who need it most more than $200,000 in return preparation fees. For many of these grateful tax payers, Centre County VITA is their only opportunity to receive sound tax advice and to file their returns electronically, a process that both reduces errors and speeds up the receipt of refunds. Other volunteers who assist with the VITA program answer phones and use Excel to make tax appointments from January through April, or assist with meals to feed the tax preparers as they train in November and January. To volunteer as a preparer, an appointment scheduling assistant, or to provide food for the trainings, contact Centre County RSVP at (814) 355-6816 or email vita@ centrecountypa.gov.
Housing Advocacy Project assists families By Linda Lovett, Grants Manager, MidPenn Legal Services As the only nonprofit law firm providing free civil legal services in Centre County, MidPenn Legal Services’ mission is to ensure that survivors of domestic violence and low-income individuals and families have meaningful access to the legal system. MidPenn staff attorneys, volunteer attorneys from the Centre County Bar Association, and students from the Penn State Dickinson School of Law focus on life-altering issues that stabilize and strengthen families and our community. In addition to family law, public benefits, domestic violence and consumer law, MidPenn’s practice focuses on housing. Workforce housing is recognized to be a priority in Centre County. Working with the Centre County Affordable Housing Coalition, Housing Transitions Inc. and the Centre County Women’s Resource Center, we provide a community-based response. The attorneys on MidPenn’s Housing Advocacy Project, partially funded by the Centre County United Way, work to keep families in existing housing by negotiating with landlords on behalf of tenants to achieve resolutions that prevent eviction. If an eviction does occur, we ensure that the law is followed and the legal rights of the tenant are preserved. MidPenn also provides legal advice and information
on various housing issues through our telephone hotline. This preventative piece to the project gives tenants information about their rights and responsibilities as a tenant. With the right information, tenants can make informed decisions on how to handle issues that may come up during their tenancy. Too often people rely on hearsay, i.e., my neighbor’s Uncle Joe said this about that. Acting on incorrect information can lead to serious consequences, particularly in relation to your home. The landlord-tenant relationship is based in the law; both parties need to know the rules and regulations that govern that relationship. MidPenn provides legal assistance to those who have lost their housing. A MidPenn attorney regularly visits the shelters operated by Housing Transitions, Inc. and the Centre County Women’s Resource Center to meet with residents and provide the legal advice, counsel and representation that will assist them in transitioning out of shelter and into a stable home environment. This is a small part of what MidPenn does to advocate for those in need of legal assistance. If you have a question about your housing situation or another legal issue, MidPenn might be able to help. Call us at (800) 326-9177 to find out if you’re eligible for services. For more information about MidPenn Legal Services, visit www.midpenn.org.