THE COMMUNITY VOICE A Quarterly Newsletter by Community Services Employment Training
March 2022
Dear Community Partners, As we continue to pivot with new approaches to our work, CSET remains committed to serving families and individuals in Tulare County. Our dedicated team has done an incredible job expanding our outreach efforts while strengthening our programs and services. In this edition of the Community Voice, we highlight CSET's new office location in Porterville and our newest collaborative project with the City of Visalia and Caltrans. An overview of VITA tax preparation services and vaccination response efforts are also featured. Stay tuned to our upcoming events! I want to share my deep gratitude and appreciation to our staff, board of directors, partners, and supporters for their continuous commitment to our mission. Through it all, together we have established strong and collaborative partnerships to meet the urgent needs of our community. Thank you for your longstanding generosity and support. Please enjoy the stories and highlights featured in our newsletter. Sincerely, Mary Alice Escarsega-Fechner, CSET Executive Director
FREE TAX PREPARATION SERVICES Tax season is here and our VITA team is off to a great start. More than 1,638 households have filed their income tax return with the help of our VITA team. Households in Tulare County with an income of $57,000 and under in 2021 qualify to file their taxes for free. Families who earned $30,000 and have a child less than six years old, may qualify for both the CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit. To learn more or view the drop-in service schedule, visit www.cset.org/vita. Thank you to all of our wonderful VITA volunteers for your continuous commitment to our community.
Photo: VITA Volunteer Alyssa Hernandez preparing a tax return during the 2022 tax season at CSET. Page 1