The VITA program opens for public use this month

By Alisha Copfer alisha.c@davisjournal.com

The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals. The individuals who qualify for these services typically make less than $60,000 per year or have disabilities. While the IRS manages this program, it is staffed by volunteers who want to make a difference in their communities.

CENTER: Continued from pg. 1 the resources they need.”

Wood said back in the 80s he was a student at Viewmont High. “Woods Cross didn’t have a letter on the hill like Viewmont so they decided to create one by turning the V into a W. The hazing went back and forth and we heard they were planning on stealing the Viking statue in the school. With a friend of mine we slept in our car guarding the school. We had snacks and went home to get a shower then came back and sat in the car.”

There are students who are genuinely doing that today, he said. “When I heard about the number of homeless teens who were couch surfing I knew we needed to raise some money. At first we set a goal for $75,000 but we came up with about half a million. If they don’t have their basic needs met, they can’t aspire to be what they can. These are students who come out of the ashes to be special people in our community.”

“I graduated from Woods Cross 29 years ago,” said Project Chairman, Tom Freeman. “I look here today and think what a privilege it is to work with this community in fundraising. Community is defined not just geographically but in purpose. It took a community to do this. This is something we can all be proud of.”

The teen center is so awesome, said Woods Cross SBO President Liam Henriksen. “It has done so much for our school. Our theme is ‘Everybody is somebody’ we’re sharing the same message that everyone should be treated as somebody. This has been the biggest deal ever.”

Last year Wish Week’s service was dedicated to raising money for the teen center, he said. “We did all kinds of things like penny wars and also reached out to the community. We raised $150,000 and we continue to receive donations. Our community is insane. It really brought our school together and together we can make a difference.”

“As a district we work to make dreams come true and do everything we can to get there,” said Superintendent Dr. Dan Linford. “We also rely on the community to make dreams come true. This center provides dignity where a student can have a clean, comfortable place with loving adult supervision. We need champions to make this happen.”

“We all need help in different ways,” said Davis County Chamber CEO/President Angie Osguthorpe. “This is awesome to help the most vulnerable. It’s awesome to see young people helping young people.”

“Student homelessness is a quiet, but pervasive issue in Davis County,” said Davis Education Foundation Executive Director Jodi Lunt. “These children lack access to the very basic essentials that we all take for granted. Teen centers help to provide students in need with those essentials, while maintaining their safety and dignity. More than anything though, they facilitate hope and connect these kids to a caring adult who can help navigate their challenges.” l

In order to volunteer, people must be IRS-certified, which is a training offered through the IRS. Eight to 10 hours of online training are required, and a few open-book certification tests. Volunteers will help provide tax counseling and filing instructions to those in their community.

The VITA program began its service at the beginning of this month with assistance sites located all over Davis County. Bountiful City Hall, located at 795 S. Main St., Bountiful, is open Thursdays from 4:30 pm. to 7:30 p.m. Davis Technical College, located at 550 E. 300 South, Kaysville, is open Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Francis Peak View Community Center, located at 600 W. Mutton Hollow Rd., Kaysville, is open Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

For other available locations, see their website at earnitkeepitsaveitutah.org. l