Lawrence gets $1.5 million in tax refunds…thanks to 50 volunteers!

Last week, United Way along with the IRS joined four community agencies – Lawrence CommunityWorks, Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation, Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Centro de Apoyo Familiar – in thanking 50 volunteers for being the backbone to success of a collaborative effort! Although tax filing is a one-to-one endeavor, gathering together to celebrate was important…this was an all time high return for this third year of the Lawrence EITC Initiative!

$568,000 in the Earned Income Tax Credit – an often unclaimed credit for working families who need it most – was returned back to families in their refunds, often spent in the local economy. State Representative David Torrisi joined us…certificates and gifts were given to the volunteers…and music, food, and balloons rounded out a festive occasion, held in Sovereign Bank’s Community Room in Lawrence. Many “thank yous” were appropriate, including thanks to Bank of America for its investment in our United Way financial stability work. The best thank you for the evening came from a tax filer, who said that she was able to continue her education – the refund offsetting her college expenses!

Tell your friends… about free tax preparation (call 2-1-1 next season for the site closest to you) and…about the Earned Income Tax Credit for taxfilers with wages below $48,279. For more financial information on how to make Smart Choices, go to http://www.mass211.org/smartchoices.html .