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Sisters, Employees Offer Support during Tax Season

S. Katharine Pinto was a greeter at the Price Hill Elder High School Tax Preparation Site. Beginning in January 2011 and continuing through early April, a number of Sisters of Charity and SC employees spent their Saturdays at Elder High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, assisting low- to moderate-income taxpayers as they prepared their tax returns. As part of the Regional Earned Income Tax Credit Initiative, the volunteers at the Price Hill Elder High School Tax Preparation Site offered support to hardworking families to determine if they were eligible to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and by providing free help preparing and e-filing their tax returns. Sister volunteers included greeters Kathryn Ann Connelly, Janice Ernst, Mary Jo Gasdorf, Barbara Hagedorn, Catherine Kirby, Patricia Malarkey, Katharine Pinto and Patrick Ann O’Connor. Employees serving as tax preparers included Jim Franz, Associate Maureen Maxfield, Tim Moller and Dave Thorsen. Some greeters welcomed taxpayers by signing in visitors, asking questions to determine if they qualified (for free tax preparation for low- to moderate-income wage earners), and checking to see if they brought the necessary paperwork. Other greeters asked questions to determine the level of certification (basic, intermediate, advanced) needed by their preparer, tracking the certification needed and matching the volunteer tax preparer to the taxpayer. “It’s so exciting to see the many women who come from The Women’s Connection,” said S. Mary Jo Gasdorf, executive director of The Women’s Connection in Price Hill ( Cincinnati) and one of the original committee members initiating the program. “It’s such a great collaboration with the many agencies in Price Hill who encourage taxpayers to go to the Elder site rather than to other tax preparers (who charge for their assistance and often don’t obtain what the taxpayer may be due). Clients usually return to the ‘greeters’ to say thank you.” “I have seen stressed taxpayers put at ease when a greeter assures them and answers their questions or seeks help for them from the coordinator of the tax preparers,” added S. Nancy Kinross, CPPS, site coordinator. “Our tax preparers have nothing but praise for our greeters and value their warmth and patience.” Since 2006, the Price Hill Elder Tax Preparation Site has processed more than $2.3 million in total refunds, and approximately $647,000 in fee-free refunds for 475 taxpayers this year alone. About 57 percent of the total refunds “were tax credits that many people do not know are available to them,” said Associate Maureen Maxfield, with SC Ministry Foundation. She added, “The foundation has been supporting the Price Hill Elder site since its inception as one of its regional partners.” “It has been ‘eye opening’ to me,” said Dave Thorsen, of the Sisters of Charity Finance Office. “I am glad that I can help these hardworking families and individuals. The government has a number of tax credits available to assist them but in many cases it is difficult for individuals who might not know that they are able to take advantage of these tax credits.” S. Patrick Ann O’Connor and Jim Franz, director of plant operations at the Sisters of Charity Motherhouse, volunteered with the Regional Earned Income Tax Credit Initiative this tax season.

 

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