Murray-Calloway County United Way opens new VITA site

Last week, United Way of Murray-Calloway County launched a new Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site as a part of the Purchase Area Asset Building Coalition (PAABC), an initiative they spearheaded in late 2010.   

 

Recognizing the need for financial literacy training in the community, the United Way formed the Coalition with three goals:
 

· To promote and provide access to community-wide financial education programs.

· To help low and middle income community members to create wealth.

· To create a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site.

Tammy McCallon, secretary for the Calloway County Family Resource and Youth Services Center, signed on as this year's VITA site coordinator.  The United Way believes her experience and leadership will help bring their financial stability efforts to reality, teaching local families smart budgeting and healthy financial practices.

 

Aaron Dail, United Way's Director of Resource Development, gave credit to BB&T bank in Murray for helping to move things forward. "BB&T gave a $3000 grant through their "Lighthouse Project" and provided a considerable amount of staff time to get the effort underway." 

Congratulations to United Way of Murray-Calloway County on their hard work!  Click here or here for more information on their PAACB initiative.  

Today is Earned Income Tax Credit Day!

United Way is committed to improving financial stability. This includes helping hardworking people obtain free tax preparation and filing services and claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), among other credits.  By increasing tax refunds, these credits can be a stepping stone to financial stability for qualifying individuals and families, who can use the money to pay bills and purchase necessities, such as food and clothing.

Local United Ways are making a difference for low to middle-income families by supporting volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) sites across the Commonwealth.  These sites provide free filing services for those earning less than $49,000/year, saving families the cost of paid tax preparer fees.  Click the following links to learn more about United Way's VITA efforts in your area:

• United Way of the Bluegrass: provided through the Central Kentucky Economic Empowerment Project, offers locations in Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Harrison and Nicholas Counties and information about available services in other surrounding counties
• United Way of Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky: provided by the Regional Earned Income Tax Credit Collaborative, offers 29 regional locations and online filing
• Heart of Kentucky United Way: offering one location in Danville, KY
• United Way of Henderson County: offering one location in Henderson, KY
• Metro United Way: Louisville area--provided by the Louisville Asset Building Coalition, offers 17 regional locations and online filing
• United Way of Murray-Calloway County: provided through the Purchase Area Asset-Building Coalition, offering two locations and a mobile site in Calloway Co., KY
• United Way of Southern Kentucky: provided through the Barren River Asset Building Coalition, offers 9 regional locations 

If you don't see your area listed above, contact your local United Way for more information on available services.  If you earn less than $57,000 per year, you may be eligible to file your federal and state taxes online free at the United Way-sponsored website, myfreetaxes.com.

HB 225: Raising the bar for Kentucky's high-schoolers

Dr. Terry Brooks, KYA

As part of our public policy agenda, United Way of Kentucky believes that raising the age for required school attendance is one way to reduce the high-school drop out rate and help set  Kentucky's high-schoolers on the right track.  This Wednesday, Governor Steve Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear today joined educators, business and non-profit leaders to urge lawmakers to pass House Bill 225.

"Encouraging our high school students to stay in school is not only an education issue, it's a workforce issue," said Gov. Beshear.  "A better-educated workforce means better quality jobs.  Increasing the graduation age is one step toward a better quality of life for Kentuckians."

But raising the compulsory attendance age is only part of the solution.  Terry Brooks, Executive Director of Kentucky Youth Advocates released a statement this week, highlighting another aspect of the bill, the reform of Kentucky's alternative education programs:

"Raising the compulsory attendance age translates into raising the standards and expectations in Kentucky among students, parents, school employees and the business community...but simply raising the mandatory attendance age will not keep students in school. 
 

There is no dimension of this bill more crucial than the call to reform alternative education programs.  Some 70,000 Kentucky students are in alternative programs; but in far too many cases, alternative programs lack fiscal accountability, a focus on learning outcomes and professional standards for staff assignment.  HB 225 represents an important first step in tackling the bold and fundamental reform of alternative programs across the Commonwealth." Read the full statement here.

United Way of Kentucky supports efforts to raise the age for required school attendance.  Learn more about HB225.