News from United Way of SLO County

United Way of San Luis Obispo County

January 2013

Free Tax Preparation Assistance

Two programs are available to SLO County residents this tax season:

MyFreeTaxes.org is a free tax preparation website available for individuals or families with a combined income under $57,000. All you need is a valid email address and your income forms. Individuals who do not have internet access can sign up to use a computer at the Atascadero, San Luis Obispo, and Arroyo Grande libraries on Saturday mornings, February 2-April 6.

Individuals and families earning less than $50,000 per year qualify for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). IRS Certified volunteers will be available at the Business and Career One Stop on Saturdays from February 2 - April 6 to prepare state and federal taxes for free.

Visit www.MyFreeTaxes.org to file your taxes or to make an appointment at a VITA site.

IRA Charitable Rollover is Back

You can once again help others with Tax-Free gifts from your IRA but you need to act before February 1, 2013. In the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which recently passed Congress, the IRA charitable rollover provision has been extended until Dec. 31, 2013.

If you are looking for the most tax-effective gift to United Way of San Luis Obispo County, the Individual Charitable Account (IRA) charitable rollover provision allows tax-free distributions to eligible charities from an IRA held by someone age 70 ½ or older, of up to $100,000 per taxpayer per year. The extension is retroactive to January 1, 2012 and allows donors to make distributions directly to eligible charities before Feb. 1, 2013 and elect to have such distributions treated as qualified charitable distributions in 2012.

If you would like to learn more about the details of making a gift through an IRA charitable rollover or other benefits of giving, please contact Horace at hmorana@unitedwayslo.org.

We Can Get Along!

NVC Book United Way of San Luis Obispo County is offering a 6 week Introduction to Nonviolent Communication class series for Pre K - 9 educators, parents and caregivers. Learn to hear what students are really trying to say, practice making clear, doable, present moment requests for what you would like from students, and expand your capacity to become more able to relate effectively in the class environment. Classes will be held Wednesday evenings January 30 through March 6 at San Luis Obispo High School. The fee is $150 and includes the workbook; there is a $90 disount for SLO County Pre K-9 educators. Call (805) 541-1234 for more information.

Coats for Christmas

Thanks to the support from the community, the Homeless Christmas Dinner fed and gifted more people than ever before. 500 hooded sweatshirts, 300 sleeping bags, 500 pairs of socks, 220 jackets, 200 packages of underwear and 300 toiletry bags were distributed to the local homeless population on December 25. Event chair Naomi Blakely said "people left Christmas night with their arms so crammed full of stuff, not to mention full bellies, and a smile on their faces that would have made you smile, as well." This annual event was initiated in order to be able to help those without shelter to stay warm and protected from the elements during the upcoming winter months.

2-1-1 Provides Disaster Relief during Hurricane Sandy

2-1-1 Call Specialist New Jersey was one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy, causing an estimated $29.4 billion in damages. Nearly 90,000 calls for help came into the New Jersey 2-1-1 call center (NJ 2-1-1) in the weeks after the hurricane. NJ 2-1-1, a program of Bergin County United Way in New Jersey, is one of many 2-1-1 services throughout the U.S. that serve 190 million callers free information ranging from affordable housing, shelters, food assistance, employment training programs, senior services and medical insurance. NJ 2-1-1 was prepared for the storm and had the telecommunications infrastructure in place to route overflow calls to other centers not affected by the storm. Like 2-1-1 San Luis Obispo County, NJ 2-1-1 is cloud based, so it could tap other centers for help during the storm. On the second day of the hurricane, NJ 2-1-1 decided to dispatch 30% of inbound calls to Palm Beach 2-1-1 in Florida, and in the following days, it also routed calls to Vermont 2-1-1 and Houston 2-1-1. Like NJ 2-1-1, in the event of a disaster in San Luis Obispo County, 2-1-1 SLO County is prepared to field calls from those in need.

2-1-1 is a free, 24/7 information and referral line that connects individuals and families with information and community resources. Learn more about our local 2-1-1 at www.unitedwayslo.org/211.

Read our monthly Opportunity Exchange to find opportunities to Give, Advocate and Volunteer. If you would like more information on specific needs, volunteer opportunities or upcoming events, please contact the agency directly using the information provided in each listing.