To many, “taxes” is a four-letter word. Well, you know what I mean. The very word can bring anxiety into our lives during this daunting season. For some, the process may as well be written in Latin. There are experts out there that can decipher and guide those who need help, but some can cost upwards of $400 for a simple tax service. For those on a fixed income, it’s not always affordable to get help.
In Two Harbors, Silver Bay, and Cook County, low-income households and elderly individuals are able to access free and confidential tax preparation services through a program called VITA. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program is a nationwide network of dedicated volunteers who use their accounting and tax know-how to help out in their communities. VITA assists in about 2% of tax returns across the country, impacting millions of people.
The American Legion has been offering tax assistance programs for more than 40 years. Early efforts were spearheaded by Phyllis Mealey. In 2018, Phyllis was awarded the Presidential Lifetime Achievement award for volunteering thousands of hours of her time to the American Legion Auxiliary, the Lake County Tax Aide Assistance program, and the Veterans Home in Silver Bay. She was one of the first in a long line of dedicated volunteers in the area who took on the effort to provide tax services for those in need.
Jerry Groeneveld manages the Two Harbors American Legion’s VITA program and also assists at the North Shore Area Partners events in Silver Bay. Jerry has been involved in volunteering to help with tax preparation for more than 25 years. When he retired from treasury work at his church, his friend nudged him into volunteering. He finds it extremely rewarding. “When you do a tax return for some of these elderly people that don’t know what taxes are all about, they say thank you so many times. That’s what keeps me going,” said Jerry.
Locally, VITA volunteers have assisted an average of 200 households in Two Harbors and more than double that in Cook County. Many have been assisted in Silver Bay as well, but the program was halted during COVID. Its return brings a lot of relief to senior citizens in the area.
The popularity of the program shows a strong need for help in the community, which in turn, shows the need for volunteers. “We are always looking for more volunteers,” Jerry said. “We’re booked way into late March already. Our appointments fill out very fast.”
The program is looking for a site manager, a role filled by Jerry at this time. The perfect candidate would be retired and have managerial and people skills. The role involves organizing volunteers and managing logistics. The site manager is not required to have tax expertise.
Assistance is available by appointment only in Two Harbors and Silver Bay. In Two Harbors, appointments can be made for Wednesdays between 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM by calling 218-595-0267. In Silver Bay, reach out to North Shore Area Partners at 218-226-3635 to make an appointment offered on Fridays from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM. In Cook County, assistance is provided on a first come first served basis at multiple sites. Reach out to 218-387-1767 for times and locations or search “Cook County VITA” to review information online.
VITA is sponsored by the IRS. All volunteers go through IRS approved tax training to participate. If you are interested in volunteering to help with taxes or for the site manager position, please contact Jerry at 651-470-9620.
Thank you to all those involved in helping out in this initiative! Your efforts are much appreciated by those who need assistance!
