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Every penny counts in today’s economy, yet many Tampa Bay working people are overlooking an important tax credit that could put up to $5,600 or more in their pockets. The Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, can be the needed financial boost for working people hit by hard economic times in Hillsborough County. Thousands of families will qualify for an additional benefit: free income tax preparation by volunteer tax preparers.
United Way of Tampa Bay, the lead agency in a partnership of several regional organizations, is directing the efforts of the Prosperity Campaign of Hillsborough County. Through the Prosperity Campaign, qualified individuals will have access to free tax preparation and assistance in applying for additional tax credits.
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United Way of Tampa Bay and SunTrust have partnered to build a financial asset building portal, which will have its own web address (to be determined.) The portal will be developed and maintained by the United Way, and is made possible by an ongoing funding commitment by SunTrust. Consultations about the development of the site have already taken place with financial educators and service providers and will continue throughout the site’s development.
The Vision
The Financial Asset Building Portal (FAB) will be the primary Internet resource and clearinghouse to the Tampa Bay Community, with emphasis on low-income families and individuals.
It will be used by consumers, educators, helping professional, and financial institutions for its comprehensive listings of services and educational opportunities; easy linkages to consumer identified services, online resources (informational and interactive), centralized best practice online library, integrated registration processes, and a range and depth of online tools people can use to assess their financial knowledge, situations, and plans.
One of the goals is that all non-profit providers of financial education and services will be participants in the portal, and that the majority of financial institutions in Tampa Bay are content contributors and collaborators.
Phase one of the portal should be completed in the summer.
For more information: Mark Holmgren at 813 274 0922 or visit our web site page about the Portal.
Note:
SunTrust is also a sponsor of, and participant in Get Checking, a financial education service of the Prosperity Campaign.
United Way is the lead partner of the Prosperity Campaign.
At United Way’s Volunteer Tampa Bay site there is a great learning center called the Citizen’s Academy. The learning program was designed for people to learn more about community issues. Topics include: homelessness, literacy, neighborhood revitalization, employment, disaster relief, literacy, and many more. Not only will you learn about these issues, you will read about ideas you can put into action to address them.
Here’s a taste of what you will find there:
Employment
Learn about employment trends such as what industries have experienced the most job cuts and which ones are experiencing substantial growth. Read about outsourcing, the changes that labor unions are undergoing, as well as information about the minimum wage. You can also take a look at a variety of project ideas you and your family, friends, and/or colleagues might wish to undertake.
Homelessness
The Citizen’s Academy has a lot of information about the homeless, who they are, what challenges they face, the role that shelters play, affordable housing, and so on. As well, you can review some project ideas or how you might volunteer to make a difference.
While you’re there, take a look around the Volunteer Tampa Bay site. If you are looking for a variety of volunteer opportunties to choose from, this site can help you. As well, if you are a non-profit organization that has volunteer opportunities or projects, you can list them.
