Getting CASH in the Hands of Oregonians

(from the May 2009 Newsletter)

CASH Oregon*, an SVPP Investee since 2005, serves a veritable array of people in the Tri-County area. In the 2009 tax season, CASH’s numbers continue to grow and impress:

• $15.7 million in federal refunds (an increase of 38%)
• 14,641 tax clients served (increase of 13%)
• More than 18,500 hours volunteered by nearly 300 people
• In Portland, 69% of clients were minorities and average incomes were $21,855
• $2.2 million in earned income credits returned in Portland alone (23% increase)

But the stories of individuals and families CASH helps are the most telling measure of their success. Enjoy these three as a sampling of the many people served this year:

Nate: 27, Cyclist, Financial Planner, Newlywed
My wife and I recently moved to Oregon. I was O.K. with doing taxes by myself, back home in Illinois, but I was not familiar with Oregon’s tax law. Since I haven’t been able to find work yet, the two of us have been living paycheck-to-paycheck. This year was not a year we could afford paying a commercial service to have our taxes done, so we went to CASH Oregon.

I spent 10 minutes with a volunteer tax preparer. She told me I would be receiving $715 dollars in tax refunds! I could not wait to go home and tell my wife. We’ll be using our refunds to pay off student loans, and to help pay for our wedding this summer. If I did not find out about CASH Oregon and AARP Tax-Aide’s free services, we would not have gotten our taxes done, and our refund would still be in the hands of the government.

Silvia: 60, Student, Craftswomen, Entrepeneur
I heard about CASH Oregon through Senior Mobility Services, an organization that helps seniors like me learn job skills. With the refund I received by getting my taxes done with CASH Oregon and AARP Tax-Aide, I hope to create a nest egg for opening my own business. The Earned Income Tax Credit I received brings me closer to achieving my dream of opening up a craft shop, where I will create and sell gifts, bracelets and other trinkets out of textiles and recycled goods.

Stephen: Husband, Father, Construction Worker
I worked in construction for 20 years. Recently, I was laid off. With my family’s income cut in half, CASH Oregon’s free services were just what we needed to keep up with our finances this year.

I used to do my taxes by myself, but I never had in-depth knowledge of the most beneficial way to file. Then I went to CASH Oregon. They told me how much more money I could be saving by filing my taxes the right way. By claiming costs for childcare, union dues, educator expenses and tools I needed for work, the money I owed the IRS turned into a refund that my family needs now more than ever. It took only 20 minutes for a tax preparer to file my return. If I did not talk to a volunteer at CASH Oregon, I would have owed nearly $1,000 dollars in taxes, a cost that my family simply cannot afford at this time.

*CASH Oregon is a community-based nonprofit organization committed to improving the financial health of working individuals and families. They provide free tax preparation for Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah counties in partnership with AARP Tax-Aide; and, offer one-on-one personal finance development as a part of our Financial Advocacy Initiative.