Volunteer: Give New Jersey’s most vulnerable households an opportunity to “make a better future”
Three minutes. That’s all the time United Way of Northern New Jersey volunteer John May was allotted to make the case for restoring $750,000 in state funding to help more than 20,000 vulnerable households.
Testifying in March before the New Jersey Senate Budget Committee, John had the weighty task of representing the efforts of hundreds who work across the state annually during tax season. This dedicated corps of nonprofit staff and volunteers helps return more than $30 million annually in federal tax refunds to low- and moderate-income households. State funding for this program was zeroed out of the draft budget for the coming fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the state’s small investment in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program reaps 40 times what’s put in — an unparalleled return on investment.
Help by reaching out to elected officials
We have three months to advocate for restoring the funding. Will you take three minutes to join John in speaking up in support of state funding for this critical service? You can find your state legislator here. Between now and June 30, when the budget needs to be adopted, please call or write and ask our elected officials to restore funding for VITA in next year’s state budget.
United Way’s financial stability staff team partners with volunteers like John who become IRS-certified tax preparers. Together, they ensure ALICE households and those in poverty in northern New Jersey secure all the tax credits and refunds they are owed.
“When people leave our [tax] sites, they leave with more than just a tax return,” John told New Jersey’s senators. “They leave with a sense of pride and dignity and self-respect … They also leave with a sense that their government really is working for them.”
In addition to participating in filing 20,155 federal tax returns last year, our team was also one of 11 nonprofits that helped to fill the state’s budget coffers with $1,613,621 in owed New Jersey taxes. That was a 250% increase from the previous year.
Free tax prep paves the way for a stronger future
Without the state funding, programs like ours and others will have to turn away clients. John shared the stories of several clients whose tax returns were paving the way for “a better future” :
A single mom who left an abusive relationship told John that her refund would help her gain independence and break the cycle of abuse for her and her daughter.
A mother and her teenage sons relied on the program to complete their tax returns, making it possible to apply for financial aid so the boys could pursue higher education.
A man who had lost his job and was living in his car because he couldn’t bear to enter a shelter and part with his dog, counted on the program to stay in compliance. He otherwise didn’t have a computer or internet access.
A woman sought help because she wanted to be up-to-date on her tax obligations as she was scheduled to be sworn in as a U.S. citizen.
John closed by telling the senators a final story about a woman he helped recently who owed taxes. She had begun to cry and he was trying to reassure her when she surprised him.
“She told me she was crying because United Way and VITA provided such a kind and compassionate service to her for no other reason than she asked for help,” he said. “For me, this story is a perfect example of the power of the VITA program.”
There’s still time before the June 30, 2025 budget deadline to get the funding back in the state budget. Find your state legislator here and add your voice alongside John and United Way.
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