The power of V.I.T.A. and financial counseling

Client A.V. came to our offices to find assistance managing his finances along with assistance finding a second part time job to increase his monthly income.  A.V. also came to us with a $4000+ debt to the government. As a result his checks were even further reduced by an administrative wage garnishment.  Money is continuously tight for the A.V. household!  In discussing his finances we determined that he had made some mistakes on his tax filings.  By paying attention to his situation and listening for the clients response we began asking further questions.  Some question that came about were if he had been using the earned income tax credit and claiming his daughter on his taxes.  We found that he had been missing valuable credits which would have greatly increased his refund.  We filed corrections for his taxes and as a result he was entitled to much larger returns for the past three years.  Because of the garnishment these refunds were used by the government to pay this debt, however, now his liability has been greatly reduced by over $3000! Soon this balance can be paid and this garnishment will end, increasing the amount in his budget.  We are happy that we were able to have such an impact on the life of a client!

September Success Stories

Kim K., came to us as a referral from a good friend after recently being terminated from her most recent employer. Through the center’s services she received assistance applying for unemployment, but unfortunately was quickly denied.  Soon after her main focus was finding employment but she was not sure of where to start. She was also injured on her previous job which posed an issue for her to return to the field shed known for so long. Kim’s experience prior to program entry was in the healthcare industry but she also held a Class E driver’s license, but never truly took advance of it. For years she never needed a resume or had to apply online for jobs. So today’s job was an unexpected hurdle. However, with the assistance of employment services, resume building, job leads and access to the computers to conduct her job search. Soon after her membership she was gainfully employment full time as a local transportation driver with benefits. Kim’s success was due to her commitment to make scheduled appointments and her openness to overcome her hurdles.