Midcoast Tax Coalition Honored with Community Builder award

The Midcoast Maine Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope (CA$H) coalition has been honored on with a Community Builder Award during the United Way of Mid Coast Maine Annual Meeting.

The award recognizes and celebrates a community nonprofit or coalition that exemplifies the spirit of giving back to their community. Since 2007, The Midcoast CA$H Coalition, which is led by Volunteers of America Northern New England, has been helping low- to moderate-income families and individuals improve their financial stability through free tax preparation and financial asset building.
 
“This is a community effort, backed by scores of committed volunteers, including IRS-certified volunteer tax preparers, greeters, schedulers and coaches,” said Sharon Ross, Volunteers of America Project Director. “Plus our more than 20 partner agencies and businesses make this program happen every year through countless volunteer planning hours, outreach, funding, and in-kind support.”

With such a great commitment from the community, the coalition has been able to reach more individuals and families in the low- to moderate-income bracket during the past two years, increasing the amount of returns filed by about 40 percent. Each year hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Earned Income Tax Credits are returned to local people and our economy. 

Since the 2007 tax season, the Midcoast Maine CA$H coalition has helped about 1,600 individuals and families with free tax preparation services, with more than $2 million worth of federal refunds being returned back to the local economy.

The Midcoast CA$H coalition was formed in the fall of 2006 in an attempt to educate the public about the Earned Income Tax Credit, the nation’s largest anti-poverty program. Funding this year was provided by an IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Grant, Volunteers of America, and mini-grants from Key Bank, Annie E. Casey Foundation, United Way Mid Coast Maine, and One Economy.

Midcoast Maine CA$H partners are:

  • Annie E.Casey Foundation; 
  • Bath Savings Institution; 
  • Bowdoin College; 
  • Brunswick Housing Authority; 
  • Casey Family Services; 
  • Coastal Enterprises, Inc.; 
  • Money Management International, Maine; 
  • Downeast Energy; 
  • Goodwill Industries; 
  • Internal Revenue Service; 
  • Kennebec Intra-District Schools; 
  • Key Bank; 
  • Merrymeeting Adult Education; 
  • Midcoast Maine Community Action; 
  • One Economy; 
  • RSU1 Adult Education; 
  • United Way of Mid Coast Maine; 
  • University College at Bath/Brunswick; 
  • U.S. Department of HUD; 
  • Volunteers of America Northern New England; and 
  • Women, Work and Community.