2024/2025 UWSCMI Impact Report - Report - Page 10
4,588 households served
impacting 6,143 individuals
FUELING
FINANCIAL
HEALTH
Federal returns $4,073,286
State returns $3,406,358
Tax preparation fees saved $1,459,008
VITA: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
Our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program helps
ALICE families keep more of their hard-earned dollars by
providing free, high-quality tax preparation services to
households making $67,000 or less. VITA is an IRS program
administered by partner organizations throughout the
United States, and UWSCMI served eight counties last year –
Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ingham, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Montcalm
and Shiawassee. In 2024, we launched our VITA mobile unit,
serving partner locations across the Lansing area.
1 mobile tax prep vehicle
16 mobile locations
55 tax clinics
35 site locations
649 tax clinics
Visit vitataxprep.org
to learn more.
5,250 hours of
volunteer time
203 volunteers
MOVING
FORWARD
Data from 2024 tax season
After years of living without secure housing, Tara* came to a VITA site needing help 昀椀 ling
her taxes. She hadn’t 昀椀 led in three years — not because she didn’t want to, but because
being homeless made it nearly impossible. “It took me years to get back on my feet,”
she said. Though she was skeptical at 昀椀 rst, she said, “Because it was United Way, I felt
comfortable.” With the help of our certi昀椀 ed volunteers, she 昀椀 led three years of tax returns.
Part of her refund went toward paying off old debts. The rest? She used it as a down
payment on a reliable car — a life-changing purchase. “I needed it. Now I can get to work
and make it to appointments. I can keep my life moving forward.”
*Name has been changed to protect privacy.
10 2024–2025 Impact Report
