All Posts in "Month: January 2012"

free tax preparation offered by AARP
AARP offers free tax preparation

Tax season is here.  Do you dread filling out those confusing forms?  Are you wondering whether new provisions of the tax code apply to you? Have you put off doing your taxes, even if you expect a refund?

Help is available!  Free tax assistance and preparation for taxpayers with low- and middle- incomes, with special attention to those age 60 and older, is available from AARP Tax-Aide from Feb. 1 through April 17.  You do not need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use this service.

Tax law can often be confusing.  AARP Tax-Aide volunteers can make the process of filling out tax returns a whole lot easier. Volunteers have gone through a rigorous training program offered in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service, and have the knowledge to help prepare your return taking advantage of the many provisions of the tax code. Well-trained AARP Tax-Aide volunteers will offer assistance with personal income tax returns at more than 150 sites in Washington state this year.  And to speed refunds, we file returns electronically.

Last year, more than 1,200 AARP Tax-Aide volunteers helped more than 81,000 Washington residents file their income tax returns. The program is offered at senior centers, libraries and other convenient locations.

Who uses Tax-Aide? Nationwide about 4 out of 5 (78 percent) are 60 or older, 63 percent are women, and more than half have annual incomes of less than $30,000.  And most of those who use Tax-Aide would have paid to have their returns prepared.

When you visit the site, please bring a copy of last year’s return, all W-2 and 1099 forms including SSA-1099 for Social Security benefits paid, property tax records if applicable, all receipts and canceled checks if itemizing, Social Security cards for yourself and dependents, and if applicable, dependent care provider information including name, employer, and social security number.

AARP Tax-Aide is a program of the AARP Foundation, offered in conjunction with the IRS.  For more information or to locate an AARP Tax-Aide site near you visit www.aarp.org/taxaide or call toll-free 1-888-227-7669.

Contributing Author by — January 25, 2012 in Everything Else

Most Americans would prefer to remain in their own home for as long as possible.  One way that people can do that is a “Reverse Mortgage.”  Knowing the fundamentals about Reverse Mortgages can make for a solid decision and prevent major problems.  A Reverse Mortgage enables seniors 62 or older to access their home equity for a variety of purposes.

Pierce County Community Connections Aging & Disability Resources is sponsoring “Reverse Mortgages: A Primer for Consumers” as part of the “Know it before you need it” series.  The free workshop explains in clear, impartial terms the basic features of a Reverse Mortgage and how one can provide the means to stay in one’s home.

“Many people are apprehensive about getting a Reverse Mortgage,” said Aaron Van Valkenburg, manager of Aging and Disability Resources.  “But they can be a prudent way for seniors to tap into a home’s value and provide the means to remain at home without sacrificing anything.  When it comes to Reverse Mortgages, knowledge is everything.”

Presenting at the workshops will be Bob Riler, HUD-certified Reverse Mortgage Counselor and staff at Community Connections; Rebecca Rainsberger of Genworth Financial and Edwin Hoffmann of Eagle Home Mortgage.  This is an information-only event.

The workshop will be repeated four times:

Feb 13, 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.
Pierce County Annex – Main Conference Room, 2401 S. 35th Street, Tacoma
Feb 13, 7 to 8 p.m.
Soundview Building Conference Room, 3611 S. “D” Street, Tacoma
Feb 15, 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.
County-City Bldg – Rainier Conference Room – 7th Floor, 930 S. Tacoma Ave., Tacoma
Feb 15, 7 to 8 p.m.
University Place Library Conf Room, 3609 Market Place W., Suite 100; UP

The presentations are free and open to the public.  No RSVP is required.  For more information contact the Pierce County Aging & Disability Resource Center at (253) 798-4600 or (800) 562-0332.

Contributing Author by — January 25, 2012 in Everything Else

focused philanthropy is a powerful tool for change
Focused philanthropy is a powerful tool for change

Some problems seem beyond our control:  world hunger, child abuse, epidemics.  When you think about such thorny issues, you may feel helpless.

But break those problems down into smaller pieces, and you may find a way to tackle them.  Once upon a time smallpox ravaged the earth. It caused blindness. It deformed children.  It killed 300–500 million people during the 20th century. Just 32 years ago, through a combination of inoculation and education, it was eradicated.

Likewise, only 70 years ago, polio was a terrifying epidemic.  57,000 cases were reported in the U.S. that year.  In truth, more individuals died that year from cancer and tuberculosis, but public concern made polio the most feared disease. Today it has been essentially eliminated.
What role did philanthropy play?  The national campaign against polio is a good example.  Rather than appeal to wealthy benefactors, the March of Dimes invited small donations from millions of individuals.  This raised hundreds of millions and led directly to the development of vaccines.  By 1961 only 161 cases were reported in the US.

The lesson is that focused philanthropy is a powerful tool for change.   Your gifts to annual campaigns for all sorts of good causes have made America the most charitable nation on earth.   But sending a check is not the only option. Most nonprofits also welcome bequests that help them sustain their work.
Our state is home to more than 80,000 registered charities.  The combination of volunteerism and philanthropy accounts for more than half the revenue they report. Close your eyes, name an alarming issue, and you are almost certainly going to find a local or national nonprofit dedicated to addressing it.
Here’s a quick test:   Worried about Puget Sound pollution? At least seven nonprofits work on it:  Alliance for Puget Sound Shoreline; People for Puget Sound; Forterra; the Nature Conservancy; Puget Sound Restoration Fund; Puget Soundkeeper Alliance; the Trust for Public Land.  This does not count dozens of regional watershed efforts like Puget Creek Restoration Society.

In short:  pick a concern that keeps you awake.  Check the Internet to see if there’s a nonprofit focused on it.  Since big problems like that don’t disappear overnight, find out if they could use a gift in your will to support that work over the next 20 years.

Mike Robinson is Senior Vice President for Planned Giving at United Way of Pierce County.Please consult a qualified estate planner before making a gift in your will.

Contributing Author by — January 25, 2012 in Everything Else

Phoenix House operates a program called Dressed for Success where individuals can go to get professional clothing articles.
Phoenix Housing Network Dressed for Success area of professional clothing. Photos by Joan Cronk

For homeless families, there is no better place than Phoenix Housing Network (PHN). This group works hard on a daily basis to help homeless families stay off the street and find permanent or temporary housing.

Joy McDonald, Shelter Case Manager and Volunteer Coordinator for PHN said their shelter program utilizes a network of 27 churches and faith-based schools who volunteer to shelter families overnight.

“Each host site prepares an evening meal and brings it in,” she said, adding that they also provide crafts for the kids and one or two folks volunteer to spend the night with families.

“We have over 2,000 volunteers that work during the course of the year,” said McDonald, who added a large percentage of those volunteers are senior citizens.

Each church participates from one to two weeks out of the year and house approximately five families at a time.

Eighty-one year old Franko Fountaine, coordinator for Fircrest United Methodist Church, said his host site sees anywhere from four to five families twice a year.

Fountaine said his work with the group is always rewarding.  “I get the satisfaction of helping the community,” said Fountaine. “I grew up during the depression and my folks were on welfare. I know what it is like to go through tough times.”

He said some of the families were sleeping in their cars before they came to PHN.

Fircrest United Methodist Church offers a great area for families.

The large basement affords a private space for each family to set up for the night. The dining area has large round tables with lots of chairs, and the church community provides a hot meal and a breakfast.

McDonald explained that PHN is a transitional housing program and offer a number of services, shelter being only one.

McDonald said that each family has a case manager and is provided with services tailored to their specific needs.
PHN relies heavily on their volunteers.

The Day Center located at PHN offices at 7050 South G Street in Tacoma offers clients a place to do their laundry, cook meals, relax with their families and make phone calls.

“We provide services that allow families at the end of a two year period to stand on their own,” said McDonald.

One of those services is their Suited for Success program, which consists of a three-hour workshop and a choice of business clothing from their Clothing Boutique, which is stocked with professional clothing for all sizes.

The large, bright area offers dressing rooms along one wall and clean and pressed clothing displayed just like in the Malls.

Classes are given in drawing up a resume and beefing up one’s interview skills. Professional clothing donations are always needed.

Other classes offered include money management, domestic violence, women’s health issues, life skills, parenting, legal advocacy and fair housing.

Alan Brown, Director of PHN said, “Our objective is to get families housed. We work with 80 units of transitional and permanent housing in Pierce County.”
McDonald said PHN started out about 15 years ago and housed two or three families in local churches.

“That has grown into case management and now we serve over 100 families in housing in a year,” she said. “We could do more if we had more.”
She added PHN is always in need of clothing and hygiene donations and volunteers.

Anyone interested in donating or volunteering can contact Joy McDonald at (253) 471-5340.

Joan Cronk by — January 25, 2012 in Everything Else