My United Way Experience

By: Jason Montgomery

It has now been two weeks since I have started working as the Marketing Intern at Greater Longview United Way and already I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to work here. I have been able to dive right in to projects such as radio and television advertising as well as plenty of hours in the community filing free income tax returns. It has been an incredible experience already and I cannot wait to see all that is in store for me in the weeks to come.

My first three days on the job not only solidified my doubts that everything you learn in college will be used at some point in your career, but it also had me hitting the books for the first time for work rather than school. You see, part of the job description was becoming VITA certified (Volunteer Income Tax Assistant). This means that my accounting professor Mrs. Bellamy gets the final laugh because I guess I did become an accountant instead of a marketer first after all. Within those first three days I passed the IRS certified Ethics and Basic Exams, which would allows me to volunteer at the VITA site that weekend.

The VITA program is an incredible program and since it is so amazing I am going to pitch it right now just because of the profound impact it has on the community of Longview. People young and old come out and take certification tests in order to be able to volunteer their free time to fill out the community’s income tax returns for free. It is an incredible service that helps the community to grow by increasing the amount of money that families can save. I cannot begin to tell you how great it feels to know that you are saving these people money and that they will now be able to use it to get themselves necessities for everyday life. It only took me four hours to realize the need for me to become intermediate certified so that I can help out even more.
The next week was right in line with what I have been learning for the past year, marketing and advertising to a specific target audience. I have done a plethora of projects in school and some extracurricular marketing, but this was the first time it was real life marketing and advertising to a different target market other than one that I currently fit into. Now it was time for me to use all that I have learned and apply it accordingly. So far it has been a blast to be creating public service announcements for VITA to be aired on the radio, coordinating television commercials with local news companies, and creating thank you advertisements to the people that donate their time for the community. It is one thing to come up with an idea and a completely different thing to get out there and make it come to life.

Everything that I have done over the past two weeks has further backed my decision to seek a career path in marketing and keeps me excited and anxious to see all the possibilities that I have to make a difference in the community.

Be a VITA Volunteer!

2012 is here….and the tax season is around the corner. But some working families in our communities don’t think about tax returns; they are focused on getting the next meal on the table and paying this month’s rent. Wouldn't it be great to help some of these families receive the tax benefits they are due? Unfortunately, many low income families who qualify let federal funds go unclaimed not knowing about the programs, not knowing how to apply, or because they are overwhelmed by the tax preparation process.

You don’t have to be a tax expert to help. Greater Longview United Way offers the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, a successful, proven strategy that mobilizes and trains volunteers to provide free tax service to working individuals and their families. VITA assists taxpayers who are struggling to make ends meet by saving them the cost of tax preparation and helping them claim all tax credits for which they are eligible.

In 2011, GLUW VITA volunteers helped return a total of $506,573 to its clients, in tax refunds and in refundable credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child & Dependent Care Tax Credits. Each VITA client saved on tax preparation fees plus fees associated with refund anticipation loans.Behind every return there is a story. Volunteers hear these stories and experience first-hand how they are making a difference every time they volunteer. Greeters, screeners, tax preparers and quality review volunteers appreciate how their specific role contributes to these families’ financial stability. All volunteers receive free training.VITA is central to increasing the number of families who are financially stable and can have a ripple effect into the U.S. economy, as families that receive these funds typically spend them on the necessities of life.

United Way aims to cut by half the number of low-income families who are financially unstable by 2018. Can you think of a better way to spend the tax season this year? Contact us at 903-758-0191 to become a VITA volunteer!

Thanks to our Longview Mayor Jay Dean and all the people involved for LIVING UNITED!

By Eloisa Herrero

Early this week we received a call in our office informing us that Mayor Jay Dean would implement a program to help - mainly elderly and disabled people - beat the 100-degree weather. Great news for people in need of an air conditioning window unit!

It really caught my attention that several different sectors of the community such as government officials, nonprofit agencies, private companies and Longview residents were mobilized to make this program possible. That is a lot of people LIVING UNITED in Longview!

Mr. Dean mentioned in a news conference that the program was not going to solve the problem completely but it would help about 250 families. I think helping one family to deal with this heat is great, helping 250 families is awesome! Helping one family at the time is all it takes to advance the common good.

If we can beat the heat in Longview, we can beat anything if we LIVE UNITED!

2011 Special Volunteer Recognition

Amy Taylor is Senior Manager – Human Resources for Neiman Marcus. Amy has been a United Way volunteer for more than 10 years. She began volunteering in the Industrial, Communications and Utilities division of the United Way campaign. She has led that division for the past two years and served as a co-chair prior to that. In addition, Amy has served as Secretary of the Board of Directors and on the Executive Committee; and as a member of the Communications Committee, the Leadership Development Committee and a Community Solutions team. Amy is active on the Board of Directors of Longview Child Development Center, LeTourneau Presidential Advisory Committee and the Longview 2020 Board, in addition to her service to GLUW. Amy is a multi-talented and energetic leader for United Way. She has been a tremendous asset to the organization by helping raise funds, assisting in the distribution of funds and ensuring the future of the Greater Longview United Way through her tireless efforts.

What are our Loyal Contributors Saying?

By Eloisa Herrero

Through the years Greater Longview United Way has raised millions of dollars to change lives in our community. This could not have been possible without the help of our Loyal Contributors. Our Loyal Contributors are a very special group of people who have supported United Way for 10 years or more. Some of them have supported us for more than 25 years!

I would like to share the thoughts of our Loyal Contributors about their supporting United Way through all these years:

We believe in supporting & giving back to Longview. Through giving we receive many blessings. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our city`s non profits. They address so many needs in our community!

United Way is the best way to share locally with several groups at the same time.

I continue giving each year because I believe in the services it`s agencies provide. I am proud to be a part of that team.

We support United Way because lives are changed when hands and hearts are extended into our community.

We give each year to the United Way because it helps us give back to the community that has given so much to us. It`s a very convenient way to support our community and to help very worthwhile community projects.

I became a UW donor when volunteering for organizations that benefited from UW and saw the need for such help.

My husband and I gave through our employer for years. Continued giving even after retirement and his death 10 years ago. I still continue to give. It is a wonderful means of helping so many people.

Supporting community services is how a community grows stronger. As we provide services, individuals become self-sufficient and then can give back themselves to help another group of people. I love how efficiently United Way is run.

I have always contributed each payroll check because I truly believe in helping others in our community thru the many organizations that United Way supports.

Building homes

By DeWayne Mahurin

I had always wanted to help build a habitat house, but because of my frequent and sometimes unexpected travel, I never was able to commit in advance to being on a crew. However, my wife informed me that the Greater Longview United Way Habitat House Blitz was to take place on January 22, and I was available that day. It was 21 degrees when I left my cozy home, but I would much prefer to work outdoors in that type weather than 100 degree weather. When I arrived, there was a nice roaring fire and bundled up volunteers were everywhere.

I was pleasantly surprised at how organized and easy to understand the layout was concerning the framing of the house. Volunteers caught on quickly and the framing went very fast. Whenever you had a question, an experienced “foreman” was available to keep the construction moving smoothly. The feeling of helping someone, while learning about home construction proved to be very satisfying. I look forward to volunteering on another Habitat House. The low stress of, just show up and work, was very attractive to me. Getting to see the fruits of your labor develop into a structure is cool. If you are looking for a volunteer project I highly recommend Habitat. There is something to do regardless of skill level.

GLUW is getting ready for the tax season.

By Eloisa Herrero

As you all probably know the tax season begins in February, however, our VITA program begins a little earlier.

The VITA Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income people who need some help to prepare their own tax returns. Certified VITA volunteers receive training to help prepare basic tax returns in our community.

This program would not be possible without the hard work of many volunteers. Recruiting volunteers is the reason the tax season begins early for us. VITA Volunteers perform different tasks such as preparing federal income tax returns, assisting clients with intake questions or interpreting. Becoming a VITA volunteer is easy and rewarding.

If you would like to become a VITA volunteer, give us a call at 903-236-9211. We would love to share with you the wonderful experience of being a VITA volunteer!!

Carol Sammons shared some comments about her experience as a VITA volunteer last year:

“Working as a volunteer for the 2009 VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Program, was truly an inspiration for me. This program helps individuals take advantage of the tax credits they are eligible for through out the year. This is Free tax preparation for all who qualifies, yes! This is a totally Free service. Being able to help others during this time of the year was rewarding for me and beneficial for others who are in need of this help. Seeing so many people with appreciation in their hearts was worth it all. This program is just one of many programs sponsored by the GLUW in an effort to reach out and help others in their times of need.”