March 20, 2007
Food Bank Bags Help Low-Income Earners Learn How to Receive Tax Credit
Local CPAs Defray Cost of Production
FRESNO — Low-income individuals and families in the Fresno area are receiving groceries from the Community Food Bank in special bags advising them on how to get money back from Uncle Sam.
The bags, donated by the California Society of CPAs and the CalCPA Institute, provide information on how to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a federal program. To receive the credit, low-income individuals must file a tax return.
Each bag provides the rules for qualifying for the EITC and lists locations at which low-income individuals can have their taxes prepared for free through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
“Every dollar is important to people who come to the Community Food Bank,” said Sarah Reyes, the food bank’s CEO. “Providing food in bags with information about how our clients can get some of their tax dollars back is one way we can help them stretch their resources.”
The food bank will use the bags through April, which is Financial Literacy Month.
“CalCPA got involved with the food bank because we knew that they were low on resources after having distributed a lot of food in response to the recent freezes that affected farm workers,” said Kay Coffin, coordinator for the Fresno CalCPA chapter. “Sarah Reyes advised us that the best way we could help is by providing paper bags.”
Members of the Fresno CalCPA chapter helped defray the cost of the 20,000 bags, which were recently shipped to the food bank.
About CalCPA
The California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) (www.calcpa.org) is one of the nation’s largest accounting organizations and the largest CPA association in California. It serves more than 30,000 members in public practice, private industry, education and government.
About CalCPA Institute
The CalCPA Institute is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to improving the financial literacy of all Californians. It conducts free Dollars & Sense programs for community groups at which CalCPA members offer advice on money management, budgeting, tax strategies and other financial topics. CalCPA members also visit high school classrooms to instruct students on financial management. Information about CalCPA Institute programs is available at www.calcpa.org/dollars.
