Category: News

Three Myths About Volunteering at TAP Tax Clinic

Posted on November 7, 2019

Volunteering has been proven to help people feel better and improve communities, but you have to pay the bills, right? TAP Tax Clinic offers temporary paid positions too. As a paid tax preparer, you can work as many hours as you want.

Volunteering at TAP Tax Clinic

Each year, with the help of volunteers, we file over 1,000 free tax returns for low-income residents of the Roanoke Valley. Over the past 18 years, here are the three biggest barriers our volunteers have told us worried them about volunteering at Tax Clinic—and why they turned out not such a big deal!

Most people say they want to volunteer. Most also have a hard time committing. TAP’s Tax Clinic, however, has run since 2002 because some dedicated volunteers make the time and commitment to help their neighbors claim their hard-earned money each year.

Myth: I don’t know enough about tax return preparation

Most people don’t – at first. We don’t expect you to be an expert in tax law to help out. Volunteers receive training through Link & Learn Taxes, an online training program used by the IRS. Additionally, our certified tax site coordinator provides personal training to make sure you’re confident in your knowledge. Sherman Witcher, a Tax Clinic volunteer in 2019 while attending Virginia Western Community College, said “knowing almost nothing about tax return preparation, it was somewhat intimidating to dive in headfirst, but the IRS training modules are tailored to people who have little to no background.”

After moving from Ukraine in 2016, Sofiia Melnyk was a Tax Clinic client in 2018. She had no idea how the filing process worked, but decided to volunteer in order to get experience in accounting. She put in 15 hours per week at the Tax Clinic and helped over one hundred families file tax returns for free with no rejections. 

Over the almost two decades of operating the tax clinic, we’ve had many volunteers come to us with no prior experience in tax return preparation. However, each year, volunteers are able to get the training they need to help over 1,000 people file their tax returns without even a single rejection.

Myth: I don’t have enough time

We understand that schedules today are packed with work, soccer practice, making dinner, class, etc. That’s why the TAP Tax Clinic offers a training program that is online. Link & Learn Taxes is self-paced, meaning you can complete it has you find time in your day.

“With the online modules,” Witcher said, “I could easily study the material without having to drive 40 minutes from Franklin County.”

Once the training is complete and you’re ready to prepare tax returns, you can offer as much time as you want or as little time to the Tax Clinic as you are able. “I was able to build my own schedule that worked with my college classes,” said Melnyk. Every little bit helps. The Tax Clinic is open 9 AM to 4 PM every weekday between January and April 15, and we welcome any hours you can help.

Myth: I have to pay the bills

“TAP provided me competitive pay, and I was able to orient my hours to fit my schedule,” said Witcher. The number of these positions is limited, so if you’re interested, contact us today. As a bonus, you’ll learn how to file your own taxes and perhaps take advantage of credits you’re owed.

Other Benefits

Research shows that volunteering has many benefits. Aside from the benefits mentioned above, here are a few more that volunteering at the Tax Clinic offers:

Help community

This one’s obvious. TAP Tax Clinic offers free tax preparation for low-income Roanokers who may otherwise spend a majority of any refund for a paid service or may miss out on important credits. When recounting her time volunteering at the Tax Clinic, Melnyk remembered a client who was overjoyed after discovering that she didn’t owe thousands in taxes, but in fact would be receiving a refund. “There were so many people who made me feel that my volunteering time truly mattered,” Melnyk said, “It was a rewarding experience.” If you’re looking for a way to make Roanoke a better place, the Tax Clinic is a great opportunity.

Meet people & feel better

Volunteering has been proven to lower feelings of loneliness. Beyond that, a study by Indiana University’s School of Philanthropy found that volunteering lowered stress, reduced feelings of depression, and elevated mood. In fact, the study found that volunteers spend 38% fewer nights spent in the hospital.

Professional advancement

Volunteering at the TAP Tax Clinic will give you new skills and hone your knowledge of tax law. The résumé-building potential is enough for anyone to sign up. Students like Melnyk and Witcher, especially those in business, accounting, or finance, can get experience and possibly earn course credit from volunteering, and professionals can earn licensing credits. There’s opportunity for people of all skill levels. Witcher feels like the volunteer time at the Tax Clinic boosted his résumé. “I think that students should seek to distinguish themselves from their peers, and TAP is a great outlet for doing so,” he said.

For almost 20 years, the TAP Tax Clinic has been assisting families in the Roanoke Valley by providing free tax return preparation. This program is one of the most popular at TAP, helping over 1,000 people each year. If you would like to help out by volunteering or to ask about one of the paid positions at the Tax Clinic, the deadline join is December 15, 2019.

Sign up to Volunteer or Find Out More

Get involved: please call Teffany at 540-283-4916 or e-mail her at teffany.henderson@nulltapintohope.org.

Supporter Spotlight: Lawrence Thornhill

Posted on October 31, 2019

From One Veteran to Another

Lawrence Thornhill knows that sometimes the best person to help a veteran is another veteran—that’s why he’s interning with our Veterans Services while he studies for his master’s degree in social work through Rutgers University. Through his internship, Lawrence, who is a veteran himself, works directly with vets to help them with housing and employment. Recently, he chatted with us about his passion for his work and why these services are so vital to veterans.

Q: Are there any particular stories or instances where you felt like you really made a difference through your volunteer work?

A: With every veteran I talk to, I can relate to their situation. The military provides structure, and when you get out, you don’t have that structure anymore. Some people don’t know how to deal with that… I can see why [veterans] are in the situation of being homeless or jobless, so I try to relate to them and take a non-judgmental approach. It’s about motivating them and helping them to know there are people who are not going to judge them.

Every time I work with a veteran I give them my all, and try to build that rapport. I want them to know that we are here to help you get to your goals. We are going to help pick you up when you fall down because that’s what social work is all about.

Q: What good things do you see our Veterans Services doing in the community?

A: TAP’s veterans programs focus specifically on the veterans’ needs—the ones who fell on hard luck and are not where they want to be in life. Either they’re underemployed or not employed at all. Perhaps they got into drugs and other barriers that are going to hinder them from being successful. The veterans program gives them the opportunity to get their foot back into the door of society and reintegrate back into a lifestyle of being able to maintain their own household. We are there to help them all the way, to counsel them, to motivate them, to empower them to get to where they want to be and get to the point that they no longer need our support.

Q: Sometimes we have individuals who make donations to our Veterans Services. Do you think TAP’s veterans programs are a good investment, and if so, why?

A: I believe it’s a good investment because you’re absolutely helping someone who wants to reintegrate back into society. The veterans TAP is serving—it’s not like we are going out there finding them—they are coming to us asking for help to get back on their feet. It’s not just talk that will get them where they want to be, it’s having donations for the program so we can buy a veteran new boots when he starts a job, or providing a bus pass for a veteran who lost his car. Having those donations helps the program continue to help veterans get off the street, back into society, and participating in the American Dream.

Client of the Year: Bill Tynes, US Military Veteran

Posted on October 31, 2019

Bill Tynes has worked with TAP over several years to better his housing and life situation. On a recent fall morning, he sat down with our staffers to recount the story of overcoming challenges in his life, including abuse, drug addiction, and near homelessness, to later becoming a homeowner.

Growing up, Bill found himself in and out of foster homes and suffered abuse at the hands of adults in his life. He continued on to a career in the navy, but the scars of his childhood stayed with him. “Going from all that abuse and disappointment and not trusting people, that’s when I entered the realm of drug abuse, after the navy, because I thought nothing would ever work out,” he said. After two DUIs, Bill eventually lost his license.

When Bill first came to us he had managed to put his substance abuse behind him, but he had other problems at hand. The apartment where he was living was infested with mold and rats, and he was in a legal fight to get out of his lease. Bill was resourceful and smart; he represented himself successfully and was released from his lease, but he found himself virtually homeless as a result. Because he was a veteran and his living situation was not habitable, we were able to help Bill through our homeless veterans program. We provided Bill with a deposit and first month’s rent, plus some assistance with utilities, to help him get into a safe, healthy apartment.

Unfortunately, after moving into the new apartment, Bill’s troubles were not over. He was in a relationship that ended badly, and he was stalked and threatened. Bill again represented himself in court successfully and got a restraining order, but he also needed to remove himself from the environment. TAP’s Domestic Violence program was able to help Bill develop a safety plan, and also provided a deposit for him to move to a new location and get a fresh start.

After moving again, Bill’s upward trajectory really took off. We were able to connect Bill with a key contact at the Veteran’s Administration who expedited his claim for disability benefits. With the extra income, Bill took the opportunity to reinstate his license and purchase a vehicle.

In the meantime, Bill also spent two years at Virginia Western earning his associate degree in paralegal studies. “When I started college twenty-some years after high school,” Bill recalled, “I was very intimidated to try to get a degree. But I said, ‘I’m teachable. I’m willing to learn.’”

This past year, Bill returned to us for help to accomplish another goal—becoming a homeowner. We guided him through the Veterans Administration home loan process, which eventually led to him obtaining a mortgage. When the closing date came in August, Bill found himself tight on funds due to closing costs, so we covered some of his moving expenses.

Bill’s attitude toward homeownership is one of gratitude and celebration. “Going from a dysfunctional family and foster homes and addiction to owning my own home? It’s amazing! [TAP] made that possible; [TAP] connected the dots.”

Bill’s advice to other veterans in the community who are struggling? Ask for help. “If you don’t ask you will never know…TAP is a give and take program. You come to TAP and explain what you’re dealing with and they will take you on as you are and see if they have a way to help you out…With TAP there are possibilities. All you have to do is ask.”

Our programs for veterans serve former service members across 26 localities. We have helped hundreds of homeless and at-risk veterans to secure stable, safe housing and to access benefits they have earned. Please consider supporting TAP’s veterans programs with a gift today. Your support is life-changing for veterans like Bill.