Help Families Make Ends Meet - Volunteer with VITA

Our goal is to help 4,000 families receive refunds that will reinvest millions of dollars in Greater New Haven. To do that, we need 100 volunteers.

 

VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) providers offer free tax preparation for individuals and families earning less than $51,000 a year. A low-income family that qualifies for the maximum federal and CT Earned Income Tax Credits could receive over $7,000 from filing their return.

There are several organizations working together in Greater New Haven to provide free tax return assistance to households from January through April. As a volunteer, you can identify the organization that meets your needs (location, scheduling, etc.)

  • For all VITA volunteers, a minimum commitment of 4 hours per week is requested during the tax season, in addition to 12-16 hours of classroom or online training for Tax Preparers.
  • All volunteers should have good communication skills and be comfortable working with diverse populations.
  • Bilingual volunteers (e.g., Spanish, Haitian Creole, Polish, Portuguese) are in especially high demand.
  • Any Individuals interested in seving as volunteer tax prepares will be required to complete 12-16 hours of IRS tax law training.


Benefits of Volunteering with VITA

  • Gain personal satisfaction from providing an important service to your community!
  • Develop lifelong skills and build your resume with free IRS training and materials.
  • Choose from a variety of volunteer locations, dates and times that are convenient to your schedule.
  • Rest assured that all volunteers are protected under the Volunteer Protection Act, which means no liability for volunteers.
     

Get Started 

There are several different types of volunteer opportunities available, from tax preparers and screeners to VITA greeters.  Each VITA provider sets their own location and hours for services, and makes FREE IRS-certified training available to their volunteers.  Use the information below to identify a VITA provider that best meets your availability and interests. Or, you can go to http://ctvita.volunteerhub.com and be matched with a VITA site that best meets your needs.

View VITA Locations in a larger map

VITA Providers in Greater New Haven

(January - April 2012)

VITA Site Location

Site Organizer

Hours of Operation

Volunteer Contact

Believe In Me Empowerment Incorporation

423 Dixwell Avenue, New Haven, CT

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Believe In Me Empowerment Corporation

 

Tuesdays & Thursdays:

10:00am - 1:00pm

Ebony Walker, (203) 772-2771

Clemente Leadership Academy

360 Columbus Avenue, New Haven, CT

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New Life, Corp.

Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays: 6:00 - 8:30pm

Kim Fiorentino, kimfiorentino11@gmail.com,  (203) 777-0313

Columbus Family Academy

255 Blatchley Avenue, New Haven, CT

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New Life, Corp.

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 6:00 - 8:30pm,

Saturdays: 10:00am - 1:30pm

Kim Fiorentino, kimfiorentino11@gmail.com, (203) 777-0313

Community Action Agency of New Haven

419 Whalley Avenue, New Haven, CT

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Community Action Agency of New Haven

Mondays & Wednesdays:

5:00 - 7:30pm,

Saturdays: 8:00am - noon

Angela Scipio, (203) 859-6635

 

**Please call ahead**

Dixwell-Yale Community Learning

101 Ashmun Street, New Haven, CT

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New Haven Economic Security Coalition

Wednesdays: 5:00 - 8:00pm,

Saturdays: 10:00am - 2:00pm

Rick Kaiser, FamilyWealth@newhavenct.net, (203) 946-8605

Emanuel Lutheran Church

280 Humphrey Street, New Haven, CT

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New Haven Economic Security Coalition

Sundays: noon - 4:00pm

Closed Feb. 10th & March 24th

Rick Kaiser, FamilyWealth@newhavenct.net, (203) 946-8605

Gateway Community Technical College

20 Chuch Street, New Haven, CT

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New Life, Corp.

Wednesdays: 6:00 - 9:00pm,

Saturdays: 9:00am - 2:00pm

Jim Emswiler, jim@newlifecorp.org, (203) 777-0313

**For students and alumni only**

New Haven Free Public Library - Downtown

133 Elm Street, New Haven, CT

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New Haven Economic Security Coalition

Mondays thru Thursdays:

5:00 - 8:00pm,

Fridays: noon - 4:00pm

Rick Kaiser, FamilyWealth@newhavenct.net, (203) 946-8605

New Haven Library - Wilson Branch

303 Washington Avenue, New Haven, CT

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New Haven Economic Security Coalition

Tuesdays: 5:00 - 8:00pm,

Saturdays: 1:00 - 4:00pm

Rick Kaiser, FamilyWealth@newhavenct.net, (203) 946-8605

SAMA and JUNTA for Progressive Action

258 Grand Avenue, New Haven, CT

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New Haven Economic Security Coalition

Mondays & Thursdays:

5:30 - 8:00pm

Rick Kaiser, FamilyWealth@newhavenct.net, (203) 946-8605

Career Resources (fomely STRIVE-New Haven)

746 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT

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New Haven Economic Security Coalition Thursdays: 5:00 - 8:00pm Kendrick  strive_new_haven@sbcglobal.net, (203) 777-1730

Woodbridge Senior Center

4 Meetinghouse Lane, Woodbridge, CT

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New Haven Economic Security Coalition Tuesdays: 9:00am - 1:00pm Rick Kaiser, FamilyWealth@newhavenct.net, (203) 946-8605

West Haven Community House 

227 Elm Street, West Haven, CT 06516

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New Life, Corp.

Mondays & Fridays: 5:30 - 8:30pm,

Saturdays: 10:00am - 3:00pm

Kim Fiorentino, kimfiorentino11@gmail.com, (203) 777-0313

Yale New Haven Hospital

32 York Street, New Haven, CT

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New Life, Corp.

Fridays: 8:00am - 5:00pm

(Check for additional hours)

Jim Emswiler, jim@newlifecorp.org, (203) 777-0313

**For employees only**

For more information on being a VITA volunteer, please visit http://ctvita.volunteerhub.com

 

Spread the Word

Download the VITA Volunteer Flyer for distribution.  Read and share the editorial in the New Haven Register.

 

(Video) The IRS on the Power of VITA

 

Find out how you can Receive FREE Tax Prepration.

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