When Volunteers Care, Everyone Wins
Income tax as a feel-good headline? Yes! For the tax year 2025, 970 taxpayers at the 12 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites in United Way of Greater Waterbury’s 10-town catchment area received $1.3 million in refunds and $327,754 in Earned Income Tax Credits, representing a $100,000 increase in refunds compared to the previous tax year. With an average refund of $1,352.01, taxpayers had the opportunity to use the money they’d earned to ease tight budgets, which might be strained by choices between rent and utilities or medicine and food.
Denise Parsons led a team of VITA volunteers at the Wolcott Public Library, switching from the role of, in her words, “a worker bee” to site coordinator. “I discovered that, by managing the site, I could talk with everyone and see how grateful taxpayers were for the help we gave them.”
She’s glad to be part of VITA because it’s a platform from which she can make people feel better, such as a woman who worked several part time jobs to support her disabled husband and two young children.
“When we got to the amount of the refund, $10,000, I saw the mother’s countenance change. Then, she asked how much she owed me. I said nothing, VITA is free. She’d paid $800 for tax preparation the year before. This year, they could talk about plans like maybe making a down payment on a house. I’ll never forget her face. What we do isn’t magic, but it does change lives for the better.”
In partnership with the IRS , and Advancing CT Together, United Way of Greater Waterbury and United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls coordinate annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) locally, along with support from from the Wells Fargo Foundation.