Community Corner
Free Tax Assistance for the Elderly
To combat tax season blues, the Campbell Adult Center offers free tax help to anyone 50 or older, disabled and on a case-by-case basis to those who are low income through April 15.
Nestled in the heart of the lies the Campbell Adult Center, a warm and inviting office that showcases all sorts of programs designed to help those who are older than 50. This tax season, volunteers are standing by to offer free tax assistance until April 15.
The program has been going for at least 30 years, according to Donna Rice, the interim senior services supervisor, and is part of a larger program sponsored by the AARP.
“Every year, it seems like we do a little more than before," Rice said. "Especially with the economy the way it is, people need access to a free service.”
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The center has about 10 volunteers a day and can handle anywhere from 12-16 returns. A return generally takes 30-60 minutes to process. Free e-filing is included.
The center will also look at completed forms and double check their accuracy, according to Rice.
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Appointments are on a first-come, first-served basis, but those with mobility limitations can schedule an appointment by calling the adult center. Participants are asked to bring a copy of their 2009 returns and any paperwork they were sent this year.
Volunteers Are the Heart of the Operation
This year the program has 18 volunteers.
“Usually they’re people who do their own taxes, retired guys out of GE and IBM who worked in tech fields," said the local AARP coordinator, Brian Schubert. "Some were in finance or management. But there are backgrounds from all over.”
AARP sponsors thousands of sites and has more than 6,000 volunteers across the country, according to the organization’s website.
The Campbell Community Center has a senior program, which makes it a great host site, Schubert said.
“Last year we did 375 returns for elderly and low income people, and we didn’t charge them a cent," he said. "None of them would have been able to have prepared their own returns.”
Volunteers attend 1o full-day training sessions, and most of the instructors are local volunteers.
“I think I speak for most of the volunteers when I say that we enjoy working with each other and meeting the people we help," Schubert said. "It makes you feel good.”
The Campbell Adult Center offers assistance on Tuesdays from 1-4 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m.-noon.
For more information, call 408-866-2146 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., or check the website at ci.campbell.ca.us/recreation/adult50/index.htm.
