“I think my favorite part is experiencing the client’s relief at the end of the day,” says Laura Walter of her volunteer work as Tax Hero with the Free Community Tax Service. What began as a personal curiosity about learning to prepare her own taxes has become an annual commitment to helping those in the community who need help the most get their maximum refund.  

 

“Most people who come in are nervous or they don’t know what they need to do to fill out the return,” she goes on to explain. “Through the process you can see that there are a lot of people who are just happy to have that over with for the year.” 

 

Walter, who works in her daily career with online programs, explains that she does not usually get to interact with the larger community, and the Free Community Tax Service gives her the opportunity to feel connected to her neighbors. “The whole time you’re with clients they’re sharing pieces of their life,” she says. 

 

“I think it’s something that someone who’s looking to volunteer should be interested in because it’s a short commitment and you’re also getting to learn about the tax system and how people’s lives affect their tax returns. You get to know a good life skill that you will benefit from for the rest of your life as an income earner,” Walter went on to explain. “It’s fairly easy work, as the system does a lot of prompting. Most of it is just making sure the client feels comfortable and you have a good relationship with the them.” 

 

Thanks to Laura and all the Tax Heroes! Find out how you can get involved at monroeunitedway.org/taxhero. 

 

Laura was also included in the WFHB Activate! Program. Listen to her interview here.