July 10, 2007
Sterling Sankey, left, Market President of NW Washington
for Bank of America, presents United Way of Snohomish County
President & CEO Carl Zapora with a check for $20,000 for
United Way’s Free Tax Preparation program.
Bank of America gave a $20,000 grant to United Way of Snohomish County to support free tax preparation sites for low-income people.
Impressed with the results of last year’s pilot tax site in north Everett, Sterling Sankey, Market President of NW Washington for BOA, presented United Way president & CEO Carl Zapora with a check for $20,000 to expand the project to serve more working families in Snohomish County.
“The results were excellent. We were pleased to be able to support such a valuable service to the community this year, and more pleased to be increasing our sponsorship for the coming tax season,” Sankey said.
United Way’s pilot tax site in 2007 was sponsored by Bank of America, the EverTrust Foundation, Moss Adams, LLP, North Sound 2-1-1, and the IRS. The Boys & Girls Club in north Everett provided space for the site, which served 500 clients for a total of $767,000 in tax refunds of which $330,000 was in earned income tax credits.
Free tax preparation sites to help low-income, working families claim earned income tax credits (EITC) are a national focus of Bank of America and United Way. The EITC has been credited with helping more children out of poverty than any other federal program.
It is estimated that up to $10 million in earned income credits goes unclaimed each year in Snohomish County alone. United Way of Snohomish County’s survey of those served corroborated national findings that show that 68 percent of families who receive the credit spend it on items such as food, housing, utilities and health care.
The potential to increase families’ ability to afford basic needs prompted United Way to launch the tax program, which came out of a study seeking long-term solutions to hunger and food insecurity. United Way hopes to raise enough financial support to expand the Free Tax Preparation Program in 2008.
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Deborah Squires
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425.374.5501