PROGRAM NEWS

---

Each year IRS-trained volunteers assist lower-income households with income tax preparation during the tax season, usually February through April Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-7:30 PM and Saturday mornings 9:00AM - noon. Appointments must be made in advance by calling 215-366-5643. Note: this phone number is active beginning mid-January. Over 300 households receive this service yearly, and appointments do book up, so it is recommended to call early in the tax season. All tax preparation and e-filling services are free. We are also seeking volunteers to serve as tax preparers, greeters, and reviewers for VITA. Volunteers are trained and certified through IRS. Call the office at 215-657-3340 prior to the tax season to volunteer. 

For our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) our volunteers completed close to 400 tax returns for the year 2022 in addition to some from 2021, 2020 and 2019. These returns produced $338, 772 in tax refunds and credits that went into the households of local low-to-moderate income families in eastern Montgomery County. Willow Grove CDC is grateful to our volunteers and salutes them for their excellent work. A special Thank You to VITA Program Coordinator, Sue Meszaros.

This popular program helps Montgomery County seniors as well as Pennsylvania farmers. We issue $20 in vouchers and nutrition information to Montgomery County residents who are over age 60 and meet income requirements. Vouchers can be redeemed at local farmers markets to purchase fresh farm produce. Program participants must provide proof of age and residency. Voucher distribution is during June through August. Because of the limited number of vouchers available, we recommend coming in early. Call us at 215-657-3340 to check on availability. 

This program offers a free monthly food box valued at over $50, nutrition information, and service for low-income Montgomery County residents over age 60. Boxes contain canned fruits, vegetables, pasta, shelf-stable milk, peanut butter, juices, protein (canned tuna, fish, or meats), plus a 2-pound block of cheese. Monthly income limits change annually. Distribution of boxes is once a month at the office and participants must register in advance. Applicants must present proof of age, Montgomery County residency, and household income (e.g. Social Security or pension award letter, W-2’s). Call the office at 215-657-3340 to register.

Beginning in 2019, we are certified as a distribution site for supplemental food as part of the federal Trade Mitigation Program. We distribute government food and donated food to our food program participants subject to availability.

Willow Grove CDC partners with other local organizations to extend our impact in the community and make more services available. We are active members of Montgomery County Partners for Homeownership, Your Way Home, and MontCo Anti-Hunger Network. We co-host financial management and homebuyer classes with our colleagues at Genesis Housing, and offer VITA Volunteer

Income Tax Assistance programs as part of a tax coalition with Temple University’s Fox School of Business. Our food and nutrition programs are part of Share Philadelphia’s MontCo Hunger Solutions network. We provide free office space for BCOC’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Program and Montgomery County Child Advocacy Project. We also host or participate in numerous community events.

Our organization is a charity providing free services, programs and outreach events. We would not be able to operate without significant support from our Board of Directors, volunteers, individual donor contributions, civic groups, businesses and charitable foundations. We offer our sincerest thanks to all of our supporters.