January
2019
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
We Stand With ALICE Legislative Forum
A Message from Richard Porth          
President/CEO of United Way of Connecticut  

On Monday, February 25, Connecticut United Ways and the Commission on Women,Children and Seniors will hold an ALICE legislative forum on working families that still struggle to make ends meet as well as strategies to help these families achieve financial security. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

The event will run from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM in Room 2E of the Legislative Office Building (LOB), at 300 Capital Avenue in Hartford.
 
The forum is free and open to the public, though anyone planning to attend is asked to register at: http://bit.ly/ALICE2019 .
 
Connecticut United Ways are committed to standing with ALICE households that, despite working hard, live paycheck to paycheck and experience financial hardship. To learn more about ALICE visit alice.ctunitedway.org and click HERE to download Connecticut United Ways 2019 Policy Agenda which focuses on policy recommendations aimed at helping ALICE households achieve financial stability.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Credits
  

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax preparation services to individuals and families with a total household income at or below $55,000 in 2018. The program recruits and trains volunteers who help taxpayers prepare and file their tax forms at VITA sites located throughout the state.
 
Trained, IRS-certified volunteers also help families and individuals secure tax credits such as the Child Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Tax Credit  and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) . The EITC puts money back into the pockets of low and moderate income workers and is considered our nation's most effective pro-work, anti-poverty tool. 

2-1-1 Connecticut in collaboration with Connecticut United Ways and community partners is committed to connecting filers with free tax preparation services and valuable tax credits.
 
Visit www.211ct.org/taxhelp  for more information on the VITA program and to locate a VITA site near you. 
My Free Taxes 
 
Would you rather file your tax return online? For the past ten years, United Way has partnered with H&R Block to provide free tax filing online. If you earned $66,000 or less in 2018, visit www.myfreetaxes.com to complete your state and federal tax return in less than an hour, absolutely free! This step by step, online tax filing program uses the same tax filing software as H&R Block and  allows individuals to conveniently file from a computer, tablet or smartphone.
 
If you have questions, an IRS-certified specialist is available to provide assistance (in English or Spanish) via chat, email or by calling 1-855-698-9435. Visit www.myfreetaxes.com to get started!

 
2019 Foreclosure Prevention Clinics 

Make sure you know your legal rights in the foreclosure process by attending a free foreclosure clinic. Clinics are open to any homeowner facing foreclosure and provide information about the judicial foreclosure and mediation process along with guidance on preparing for court from the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, as well as guidance on the resources for homeowners facing foreclosure from state agencies.

All clinics are free and no pre-registration is required. For more information, please visit  www.ctfairhousing.org/clinics  or call (860) 263-0731. To download the complete 2019 Foreclosure Clinic Schedule click 
HERE.
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The mission of United Way of Connecticut is to help meet the needs of Connecticut and its residents by providing information, education and connection to services.