United Way Central Eastern California held a press conference to discuss their efforts to help the community file their taxes through a partnership with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance from Community Action Partnership of Kern.
CEO and President of United Way, Eric Arias, stated that since they began in late January, they have completed 21,000 returns and brought back $3.4 million to the community. United Way will be extending its hours until April 15 to help the community. Monday through Friday, they are open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; on Saturday, the hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; on Sundays, except for Easter Sunday, the hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The office is located at 4101 Easton Drive, Bakersfield, CA, 93309. Services are offered in English and Spanish.
“The message that we really want to share is that you only have 15 days left, and the average the average cost in California is roughly between $300 to $700 in order to just prepare your taxes. So we’re really proud of this program. We’re grateful to the Community Action Partnership of Kern County, CAPK. They have been our longtime partners in this for more than five years to be able to deliver this critical service,” said Arias.
On April 11, they will be hosting a Tacos and Taxes event at South High School from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sofia Calero Mejia, Director of Program Administration and Strategic Communications for United Way, stated they also have mobile sites to reach underserved communities, including Delano, Taft, Shafter, Lost Hills, and some areas of Bakersfield. Mobile site schedules can be found on their website.
To provide further assistance, Calero Mejia states they have also joined the Get Your Refund Coalition with Alta One, allowing people to file virtually as well.
“This is to support across several cities across East Kern, ensuring that more residents can receive this assistance safely and conveniently,” said Calero Mejia.
Jerry Fernandez is a quality reviewer for the program and has volunteered with United Way since 2004. He explained that he retired from the oil fields and wanted to find a way to give back to the community. For him, it is fulfilling to see community members be able to get money back during tax season instead of owing.
“One of the things that we appreciate and we’re seeing is a lot of people that I’ve worked with over the last two years have come in now and said, hey, when you made these suggestions, we did changes, and this year I’m getting a return instead of having to pay,” said Fernandez. “So that’s very fulfilling for somebody like me, trying to help the community and help them get to the point where they can do stuff and actually look for a return instead of having to reach for the wallet at this time of year. especially in these conditions that we’re currently in.”
Estrella Garcia is a site coordinator and third year volunteer. She said she started as a CSU Bakersfield fellow and has since learned more about taxes and experienced both professional and personal growth.
“This program is really making a difference in Kern County to our residents,” said Garcia. ”But it is also helping bring back money to our community, providing tax counseling. It’s really satisfying to me to be able to meet with our clients and to be able to provide knowledge that they may have come into without knowing.”
Anyone planning to use the services will need to bring their ID, Social Security, or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), any income tax forms received, and the 1095 form proving they had health insurance. If someone is selfemplyed they will need to know any deductions they may have.
Residents can either book an appointment or just walk in. If you have any questions, they can be reached at 661-834-1820.