Thanksgiving.

8 a.m., the day before the holiday. I pull into my local Starbucks and hurry in for a vital fuel up.

The shop's decked out for the holidays, but I don't take time to peruse any of it. I've got pre-holiday deadlines to worry about. So I'm a bit impatient waiting for the teen in line in front of me to order -- they clearly don't know the lingo to speed things up.

Order finally placed, I hover expectantly at the counter, waiting for my drink.

A distinguished looking older gentleman strides up to the counter beside me, waving a credit card. The surprised barista gives him a sideways look, indicating the line to order and pay is a few steps to the right.

I'm a bit annoyed that he's placed himself between me and my latte.

"No," he says, "I want to buy their drink. The next people in line in the drive thru."

For a moment I selfishly think perhaps I should have tackled the lengthy drive thru line -- maybe I'd have been that lucky next person in line.

Then I realize I'm witnessing the pay-it-forward concept in action.

A simple gesture. A way to acknowledge what one is thankful for and at the same time, spread a bit of unexpected holiday cheer.

Or, maybe even, help and a bit of hope.

He wasn't wearing the shirt -- but he certainly was living it.

Retaining Young Talent Through Voluntarism

A quick Google search of any mention of "young professionals" in the headlines, and it is clear many communities are worried about brain drain.

That's when young thinkers and doers leave communities for opportunities in bigger cities.

According to the latest headlines, brain drain is a concern among Vermont's gubernatorial candidates the Rochester, New York Rotary Club, and education experts in Washington.

It seems Cincinnati is not the only place consumed with the hows and whys of keeping this creative and innovative class.

The young professional set (or whatever other moniker you'd like to choose) is typically made up of single or newly married urbanites who do not have children. They are well educated, are upwardly mobile and pursue careers in fields including marketing, technology, entrepreneurship, design and the environment. These folks are in their 20s, 30s, and even 40s.

This group of people seeks out opportunities involving culture, nightlife, dining and voluntarism.

That last category, the one that gets them involved and engaged with their community? I think that's the one that can help a YPer plant roots and commit to staying where they are.

Some YPers take on volunteering as an opportunity to flex different professional muscles; others look for an opportunity to do some heavy lifting and make the world around them a little bit better. There are lots of reasons why Gens X and Y are giving up their free time to non-profits, and likely just as many benefits.

For one, organizations are getting help pushing their work forward. It takes many hands to do the work of a NPO, and many of those hands are attached to volunteers.

All this YP volunteer work is leading to direct, tangible change in our communities, too. These 20 or 30-something volunteers are helping sustain the arts, crucial human service needs, educational efforts and other valiant causes.

And through it all, these YPers are forming new bonds, learning things about the community around them and discovering other opportunities beneficial to their personal and professional endeavors.

I like to think that volunteering might just be the glue that keeps YPs sticking around a city.

Take note, Cincinnati.

Ask Not

My cargo pants are covered in paint.

They're rolled up in a ball in my laundry room as I explore ways to best remove the purple and salmon streaks. Even if the paint stains stick around, I'm proud to have sacrificed some time (and some pants) for a good cause.

I was one of over a thousand people who signed up to participate in ArtsWave's Paint the Street project. ArtsWave (formerly the Fine Arts Fund) is a great community effort and this latest project was an effort to help beautify Over-the-Rhine and bring people together for some exposure to art.

After my painting shift, I served as a volunteer for a couple hours, snapping head shots of the participants for a massive collage showing off the diversity of the "street artists."

Volunteering is a horse of many different colors, isn't it?

A discussion about volunteering today inspired me to read John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech from 1961. Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, I was able to listen to a taping of President Kennedy saying these words as I read along, allowing the message to really make an impact on me.

Indeed, we all have, in our "mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life."

Almost 50 years after this iconic speech, our society still relies on millions of people and their commitment to service.

Each of us has a talent, and whether that talent is writing or cooking or building things with one's own two hands, we can share that talent and help someone else strive for a better life.

Some attorneys donate pro bono legal services. Some literary types commit to literacy efforts. Some contractors donate the muscle and materials to help build homes for those less fortunate.

Me?

My talent is public relations and social media, and I donate my expertise and skills to non-profit organizations when time permits.

But I'm happy to pick up a paint brush when asked, too.

Want to explore volunteer opportunities in Greater Cincinnati? Visit United Way's The Volunteer Connection to find an opportunity that takes advantage of your time and talents.

Money Matters

I know how to stretch a dollar.

Years ago I was a lowly journalist with an equally lowly paycheck. I learned how to make twenty bucks stretch until the next payday.

Sometimes that stretching had to cover a week or so - more like some extreme ashtanga yoga than a little bit of stretching, huh?

I figured it out quickly. Bread, eggs, cheese and milk - I could get all of these things for about five bucks or less and feed myself some hearty meals over the course of a week. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was always some variation of those groceries and whatever I had left in the pantry and freezer (usually a can of beans, some ramen noodles and frozen veggies. Frozen chicken breasts if I was lucky).

Meal time was always a creative endeavor when I had to make ends meet.

Or is it Ends Meat?

For all my bellyaching, I was grateful I knew I could make it to a payday.

There are lots of folks out there who aren't as lucky. They don't have a steady income, or they don't have enough money to put food on the table while they're stretching to payday.

United Way tries to serve up a one-two punch to help people battling low income struggles.

First, United Way supports programs that help keep food pantries open in Cincinnati, Covington and other Tri-State communities.

The other, perhaps more enduring effort invests donor dollars in programs that help people gain more job skills. This helps people in need seek better jobs with higher wages and health benefits.

If these folks have more assets, they'll be better able to support themselves and their loved ones.

And maybe, someday, they won't have to stretch to payday. Maybe someday they'll be able to save some cash, invest and have some assets for retirement.

Isn't that what we all want?

If you'd like to support the annual United Way campaign, please click here to make a donation of any denomination. Every little bit helps support someone else seeking the basic things for a better life.

Saying Thanks.

The staff team at United Way is mid-way through a two-week thank you blitz. We're calling thousands of our most loyal donors -- just to say 'thanks'.

I made a couple of calls last year that stuck in my mind.

One to a gentleman who'd given through his workplace campaign for many, many years. His wife answered. After learning who I was and why I was calling, she asked me to hold on -- he needed to hear what I had to say, but was on the roof cleaning gutters, she'd go get him. And she did. I felt a little guilty, getting him off the roof just to say thanks. But he loved it.

Another call was to a woman who turned out to be a 30-year donor employed as a receptionist at one of our partner agencies. She shared stories of how personal her gift had become through the years as she greeted folks coming through the agency's doors.

Sometimes the folks on the other end of the phone are surprised. Other times they're just chatty.

Yesterday I spoke with a gentleman I'd reached on his cell as he and his wife were driving back from a Florida vacation. He was somewhere in north Georgia. We compared weather notes and agreed there was apparently no escaping the heat this summer.

I said thanks.

He said 'no, thank you for what you all do.'

Lots of phone calls. Lots of smiles.

Summertime... and the Learning is Easy.

Remember Summers when you were a kid?

Your bike stood ready in the drive.

The neighborhood pool beckoned each day as the temp climbed higher.

And your math book was safely out of sight.

Mine certainly was. And I paid the price when school started again each September, a state of angst that continued well into Winter. It's hard enough to find a favorite flip flop come Summer's end -- let alone remember how decimal points work.

Fast forward many years, and kids are still falling behind in math and other subjects during long breaks, with some more at risk than others. Giving them every chance to stay on the path to success is critical, maybe now more than ever. Like me, they may not realize for years just how critical.

I got the chance to share this perspective with a 7 year-old who was angry, sad, and even a bit embarrassed at having to attend a summer school session designed to keep her on track. All valid emotions magnified by the fact her twin would be heading to swim lessons at the same time. While I assured her an hour a day for three weeks wasn't the end of her summer fun, her grandpa made a really big deal out of the fact she got to go to the high school years before her sister would. Suddenly, it was cool to do math in June.

That's a lucky 7 year-old. Too many other kids aren't in a school district with such programs available.

As you continue your Summer fun, think about how you can also make the long school break less of a challenge for a child in your life. Find a local program that can help keep kids engaged while school is out. Consider volunteering your time. Or simply give a few kids in your neighborhood a lift to the local library.

It's Summertime. And the learning is easy.

Volun-cation

The mercury is climbing, the humidity is as thick as pea soup.

And many people are taking time off this summer to give back.

Instead of staycations and Americations, many Americans are choosing to use their vacation time and resources to jet off for a service project.

Just this month, CNN explored why so many women in particular are choosing to give up their vacation time to volunteer for others. Industry experts say as many as 70 percent of all volunteer travelers are women, and they're heading to New Orleans for rebuilding efforts, to Africa to serve as teaching assistants and to Haiti to help with earthquake relief.

Give Back Cincinnati is one outlet for Young Professional volunteers to give up some of their vacation time for service efforts beyond Cincinnati. The organization is taking volunteers to New Orleans on August 1, and to Ghana on October 1. These annual projects continue to make an impact in the respective communities and a worthwhile place to commit your time.

Maybe you can't give up a whole week or more.

Maybe a day is more your style.

United Way's Volunteer Connection is a perfect resource for people exploring ways to use a single vacation day to make the most impact. Whether you want to get involved with hunger issues or mentor a child, United Way is able to share thousands of service opportunities to interested volunteers.

So, next time you're considering the best way to use your vacation time, think about giving back.

We promise you won't get stung by a jellyfish.

I don't know if you've been told...

...Live United is the goal. Put that to the tune of "Sound Off" and you have our attempt at a snappy Live United chant, created on the fly during the Findlay Market Parade. We walked on a gorgeous day behind a gorgeous little vintage restored red 1948 GM pickup filled with the owner's grandkids in Live United t-shirts. It was kitted out with a nicely branded Give/Advocate/Volunteer 2-sided banner on a wooden stand in the back. We followed the Northwest High marching band, so we had the beat going! As this was our first year, there were just five of us. We represented 211, PIRC, EITC, Marketing, and Community Impact/Inclusion. We were happy to hear shouts of support for United Way from the crowds along the way. We all concluded we should try to repeat our efforts next year but bring a bigger group, and create and practice our chant ahead. More voices for LIVE UNITED.

Sophomore

This is the second day that I volunteered for the 2009 tax season. I actually was running a little late this day. The site opens at 9, and I didn’t get there until 9:30. The last time I volunteered the site was late in getting set up, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into this day. When I got there, however, the hallway was already filled with patrons waiting to get their taxes done. I walked into the computer room and almost all the computers were filled with volunteers completing returns. I was kind of shocked and surprised to see that many volunteers. I felt guilty that I was late, but after seeing so many people here, I kind of felt that they didn’t really need me.

Barb*, the site coordinator for Madisonville, greeted me and quickly set me up on an open computer. It was pretty crowded around all the computers, with all the volunteers and patrons sitting there. Crowded was a good thing though, because that meant that we had a lot of help and a lot of people getting help.

I have to say that as far as returns go, it was a pretty uneventful day. I think this might be because my skills were getting better, or because most people have the same type of returns. The hard returns are completed by the most advanced volunteers, so I see mostly basic returns anyway. One return stuck out in my head, though. It was actually somewhat of a mistake on my part. An elderly, married couple can in together, but they, for some reason, insisted on filing separately.

For those who don’t know anything about taxes, married filing separately (MFS) is the worst possible status you can file because neither person will get any kind of benefits. This status is basically reserved for people who are still legally married, but don’t actually live together. I had to help a women last year with this status because she was trying to deal with legal issues from her husband, whom she implied was abusive, but she was still legally married so she couldn’t file single status. She didn’t qualify for any credits and got a very low amount back. She may have even had to owe, though I can’t really remember.

So this couple comes in with no marriage problems, but thinks that MFS will help get more back on their return. The screener and I both tried to convince them to file MFJ (Married Filing Jointly) because they would benefit more, but they insisted on doing MFS. I wonder if they truly understood what we were trying to tell them. They did not want to be persuaded by us and this is essentially their tax return, so I can’t force them to file something against their will. They have to answer to the IRS on their taxes, not me.

I filled out the husband’s return and the wife was waiting to be helped by the next available volunteer. The husband was not getting anything back from federal or state at this point. I called Barb over for a quality review and she was kind of shocked that they wanted to file MFS. I told her they insisted on filing this way, but she talked to them and finally convinced to do MFJ and explained that this status would benefit them the most. I should have talked to her in the very beginning before I started working on the husband’s return, because then she had to delete his partial return from the computer. However, I’m glad they listened because they were able to get a fair amount back on their return, which is always better than zero.

Even though we had a full waiting area of patrons, we had many volunteers. We were able to help every person waiting and we got done an hour early, which has never happened to me at this site. I was kind of happy to get done early, and some the volunteers hung out after we were all finished and just chatted for a bit. It was nice to get to know some new people, and see familiar faces from 2 weeks ago.

This week I will be volunteering at a different site other that Madisonville for the first time. It will be interesting to see the differences between sites. Look for my next blog in a week or so.

Name has been changed to protect identity.

Valentine's Day Eve

The 2009 tax season has started out a bit different than the ’08 season did. I got engaged over the summer, so much of my free time is spent with wedding planning stuff. Because of that, I got kind of a late start with getting certified this year. There was a lot of information that I had forgotten, so I needed to refresh some of my tax knowledge. A big shout out to my fellow UW volunteer, Jack, for keeping me motivated on studying. I think we helped each other pass the test. We didn’t cheat—don’t worry. It was more like group study.

I finally got certified by the end of January and decided to do my first day on Feb. 13th—showin people some love by doin taxes. I now live very close to Madisonville Community Center, so I knew I would be going there again. I kind of have a soft spot for this location now.

A new and great improvement this year from the 2008 tax program is electronic scheduling. Whoever thought of doing this for the EITC program is a genius. It is so much easier to plan when and where to volunteer. As soon I got certified, I scheduled every day I want to volunteer this year. I made a goal of volunteering 4 days this year, every other Saturday in February and March. That is more than what I did last year, but still allows me time to do wedding planning.

The tax site had closed the previous week due to the weather, so I knew there was going to be a lot of people waiting to get their taxes done today. When I got there, people were waiting outside because the Community Center employee was still getting things set up. I only had to wait for 5 minutes, but some people had been waiting out in the cold for a little while. The earlier you get there, the sooner you get done.

The employee let me inside because I was a volunteer, but when I went to the computer room, there was nobody there. This shocked me because the site coordinators are always there early to set up. I was worried that this session might have gotten cancelled and I didn't know (nor did all the people outside). Or, if they were running late, it would take us that much longer to get through everyone. The employee began setting up chairs for people to come in and sit down.

I was really worried we were gonna have to turn people away, but 5 minutes later, Barb*, the new site coordinator, came in. She had gotten stuck outside. I had worked with Barb last year as a volunteer, so I knew who she was very experienced. It was nice to see a familiar face.

John*, another volunteer, also came in and we all got everything set up quickly. The patrons came in and started filling out the necessary paperwork to get them started. There were not as many people as I remembered from last year, and not as many as I was expecting. But there were still enough to keep us all busy. Another employee of the Community Center came in and set up the computers for us. Mary*, another volunteer, came in as well. There were 4 of us so far, which was a good number. Mary was a returning volunteer and John was new. We also had another new volunteer, Kim*, come in a little later.

I had a different perspective this year. John and Kim had little to no volunteer experience so far, so they had to rely on Mary, Barb and me to help them. It was kind of cool to return the favor from when I was helped a lot on my first day volunteering. Like I said before, the volunteers all work together to make sure we are doing everything right and making sure we help as many people as possible. Every return is double and triple checked before it gets filed.

Most of the returns I had this day were pretty simple. Everything came back to me quickly and easily. Like I said--learning to ride a bike. I only had one person with real estate taxes and mortgage interest. The hardest return I had was a person who lived in Ohio, but worked in Kentucky. So I had to figure out how to put several local taxes on a single W-2. I was actually very proud of myself for completing this one—I learned something new this day.

Most people who I helped were single filers, no kids, with straightforward income and deductions. Something I was kind of shocked about was the number of people filing unemployment compensation—definitely a lot more last year. I think I only had 1 married couple. Of course, we had more than that being helped by the other volunteers. Mr. & Mrs. Wilson* returned from when I helped them in 2008—yeah!! They were helped by another volunteer, but I was glad to see them again. I don’t think they remembered me, though...

Since most of the returns were fairly simple, I was able to get through them pretty quickly. The time it takes to actually fill out the return is not very long. It actually takes longer to interview and review the return than it does to fill it out. When doing a return we have to make sure we go through an interview before anything is started on the computer. Patrons absolutely have to have an I.D. and their Social Security cards for themselves, and their spouses and dependants if they have any, before we do anything. We tell them before they even fill out the paperwork to have all their documentation or else we can not do the return. I have had to send some people home to get their stuff before—they don’t like to hear that, but it’s to protect them.

The Community Center told us we had to finish everyone by 3 p.m. We are supposed to close at 2 p.m., but I learned quickly that doesn’t ever happen. Usually we just do everyone, even though it takes us over the time limit. I mean we don’t want to turn people away who have been sitting there all day to get their taxes done. We were pushing it to the max this day in order to get all the people filed. We did end up having to tell some people to come back the next time because they had really complicated returns and we didn’t have enough time to get through them on this day.

The most memorable patron I helped this day was George*. Most of the people we help have low income. George was no exception, but his was probably one of the lowest I had filed. However, he was the happiest person I have probably ever helped (at least he seemed that way). He was very talkative the whole time I was doing his return—very friendly personality. He moved here from another state and was in the construction business, but was having a hard time finding a steady job. He worked part time at fast food restaurant and went down to Job and Family Services to find employment every chance he got. He was trying to get on the construction crew to build the new train rail from Cincinnati to Cleveland that is apparently starting up in a year or so. I must live in a box because I don’t remember hearing anything about this before George told me. That is why he became my favorite patron of the day.

I volunteer again this weekend. Look for my blog about it next week!

*Names have been changed to protect identity.

It’s like learning to ride a bike.

When I was asked to blog about my experience doing taxes for UWGC’s EITC tax program, my first thought was “me? blog? this should be interesting…”. I’ve never really blogged about anything before. I’ve tried to blog before and it never really intrigued me. Maybe I’ve just never really been much of a writer or maybe I’ve never really had much to write about.

However, I was glad I was given this opportunity because I really do want to share my experiences about doing taxes for people. Mainly because it’s been a very interesting experience (and I’m sure will continue to be so) and also I want to show that anyone can really do this. You don’t have to be a “numbers person”, you just have to be willing to take some time to learn and to stick with it because the more you do it, the easier it will become (as with anything I guess).

You may wonder why I would choose to do taxes in the first place. Well I have to admit; I started doing this mainly for myself. I wanted to learn more about taxes. I’ve always been a seeker of knowledge and I wanted to better understand how to do my own taxes and I figured this will be good way to start. I also love to help people and work with people, so that was also a big motivating factor.

I’ve always been big on volunteerism. I started volunteering when I was in high school, mostly with my church, but that mentality stuck with me. I participated in a few Crosstown Helpouts in college and I really loved doing that, so I knew when I would have more time to help others, I would make sure I did that.

Doing taxes for people is unique. It’s not just simply fixing up a building (which is great and also much needed), but it’s still just as instantaneously gratifying. You can give someone immediate results—you fill out the tax form, the software program calculates everything, and—BAM—you’re done! You can tell the person immediately how much they can expect to get back (or how much they may owe, which was very rare) and see their reaction. It’s different than some volunteering programs (such as tutoring) where you have to track changes over a long period time to see results. That’s probably the best thing about doing taxes.

My very first day doing taxes was very intimidating. My first choice of sites didn’t have as much need for volunteers (but it was the closest to my house, which is why I chose it first), so I decided to try one that would need me more help and I would have a better chance of making my time worthwhile. I went to Madisonville Community Center. This was probably the second closest to my house, that I had a vague idea of its location. I had never been to this community center, so when I walked in (carrying my back of books and resource materials), I told the front desk person I was here for the tax program. He immediately told me to write my name on a list that already had about 30 names filled in. I told him I was a volunteer and was here to do taxes, he pointed me towards the room where they were set up and said I could go right in. I walked down the hallway that was lined with about 30 people sitting on both sides, all staring at me as I walked past them. It was 15 minutes until the site opened and there were already this many people waiting. They were all here to get their taxes done by me and other volunteers. I felt extremely insignificant and not important enough for these people to sit and wait all day just for one of us to help them. I also now felt very responsible. I was going to make sure I could do everything I can so these people will get the return they deserve—and they truly did deserve it.

For all the praise I got when I told people I was doing taxes (which I don’t really deserve), the site coordinators deserve an infinitely more amount of praise. Without the site coordinators, there would be no tax program. The volunteers can only do what the coordinators have set up for them to do. Each day that I volunteered for the 2008 tax season (I admit I only volunteer 2 days, each time was at Madisonville), Melissa*, the site coordinator, was there early to set up all the materials, computers, get the patrons ready by having them fill out prep paper work, get the volunteers set up, and brought food for us (which was very much needed and appreciated).

Melissa really helped me get orientated to this environment and she was always helping me when I had a question about something. She was being pulled in a hundred different directions, but made sure the patrons were the top priority and made sure we were able to help everyone that came. The other volunteers were also extremely helpful to me. I don’t think I would have gotten through that first day without them. We relied on each other and helped each other when we had questions or needed a return checked. We are each other’s support.

It’s kind of an odd experience doing someone’s taxes. They are giving some of their most personal information to you and trusting you with that. Whenever I did someone’s taxes, it felt weird because they would be watching me the whole time (which they should). I felt like I was under a microscope, with someone watching over my shoulder the whole time, just waiting for me to mess up and prove me a phony. I didn’t want to tell people it was my first year doing taxes, because then they would worry that I wouldn’t know what to do and I didn’t want them to feel like their trip there was a wasted effort.

Though I did pass the certification tests and knew how to do a basic return, there was still some learning curve to doing taxes. I only knew about tax forms I was familiar with, which was basically just W-2’s. I have never owned a house and I’m not retired, so I had to learn the different types of income and expense forms. It’s different from reading about something in a book and seeing it in real life. The hardest thing about learning how to do taxes is not what all is involved in completing a return; it’s where to enter it in the tax software. The computer can calculate everything for you and kind of “dummy-proof” it somewhat, but I still needed to know the exact line to actually enter real estate taxes, for example. I think it took me 1 ½ to 2 hours for me to complete each return on that first day (it now takes me about half that time).

Although the thrill of learning is what originally interested me in doing taxes, the people are what kept me doing it. The people that came in to get their taxes done truly touched my heart, and made me grateful that I was a small part in making them happier. I don’t remember everyone I helped last year, but a few did stick out in my mind. One couple I remember was Mr. & Mrs. Wilson*. They were probably the third or fourth return that I did. He was retired and she was still working. They were very sweet and had the most trusting faces. They had a bit of an age gap between them and when I saw Mr. Wilson’s birth date, I was taken off guard. Not because I thought he was really old (which he was about the same age as my grandma), but I just thought about all the things he would have went through and witnessed in his lifetime. This was an African-American man born during the Great Depression. He lived through WW2, Civil Rights era (was alive during Martin Luther King Jr.’s life) and the Vietnam War. He lived most of his life before I was even conceived. All the things that I read about in history books—this person has lived through them and experienced them in a different way than what my parents and grandparents would have. And I know there are a lot of people still living that have gone through these things as well, but just seeing it there on paper and having him sit there right next to me kind of awed me. Yet they were probably some of the most patient and kind people that I had helped through my entire tax experience.

The second time I did taxes last year, which was a couple of weeks later, Mrs. Wilson came back with her grandson so he could get his taxes done, too. He was a junior or senior in high school and it was his first year filing taxes, with the W-2 from his first job. I thought it was really awesome for family generations to connect in that way and I thought it was very respectable that Mrs. Wilson would help her grandson begin to do things for himself. I connected with him because I remembered when I filed my first tax return with the W-2 from my first job, as well.

Another person that stuck out in my mind was a single mom, whose name I can not remember. She qualified for the Earned Income Credit and was able to get back about 2 ½ months worth of income back from her taxes. I was glad she was able to get that much back because she seemed like a hard working person just trying to take care of herself and her kids.

I just think it’s pretty awesome that someone can get a check from the Federal Government worth over two months of income. That, right there, makes all my efforts worthwhile. Even though I was only able to volunteer 2 days last year, I knew I wanted to do taxes again in 2009. Look for more entries on each day that I volunteer this year.

*Names have been changed to protect identity.

Long Lasting Change

We're growing by leaps and bounds on Reading Road.

Check out this video to see the latest in our construction efforts, and the massive transformation expected at United Way!