Just as their name implies, local Resource Connection Centers (formerly known as Prosperity Centers), are a place where people can increase their financial stability. This is particularly true during tax season when individuals visit the centers for free tax filing assistance provided by a team of SC Thrive volunteers, AmeriCorps members and Resource Connection Center Staff members.
Days before 2018 tax were due, a man in his 50s visited the bustling Dorchester Center in Summerville looking for help. He’d been to a tax preparation business but left because he couldn’t afford the filing fee. The average cost of tax preparation fees is $243 -- a price just not feasible for many people.
He learned about the partnership between Trident United Way and SC Thrive, which provides qualifying individuals and families with free tax assistance, and quickly made an appointment. He’d been told by another tax preparer that he owed several thousand dollars in taxes.
After working with a volunteer to review his tax documents, they discovered he owed half the amount the other tax preparer had calculated -- about $1,400.
“This gentleman raved about the service he received and promised to tell others about the Prosperity Center and the free tax assistance,” said Cathy Easley, director of integrated community systems at Trident United Way. “That kind of service is a big deal and leaves a lasting impression on clients and beneficiaries facing difficult or complicated situations.”
In collaboration with nonprofit agencies, Trident United Way is offering free servies at the Resource Connection Centers to assists individuals and families seeking financial stabilty. While the centers are located in Berkeley and Dorchester, residents from all over the Tri-County region take advantage of the offerings.