Free Tax Preparation by CASH Buffalo

Do you or anyone you know need help filing your income taxes?  Want this done free?  As a service to the community, CASH (Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope) helps working families get the money and assistance they’ve earned by providing free income tax preparation and e-filing for those who may be less able to afford a paid tax preparer.

Typically, those who have worked in the past year and earned less than $40,000 are eligible. While most returns can be done, some may be more complex and need referral to a more specialized preparer.

The dates, places, and times that CASH will provide these services are listed below.  Help will also be available en Español.

**Distribute Widely**

1. Tue Mar 17 5pm – Tue Mar 17 8pm

Buffalo Psychiatric Center, 400 Forest Ave., Buffalo 14213

2. Thu Mar 19 5pm – Thu Mar 19 8pm

Riverside Library, 820 Tonawanda Street, Buffalo, NY 14207

3. Sat Mar 21 10am – Sat Mar 21 2pm

Trading Post Community Care Center 38 Franklin St., PO Box 96, Springville, NY 14141

4. Sun Mar 22 1pm – Sun Mar 22 4pm

Merriweather Library 1324 Jefferson Ave., Buffalo, NY 14208

5. Tue Mar 24 5pm – Tue Mar 24 8pm

Daemen College Wick Student Center, Daemen College, 4380 Main St., Amherst, NY 14226

6. Sat Mar 28 10am – Sat Mar 28 2pm

Love Inc. & Town of Concord Town Hall 86 Franklin, Springville 14141

7. Tue Mar 31 5pm – Tue Mar 31 8pm

MAP 271 Grant Ave., Buffalo, NY 14213

8. Sat Apr 4 10am – Sat Apr 4 1pm

Evans National Bank, 6840 Erie Road, Derby, NY 14047

9. Tue Apr 7 5pm – Tue Apr 7 8pm

Hispanics United, 254 Virginia, Buffalo, NY 14201

10. Sat Apr 11 10am – Sat Apr 11 1pm

Evans National Bank 8599 Erie Road, Evans, NY 14006

11. Tue Apr 14 5pm – Tue Apr 14 8pm

MAP 271 Grant, Buffalo, NY 14213

Fliers:

En Español:

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Report: 1 in 50 U.S. Children Face Homelessness

CNN ran an article the other day that found that in addition to 1 in 50 children being homeless, 1.16 million homeless children will not graduate from high school.  In today’s extremely tight job market where college educated adults are having extreme difficulty finding work, these young adults have little chance of finding full-time employment.  The jobs that would be available to them would rarely pay livable wages and very rarely offer benefits like health insurance.

The Buffalo News has been doing a series titled “Children of Poverty” which is taking a closer look at youth right here in Buffalo.  A recent article examined the “two-tiered” health care system that treats those who who live close to or in poverty unfavorably and those with greater privilege more favorably.

That article can be found here:

http://www.buffalonews.com/341/story/338458.html

Be sure to read the previous stories and keep an eye open for more in the future.

Here is the CNN article:

(CNN) — One in 50 children is homeless in the United States every year, according to a report released Tuesday.

The National Center on Family Homelessness estimates more than 1.5 million children are without a home.

The report, by the National Center on Family Homelessness, analyzed data from 2005-06 and found that more than 1.5 million children were without a home.

“These numbers will grow as home foreclosures continue to rise,” Ellen Bassuk, president of the center, said in a statement.

The study ranked states on their performance in four areas: the extent of child homelessness, the risk for it, child well-being and the state’s policy and planning efforts.

The states that fared the poorest were Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, New Mexico and Louisiana.

Connecticut, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Rhode Island and North Dakota performed the best.

Homeless children have poor health, emotional problems and low graduation rates, the study found.

“The consequences to our society will play out for decades,” Bassuk said. “As we bail out the rest of our nation, it is also time to come to their aid.”

The report offers recommendations such as improved support to ensure that children’s schooling is not interrupted when they lose their homes, and services to address the trauma of homelessness.

Other highlights in the report, “America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness:”

• 42 percent of homeless children are younger than 6.

• African-American and Native American children are disproportionately represented.

• More than 1 in 7 homeless children have moderate to severe health conditions, such as asthma.

• Approximately 1.16 million of homeless children today will not graduate from high school.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/10/homeless.children/index.html

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