February 13, 2013
The
Portland O bserver
Black History Month
Free Tax Help
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 3
volunteers.
The non-profit group gears their
help toward low-income individu­
als and families. Open through April
15 at multiple sites across the state,
most CASH Oregon sites are walk-
in, on a first-come-first-serve basis,
but some require appointments.
A list of site locations and times
of service throughout Oregon is
a v a ila b le o n lin e at b it.ly /
CASHOregon. You can also dial 211
and a 211 info operator will help lo­
cate a site.
Daniel M ills, a southw est Port­
land resident who works in con­
struction, said last year he used
H & R B lo c k ’s w eb -b ased tax
preparation program , but this year
his tax situation was more com pli­
cated. “I thought it would be easier
to ask a professional and get help
rath er than research it on my
ow n,” he said.
In 2012, QASH Oregon helped
55,320 file tax returns statewide
and for individuals with an aver­
age adjusted gross incom e of
$23,800. The average refund was
nearly $1,500.
“It’s been very very busy,” said
Cam ille M cDaniel, program m an­
ager o f the Lloyd Center site.
Rob Justus, executive director
o f CASH Oregon, said the non­
profit specializes in tax credits like
the Earned Income Tax Credit and
other fam ily tax credits, such as
the Child and Dependent Care
Credit and the Child Tax Credits.
Justus said the free services
have been offered at the Lloyd
C enter since 2005, but fears that
grants received from the city and
county to keep the services run­
ning next year are in danger due to
the c ity ’s looming budget cuts.
CASH Oregon lists 36 sites in
M ultnom ah County alone, some
providing help in Spanish, Hindi,
M a n d a rin ,
V ie tn a m e se ,
Cantonese, Korean, French and
German.
N ationw ide and in W ashing­
ton state, residents can find vol­
u n teer tax -p rep help sites by
s e a rc h in g
th e
AARP
Foundation's Tax-A ide website,
the IRS VITA website, or by call­
ing 1-800-906-9887.
People are asked to bring the
follow ing docum ents when they
arrive at the tax help sites: Photo
id en tificatio n , Social Security
cards or ITIN letters/cards for
yourself and every person you
claim on your return, docum enta­
tion of all your incom e with W -2
and 1099 forms, your bank routing
and account num bers for fast di­
rect deposits of your refund; and
last y ear’s tax return.
$ 2 5 ,0 0 0
Value is Relative. Whether you donate an old master to your local art museum, or
support the next generation of “abstract expressionists”, it’s your connection to the
community that counts. With The Oregon Community Foundation, you can create a
fund that puts your resources to creative use - locally - for the causes you care about
most. For more information, callus at 503.227.6846 or visit www.oregoncf.org.
To contact
OREGON
COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION
THE
»Hr
Here for Oregon. Here for Good.
Established in 1970
diversity
Print
$ 2 5 ,0 0 0
wwss.pvitliindobservcrwn’
Z
tí
Volunte XXXX. Number 13
Wednesday • March 31. 2010
qdmdlana (l/hscriwr
H ousing
*
City of Ruses'
J Special Edition
J¡ S tt laald*. pages 4-5
yea> irs*
cnninmnity'
i immuni h service
Young,
Black
OGifted
I
Recognizing kids
on right track
av J a u T a m u r a
T n rP n a n vm O a a a n v u
Portland's A frican Am erican youth are often caught up
in a net o f negative public perceptions brought by new« o f
gang violence, the ao b crm f achievement gap and w hnol
drop out rate».
But there ’• plenty o f young black kids in Portland who are
on the right path, m aking good grades, headed to college,
and arc m aking positive contribution» to the city. A new
photographic tribute recognize* the hard w o rk o f some o f
these »indent* and «how* B u t there is «till reason to be
optimistic
“Young. Black A G ifte d ,’ a photo essay putting the
spotlight tai the accomplishment» o f h lg b -a c h io mg A lb -
can Am encan student«, opens to the public on Monday.
A p ril 5 at Portland School If o t n c t headquarters at 501 N .
D ito n St and w ill later be moved Io the 1 loyd Center
Mall
The project is the brain child o f R cikn W illiam s the
d istrict’« fam ily and community engagement manager. who
u h I the got the idea after having a conversation with
someone who seemed «hocked when she mentioned an
A frican-A m erican student that wasescellm g A fter ihecon-
<
varaatKwi she wornod that a ll the aitantmn on the problems
o f young black students was drowning out the hard work o f
others
Call 503-288-0033
ou hear w» much about deficit« and achievement gaps,"
«he aaid.
W illiam « raid the exh ib it came together w ith a call for
nominal tone o f black stodenfs doing w ell d iU n c tw id e , and
the recruitment ot a ptxungrepher and web developer
Skylar H o h . a freshman at Jefferson H igh School is one o f
the 11 students featured m the exhibit
Holts gets A s and B ’« in school She does especially well
in Fnglish classes, taught by Anne N o vin g er, one o f her
favorite teacher«, and chemistry is getting steadily easier
or email
ads @portlandobserver.com
Holt plan* to go to college ,md is thinking about law sclmol
down the ruad
• I ’m em oying it a tot." she »aid o f her high school. “I like
eonWna/d
on page 19
S *><* Hofl oncers os haaim an at la rttn o n n « ft Scftoa m north Portland i n comrtbuoon a to n a o f ma
pfry t
B IX *
¡.lordCenter Moil
4 O rttn r shonnls is part o la nap aiM hit coming Io Softool otslnef ftoorUuorms anti