April 4, 2018
Page 5
Photo by d anny P eterson /t he P ortLand o bserver
Volunteers, interns and workers at the CASH Oregon office in Lloyd Center help low-income
Oregonians prepare their taxes for free and help eligible recipients claim an Earned Income Tax
Credit. Pictured (from left) are Pina Chipen, Alexsis Hopson, Gilberto Elena, and Myrna Andrade-
Booker. The program will be open through April 17 at over 50 locations in the Portland metro area.
Cash in Hand
C ontinued from P age 3
through the program for the first time this year after
hearing about it from word of mouth. They said a re-
fund like the Earned Income Tax Credit would really
help them out financially.
“The reason I came is because it’s free. I usually go
to H & R Block, but it’s a $300 something dollar fee,”
Syoziatro said.
Between CASH Oregon and AARP Tax-Aide, $54
million in Earned Income Tax Credits was made to
eligible clients in Oregon last year, according to the
non-profit’s annual report. Over $21 million of re-
funds were issued in the tri-county area of Washing-
ton, Multnomah, and Clackamas counties.
The tax filing deadline is April 17 and the free
tax preparation sites will be open for services
through that time, except Fridays. But come early,
Adams said, because the service is first-come first-
serve. And be sure to bring a photo ID, Social Se-
curity card, the tax IDs of all who you are filing for,
your employers W-2s and other documents related
to your income, as well as tax-related expenses for
the year, and last year’s tax return, if you have it.
At Lloyd Center, which is the largest CASH Or-
egon site in the state, the hours are posted as 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Saturday through Wednesday, and 1 p.m.
to 8 p.m. on Thursdays. The offices are located on
the third floor near the food court.
You can find CASH Oregon’s other locations by
calling 2-11 or visiting cashoregon.org/locations.
The website also has links to free resources in or-
der to file taxes yourself from home.
Meeting on Gang Violence
Laurie Palmer, a black commu-
nity activist who started a local
organization to address the root
causes of gang violence invites
members of the community to an
upcoming meeting to explore and
advance efforts to combat the in-
fluence of gangs and reduce vio-
lence.
The session will be held
Wednesday, April 11, from noon
to 2 p.m. in the community room
of the Human Solutions/Rock-
wood building at 124 N.E. 181th.
Palmer is the founder of the “Go
Get Your Child” (GGYC) commu-
nity coalition she started after her
own son was injured in a shooting.
She is also an inspirational speak-
er and a “Women in Transition:
life coach.
The meeting will focus on
strengthening community net-
Laurie Palmer
works and building ties with
non-violence, locally-based orga-
nizations and explore honest chal-
lenges in the efforts to make our
communities safer.
For more information, call
Palmer at 503-927-9753 or email
lauriepalmer39@yahoo.com.
Free Legal Services Day
In an effort to help low-in-
come individuals apply for jobs,
attain housing, and regain their
driver’s licenses, a free legal
services day will be held at the
Rosewood Initiative in Gresham
on Friday, April 13, from 1 p.m.
to 5 p.m.
The non-profit, located at
16126 S.E. Stark St., will provide
the opportunity for people to meet
with an attorney and earn a waiver
of fines and fees they owe, if they
show proof that they completed
non-court-mandated community
service or recent treatment. In-
dividuals can also see if they’re
eligible for expungment of old
cases or address any outstanding
warrants.
For more information, call 503-
208-2562.
Chicago-Style
Steppin
Fun, Healthy Social
Dance for Couples
and Singles.
Weekly Classes
www.groovinhighsteppers.com
Denise Johnson 503-819-4576
Hernandez Williams 206-683-4101
Co-Founders and Instructers