United Way of Southern Nevada, PNC Foundation host VITA Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony, September 8, 2023
On Sept. 8, United Way of Southern Nevada (UWSN) in partnership with PNC Foundation, hosted a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony at the UWSN office. The celebration marked the culmination of all the hard work and success of the VITA Program this past tax season.
The VITA Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony celebrated the 108 volunteers who donated their time to provide free tax preparation services to Southern Nevadans who needed it most. UWSN, VITA partners and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) work together to create access to tax preparation services for the community. The program is designed to benefit those in Southern Nevada who earn $60,000 or less, persons with disabilities and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance preparing their own tax returns. While the VITA program is managed by the IRS, the VITA sites are operated by IRS partners and IRS-certified volunteers. This past tax season was powered by PNC Foundation, Charles Schwab Bank and UWSN.
“UWSN is proud to expand access to VITA free tax preparation services across the valley to ensure Southern Nevadans receive the support they need to thrive,” stated Julian High, president and CEO of UWSN. “This would not be possible without the support of our amazing partners and volunteers.”
This year, 4,096 tax returns were filed with the assistance of UWSN and the VITA program. A total of $4,636,422 in tax refunds were returned to Clark County residents. These results were powered by PNC Foundation and reported by two of UWSN’s VITA partners, Nevada Free Taxes Coalition and US Filipino Veterans Group.
“PNC is committed to the success of Nevadans,” said Denette Suddeth, PNC regional president for Nevada. “Our support of the VITA program aligns with our mission to move all forward financially. We were pleased to see positive results not only for the thousands of residents who benefited from the program but also for our local economy.”
The successful partnership will continue to evolve and respond to the needs of the community. UWSN is engaging a new generation of volunteers to sustain the program for years to come. Focusing on recruiting students and working professionals by providing them with rich work experience and knowledge to create a long-term commitment to helping the community through the volunteer tax preparation programs.
“I am a senior and feel so lucky to have this service offered to us in Las Vegas,” stated Doree G, after her visit with Nevada Free Taxes Coalition. “They have an excellent staff and are friendly and just plain good people.”
UWSN, PNC Foundation and VITA volunteers are committed to training civic-minded youth with free tax preparation while they earn IRS certificates and strengthen their people skills while preparing for the workforce.
Southern Nevadans looking to access free tax support can visit https://irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep/
Learn more about United Way of Southern Nevada by visiting: https://uwsn.org/.
About United Way of Southern Nevada
Beginning in 2022 and into 2023, United Way of Southern Nevada (UWSN) celebrates its 65th anniversary, and we are proud of the incredible impact we have made in our community over the past six and a half decades. United Way of Southern Nevada is dedicated to ensuring that every person in Southern Nevada can succeed. We’ve been doing this since 1957—before many of our beloved resorts and casinos lit up the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. This year, we will celebrate our successes, honor the legends who helped us get here, and inspire Southern Nevadans to support UWSN for years to come.
About PNC Foundation
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.