N.Y. Food Charity Adds Tax Preparation to Services for Needy

Along with supplying soup kitchens and food pantries, the Food Bank for New York City offers free tax services to low-income New Yorkers, filing more than 48,000 returns last year and generating $81.2-million in credits and refunds, writes The New York Times.

The tax program, launched in 2002 at a Harlem community kitchen, has grown to 68 sites citywide, including churches, banks, libraries, community centers, and social-service offices. The largest, at the BronxWorks Morris Innovative Senior Center, has filed more than 4,600 returns this year.

The service is aimed at single parents, the unemployed, retirees, and others who may have difficulty paying for professional tax services. The $2-million-a-year program is funded through grants from the Internal Revenue Service and private donors and uses a mix of paid seasonal workers and volunteers who complete an online training course and exams on tax work.