 April 15th is that dreaded day each spring that strikes
panic in the hearts of procrastinating taxpayers. By law,
it is the last day for filing regular taxes. But, by the laws
of nature, spring should be a season of hope and renewal,
and this April 15th was just such a day for the 351
people who took advantage of the free tax preparation
offered by the Real$ense Prosperity Campaign’s Tax Blitz
Day at Gateway WorkSource on Norwood Avenue.
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• VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION EVENT – Friday, May 2, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Dave
and Buster’s, Salisbury Road, Jacksonville.
• REAL$ENSE STEERING COMMITTEE
MEETING – Tuesday, May 13, 10:30 to
12:00 noon, 4th Floor Boardroom, United
Way of NE FL.
• MONEY SMART TRAIN THE TRAINER – Monday, June 30. Details to follow.
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 Wolfson High School Seniors Tierra Collier, 17, and Randy
Mixson, 18, participated as special volunteers at the
Real$ense Tax Blitz Day. As students enrolled in the high
school’s specialized Financial Planning magnet course, a
dual enrollment program where they can earn college as
well as high school credits, Tierra and Randy
had the opportunity this tax season to
shadow Real$ense staff, volunteers and many
of their community partners, including Wachovia partner, Michelle Braun,
Community Chair for Real$ense and a mentor with the program, and Gloria
Sutton, Media Relations Specialist for the local IRS Office, both of whom
were on hand to help with Tax Blitz Day.
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• Article in the Florida Times-Union Business
Section about the IRS being ready to help
people through the final push of tax
preparation, with mention of Real$ense.
• Article in the Florida Times-Union on
April 15 about Real$ense and its partners.
• Live news feeds from WorkSource at
Gateway on April 15 from NBC, CBS47,
and FOX30, with interviews and
commentary going on throughout the day.
•Phone Bank at CBS47 on Wednesday,
April 16, about Economic Stimulus
Payment tax preparation on April 24.
•Live news feeds from the Mary Singleton
Senior Center in anticipation of ESP Tax
Blitz Day by CBS47.
•Radio coverage of ESP Tax Blitz Day
by Public Radio’s NPR.
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“It’s a good thing I came
in today,” declared
Marcus Moton, 23, an
electrician currently
doing temp work. “I had
money coming back from
the last couple of years
that I didn’t even know about!” Grinning
as he cradled his 3-month old daughter,
Shamaryiah, in his arms, Moton said he
would put to very good use the tax refund
and money he was going to receive through
the new Economic Stimulus Package. “This
will help a lot,” he said. “I want to make a
better future for my little girl.”
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Real$ense partner CBS47 and FOX30
Television provided Real$ense with
air time for a phone bank on
Wednesday, April 16, where IRS volunteers
answered questions about the Economic
Stimulus Payments and told callers about
the free tax preparation taking place on
Thursday, April 24 for Seniors, Veterans,
and those on disability.
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Just when they thought they could take
a well-earned break from the frenzy
of completing tax returns, Real$ense
volunteers – including those from AARP
Tax Aide, VITA and The Benefit Bank –
assembled yet again at five locations
around the city to help Seniors, Veterans,
and those on disability income qualify for
the Economic Stimulus rebate. With its
partners, the City of Jacksonville and
Potters House Christian Fellowship,
Real$ense volunteers prepared close
to 100 tax returns for those who don’t
normally have to file, so they could receive
their rebate checks. Senior Centers, including
Mary Singleton, Lane Wiley, Arlington,
and Lincoln Villa, and Potters House on the
Westside, opened their doors from 10:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 24 in a
community effort to improve the spending
power of those on a fixed income.
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