In February 2024, the CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) tax preparation assistance program began preparing 2023 taxes for Charlottesville area residents. Head Program Directors Manish Dahal, Jilian Tso, and William Yu recently wrapped up another successful tax season.
“I’ve always asked myself how I can enrich my community at UVA. CASH has been the best way imaginable to give back to people and my community. I mean, you only have four years—I don’t want to sit around and do nothing, I want to make an impact and CASH has allowed me to do so,” reflects Manish.
CASH volunteers underwent intensive training during the fall semester.
The final numbers are not yet in, but preliminary figures indicate that this year’s CASH program volunteers prepared more than 1,500 returns between February and April. In order to do this work, Madison House volunteers began preparing several months prior. During the fall semester, volunteers underwent intensive training to prepare them for the 2024 tax season. “We not only teach our volunteers tax law and the theory behind taxes, but we also give them several opportunities in the fall to file mock tax returns that closely mirror those they’d encounter in the spring,” says Jialin.
The Dairy Market in downtown Charlottesville was one site of operations for CASH volunteers.
During tax season, CASH volunteers offer tax preparation services at various times in multiple locations around Charlottesville to increase accessibility for area residents. “We offered tax preparation appointments during three-hour sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at three different locations, including University Baptist Church, Dairy Market, and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. We try to help as many people as possible, so every week, around 12-15 volunteers serve around the same number of clients. We schedule 3-4 clients every 45 minutes to ensure we provide quality service to everyone,” explains Co-HPD Jialin Tso.
CASH HPD Manish Dahal talks with a volunteer during a shift at University Baptist Church.
Thinking back to early February when volunteers began meeting with clients face-to-face, Manish shares the nervous excitement volunteers felt. “The first two weeks are always nerve wracking for Program Directors and volunteers, but we have been able to instill such a great sense of community over the past few years. Returning volunteers help out new recruits. They answer each other’s questions and help take the load off one another,” he says.
All three HPDs are very confident in the cohort of volunteers, particularly because of some new initiatives that began in training. “We incorporated scenario-based sessions this year. We emphasized asking questions and not just going through the form. We trained volunteers how to handle conflicts and focus on interpersonal interactions. When a client gives us their tax return, it is very personal. It is their income and expenses from the past year. So, having our volunteers be empathetic is very important,” adds William.
They have observed noticeable differences in engagement. William explains, “From the moment a client walks in, the volunteers are more than just UVA students, they are IRS-certified tax assistants. There is a high level of professionalism.” He continues, saying, “The volunteers are not just going through the returns and staying silent, instead they are connecting with the clients and asking questions about their lives. I think that has had a great effect on bridging UVA and the Charlottesville community. CASH is a lens to the broader Charlottesville community.”
CASH volunteers await their next client during a shift.
The success of the program has even been picked up by the local news on channel CBS 19. Manish was interviewed by the station and is proud to have had the opportunity to represent the program. “Being able to represent a great cause, such a great organization, such a great community—especially this being my own community since I am from Charlottesville—means a lot to me,” he says. “Because I am actually from here, the program itself means a lot more.”
Along with an enhanced training process, Martha Trujillo has joined Madison House’s full-time staff as the VITA and CASH Coalition Coordinator. “She brings over 16 years of volunteer tax experience helping Charlottesville residents,” says Jilian. “It’s only been two months since she joined the team, yet we’ve learned so much from her about how to run our shifts more efficiently and effectively.”
Looking ahead, the HPDs are leaving the program equipped with intangible and immeasurable soft skills, not just tax filing knowledge. Interacting with people to problem solve, delegate and resolve conflict is critical to their success. “The most important skill we provide volunteers and PDs is handling client-level situations. Tax filing itself is a very rote process. Using the software, we fill in information step by step. What is harder and more intangible is the soft skill set, including interpersonal skills to strike up great conversations with the taxpayer and handle situations in which clients are upset,” William elaborates.
Tax preparation has been a strong program at Madison House since the 1970s, and the program is poised for continued growth. If you are a UVA student interested in becoming a volunteer during the 2024-2025 academic year, please fill out an interest form.
By Cecilia Murphy