Our VITA program provides help with filing taxes for free in the community. Every year, many volunteers devote their time to helping run our sites, do client intake and help file taxes. Each year, dozens of volunteers give hundreds of hours of time to not only learn how to prepare accurate tax returns and prepare for and pass an IRS certification exam but also to help low- and mid-income families learn more about financial wellness and ensure that their tax returns are completed and filed securely and that they receive all of the credits they are eligible for.

I’ve been astounded by the dedication of these volunteers and their commitment to serve many times over the tax season, complete trainings and come back year after year. Many of these volunteers are retirees who have committed to giving back to their community, spending many hours in service toward others.

The impact they make is incredible. Because of the hard work our volunteers do to ensure families receive all the refunds they are eligible for, VITA helped secure $4.5 million in refunds for households in Utah County. For many families, that refund means groceries on the table, rent paid on time or a little breathing room in their monthly budget.

Maddie Hardy, the volunteer initiatives coordinator on our Volunteer Center team, described the impact of our experienced volunteers on the VITA program: “Retired volunteers truly are the backbone of our VITA program. Their time, patience and lifetime of experience help us serve hundreds of local families each year. Beyond their expertise, they’ve built real friendships with each other, which makes our sites feel warm and welcoming for both clients and volunteers. It’s an honor to work with them.”

Courtesy United Way of Utah County

Of the many VITA volunteers, a core part is a group of retired volunteers who return each year to serve their neighbors. Maddie explained that nearly half of these volunteers have dedicated six or more years to serving. Because of their consistency and commitment to service, these volunteers have created stability and trust that bring families back year after year. The relationships they have built through volunteering have not only strengthened our community’s connectedness but also helped people gain access to essential services.

I am amazed by the impact of the incredible retired people in our community. Time and time again, I have seen that they have a unique opportunity to provide their wisdom and life experience to volunteer, providing critical support to our community and helping strengthen the people around them.

The retired adults in our community have also made an impact by just participating in our programs. Recently, one of our employees, Erika Olson, shared an experience with me from one of our Digital Literacy classes.

Erika explained that one of the students in the class frequently gets frustrated about technology and feels like he can’t possibly learn enough to feel comfortable online. During one of the classes, this student was getting frustrated again and was clearly upset. One of the other students, an older woman who recently joined the class, raised her hand to speak up. She turned toward this other student and addressed him directly, saying, “I know this is very frustrating and that it can be scary, but you’ve got the wrong perspective about it. Computers can be a tool to help us! I know you can do it, it’s easier than you think.”

She then got up and went over to his computer and helped him figure out how to do something on Gmail that she had just learned about herself moments before. Erika described the scene to me.

“I watched the student visibly relax and calm down and moments later he was laughing along with the rest of the class,” she said. “This one woman’s moment of kindness towards him completely shifted the attitude in the room. For the rest of the class, all the students were taking opportunities to ask questions, offer ideas and even help each other with the skills they were practicing. I was recently reviewing the feedback our formerly struggling student left about his experience so far in the class, and he wrote that his favorite part of class was receiving ‘input from class members.’ I’m so grateful that the students in this class took the opportunity to support each other.”

Though she had come to class simply to learn, she transformed that moment into an opportunity to serve. Her encouragement didn’t just help one classmate; it shifted the tone of the entire room and reminded us how powerful peer support can be.

Whether it be through formally volunteering for a program or helping build community by being an active participant in a program, there are many ways to make a difference in the community. Our longtime community members have a unique opportunity to make an impact. When these members of our community step forward to serve or engage in local programs, they don’t just share their knowledge; they help build a stronger, more connected Utah County.

To find ways to get involved in your community, visit unitedwayuc.org.