Thanks to the efforts of the talented team at Mills42 Federal Credit Union, 118 federal income tax returns were filed at no charge for low-income individuals and families, resulting in more than $500,000 in tax refunds.
“We’re all about helping our Lowell community rise up financially,” says Carla Rasetta, President and CEO of Mills42 FCU. “Tax preparation services can charge $100 or even more for simple tax preparation. On a $40,000 income, you could work upwards of 10 hours just to pay for tax prep. We want to remove that unnecessary hurdle.”
This is the eighth year of their Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA). But helping those in need extends beyond tax season. “If something is holding someone back, especially credit-related, we want to help fix it,” says Rasetta. For Mills42 members whose credit scores are low, Rasetta and her team offer year-round education not only on the cause, but also on possible solutions, which now includes COVID-19 loan and credit card bill relief programs, as well as personal loans to help struggling members through the next several months.
As additional support, Mills42 FCU offers free checking, free savings and a variety of unique credit-building loan options to help people “build from here,” as promised in the credit union’s tagline.
“Everyone deserves a helping hand,” says Rasetta. “We want the community to know we’re here for them.”
