Catholic Charities receives $55,000 from the Arizona Community Foundation

Dec. 16, 2010 - PRLog -- PHOENIX ─ Catholic Charities Community Services received a $55,000 grant from the Arizona Community Foundation to help provide free financial education to low- to moderate-income families and individuals. The grant also funds free tax preparation to help those in need to receive their maximum return, including the federal earned income tax credit.   

“We are grateful to the Arizona Community Foundation. So many people don’t realize they qualify for the earned income tax credit or that free tax preparation is available to them,” said Bob Brown, president and CEO of Catholic Charities. “This grant will help us assist those who need it the most to receive their maximum tax return and to help them permanently improve their situation through financial education as part of Paths of HOPE.”

Paths of HOPE is a Catholic Charities program to help motivated families and individuals to permanently improve their situations and achieve their dreams through a continuum of education, resource and skill building, and mentorship. Paths of HOPE financial education classes are held in partnership with Arizona Saves.

“Paths of HOPE begins with the realization that those in need suffer from a chronic lack of access to resources, only some of which are financial. We help them overcome the attitudes and barriers that prevent them from achieving not only self-sufficiency, but also their dreams,” said Brown.

Catholic Charities Community Services is an IRS-certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provider. Its VITA efforts are part of Paths of HOPE.

The agency will begin offering free tax preparation throughout central and northern Arizona in early February and continue through April 15. Financial education classes are continuously forming. For more information about free Paths of HOPE classes and VITA tax preparation, call 602.749.4484 or email info@cc-az.org.

About Catholic Charities Community Services
Founded in 1933, Catholic Charities Community Services is one of Arizona’s oldest social service organizations, serving people of all backgrounds and faiths with a diverse array of social services to strengthen families, protect and nurture children, and to support people in crisis. Impacting the lives of more than 80,000 people in central and northern Arizona every year, Catholic Charities Community Services is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Children and Family Services and is a member organization of Catholic Charities USA. To learn more visit CatholicCharitiesAZ.org.

About Arizona Community Foundation
The Arizona Community Foundation is a statewide nonprofit organization with four regional offices serving communities across Arizona. Established in 1978 and certified under the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, ACF is among the top 30 community foundations in the nation and has about $471 million in trust and endowment assets. Last year, ACF and its statewide affiliates awarded $36.9 million in grants and scholarships to some 3,000 community organizations. More information is available at www.azfoundation.org.

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We help the community's most vulnerable with solutions that permanently improve lives--regardless of background or religion. We protect and nurture children, reduce poverty,shelter the homeless and abused, and strengthen families.