With tax season well underway, VITA organizations across the country are working to increase the number of filers, continue their outreach efforts and ensure the families in their community receive their tax benefits. Many programs continue to navigate a complicated landscape created by the health concerns and economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing both in-person and virtual tools to reach their clients successfully.  To hear more directly from the tax prep field, we sat down with Pennie Clayton, the VITA Program Manager at United Way of Tarrant County. 

Hi Pennie, thank you for taking some time to speak with me. Could you share your organization’s name and the area you serve? 

United Way of Tarrant County provides tax prep services to residents of Tarrant County, Texas and our main office is in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Could you share your current role with the organization? 

I have been working with United Way of Tarrant County since 2015 and I’m currently the VITA Program Manager. I manage four of our partners, the City of Arlington, the City of Fort Worth, Foundations Communities Arlington, and Catholic Charities Fort Worth. We provide funding to these partners to operate 13 different VITA sites in our county. I am also engaged in community engagement to spread VITA awareness, making sure our partners are aware of IRS regulations, and coordinating the training of VITA volunteers. 

What are some of your organizational goals for the 2022 tax season? 

One of our organization’s goals is to continue growing our volunteer pool. Recently, we’ve seen an influx of volunteers, a change from earlier in the pandemic. We’re also continuing to utilize our virtual and drop-off services, with some sites offering in-person service by appointment only. This process has slowed our ability to service Tarrant County residents, and we’re hoping to increase the traffic to our tax sites again as the year continues. Another long-term goal for us is to continue growing the program’s service area and create greater investment from the cities in our county. We hope to have at least 30 tax sites serving the residents of Tarrant County. 

How have your experience been working Prosperity Now? 

It’s been an amazing experience. Prosperity Now has made a huge impact on my career growth, from answering questions regarding tax policies to inviting me to get involved by presenting at conferences and learning more about the tax opportunity field. The guidance and support of Prosperity Now has been instrumental in my current role as a VITA program manager. 

Anything else to add? 

I also want to add that Prosperity Now’s website has been very helpful. I can often share data from the Prosperity Now Scorecard at meetings to help our organization form a better understanding of economic and racial disparities in our community so that we can best serve our clients. 

To learn more about United Way of Tarrant County, visit their website or follow them on social media!