The LVC Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) has just wrapped up its third year. Now operating as part of the Money in Your Pocket Coalition of Lebanon County, LVC VITA is one of three sites now in operation in Lebanon County...up from 2 last year.
For the LVC site, seventeen students under the direction of CPA Brion Smoker and guided by student scheduler Carole Meyer served 140 low income, elderly, and otherwise disadvantaged tax clients between the first week of February and the 8th of April...including two walk-in days on Saturday, March 13 and Saturday, March 20.. The 127 returns that have been filed and processed as of April 12 brought to the clients a total of $130,94 in earned Income ax credits, Child tax Credits, and Education Credits. Both numbers are up substantially from last year even though there are now 3 sites in operation under the coalition compared to two from last year...and one when LVC was the lone Lebanon County site in 2008.
Fifteen of the seventeen students (Stephen Doll, Neely Holden, Huyen Huynh, Kelli Kimmel, Heidi Kreiser, Benjamin Krug, Christy Kurtz, Rebecca Landucci, Severio Longo, Tamara Lobb, Carole Meyer, Kaitlin Miller, Emily Perkins, Lauren Throne, and Adam Wenger) studied over the Christmas break and completed the IRS on-line certification to be tax preparers. Kim Mcfadden and Laura Mutschler provided additional administrative support to the preparers and to the scheduler. The team in total will end up having logged close to 1000 hours of community service and learned a thing or two about tax preparation...great experience, especially for the accounting majors who are headed for public accounting.
LVC to Host Multitude of Earth Week Events - Sunday, April 18 through Saturday, April 24
Lebanon Valley College will be hosting a week of environmentally minded events to celebrate Earth Day 2010. With contributions from community groups as well as campus community members, the week will cover an array of “green” topics through lecture, discussion, hands on work, and film.
The events kick off at Annville’s Allen Theatre at 1:30 pm on April 18 with a viewing of “Fresh,” a film celebrating people across America who are revamping the country’s food system, from farmers to businesspeople. “Fresh” tackles the “green” awareness movement at work in America and brings citizens a new call to action. Admission is $10 for adults and free for LVC students. A panel discussion with Michael Tarsa of The Edible Schoolyard, Dan Landis of Landisville Farms, and retired organic farmer Ed Arnold follows.
Other discussions include a “Climate Change” panel with LVC professors Dr. Owen Moe, chair and Vernon and Doris Bishop Distinguished Professor of Chemistry; Dr. Jeff Ritchie, associate professor of English and digital communications and director of Digital Communications; and Dr. Neil Perry, assistant professor of economics. They will discuss the environment and their respective disciplines on Thursday, April 22 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Miller Chapel 101. An EDGE “Green Leadership” workshop for students will be led by Chase Ferrario ’12 on April 21 at 7 p.m. in the Faculty Dining Room of the Mund College Center, followed by the movie American Experience: Earth Days in Lynch 010 at 8 pm.
Hands-on activities also are planned. Campus environmental organization SAFE will be sponsoring a Dumpster Dive in the Academic Quad on Friday April 23. Students are invited to join SAFE and Dr. Grant Taylor, assistant professor of art and digital communications, in constructing a display created with recyclable materials found in the trash. Information about being “green” will be available to students in the West Dining Hall on April 22. Students also will be able to calculate their carbon footprint in the College Store from April 19 to 23. Coupons will be given to provide a 15 percent discount on all organic items and reusable water bottles in the store. The week will culminate at the Quittie Creek Wildlife Reserve as LVC joins the Quittie Creek Restoration Group, the United Way, and Palmyra High School to clean up the Quittie and its surrounding banks and trails. The event includes a barbecue and will run from 8:30am to noon. For a complete schedule, visit blogs.lvc.edu/green/<http://blogs.lvc.edu/green/category/earth-day.aspx>.