A reception for partners of the 2012 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program will be held in the Robert and Frances Gordon Student Recreational Center Thursday, April 26. The event provides an opportunity to honor partners who have donated their time to provide tax assistance for the 2011 tax season.

This is the second year that Grace College has partnered with the William P. Gordon Institute for Enterprise Development and United Way of Kosciusko County to provide this free service.

Traditionally, VITA has trained and certified Grace College students, alumni and community volunteers on the specifics of tax preparation so that they can meet a variation of taxpayer needs. The program hopes that, as a result of the collaboration between partners and taxpayers, credits and deductions that may have otherwise gone under the radar will be acknowledged.

“We are thankful that there are friends from the community willing to dedicate their time and expertise to serving those who might have otherwise struggled to complete this annual process,” says Tim Ziebarth, Grace’s Director of Online Education and the William P. Gordon Institute’s VITA Representative. He speaks to the core sentiment of this community-based collaboration: offering help wherever and whenever possible.