KCTCC tax site company partner profile: Wolverine Worldwide, Inc.

Written by: Jessica Gonyou, Volunteer Center

Last year, when faced with the possibility of losing a vital Kent County Tax Credit Coalition (KCTCC) tax prep site due to lack of volunteers, Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. and its employees adopted the site.

Wolverine did not want such a valuable community program as KCTCC to have to close the tax prep site at North Kent Community Services, where many individuals and families benefit from the tax credit assistance. Since the program began in 2002, KCTCC has generated millions for more than 34,000 local tax payers through filing Earned Income Tax Credit claims.

So, with company support and full training from KCTCC, 12 Wolverine employees adopted the site and served as volunteer tax preparers. Together, they worked almost 400 hours and prepared $127,408 in tax returns and credits last tax season.

At a company that emphasizes opportunities to assist others in the community by volunteering time and talents, serving with KCTCC "was a natural fit," said Wolverine Worldwide staff member Jon Barton.

He added, "As individuals, the company volunteers in this program not only gained a sense of fulfillment by helping many families that were so appreciative of our efforts, but the group also bonded with other volunteers in the community."

Our thanks to Wolverine Worldwide and all the employees that volunteered their time and talents to help bring economic stability to families in need.

If you've been inspired by the example of the Wolverine team, you can learn more about volunteering as an individual or adopting a KCTCC with a group by clicking here or contacting Brenda Brame at 752-8647.

To see if you or someone you know qualifies for the Earned Income Tax credit and can have your taxes prepared for free by a KCTCC volunteer, go here.