Volunteers help eligible apply for stimulus payments

August 21, 2008

This morning I visited the Southwest Senior Center in West Baltimore. It was the site of a free financial clinic hosted by the Baltimore CASH Campaign, an outreach group that’s comprised of nonprofits, community-based organizations and city agencies.

This past Monday, Comptroller Peter Franchot and Congressman John Sarbanes launched the CASH campaign’s effort to help underprivileged people apply for economic stimulus payments.

Altogether, 36,000 eligible residents from Baltimore city and county (many of whom are senior citizens or are disabled) have not filed a tax return and therefore have not received a stimulus payment.

Before I arrived at the senior center — which is one of three sites set up for free clinics — I envisioned the tax return process to take at least half an hour. But with a tax professional on hand, the applicants were out the door after five minutes.

About 50 people have come to the free clinics so far, according to Pam Cheney, the Director of the UMD Law School Tax Clinic.

Cheney said media exposure and word on the streets should increase awareness and draw an even bigger turnout to the clinics planned for September.

The deadline to file for a stimulus check is October 15th and the payments are worth a minimum of $300 per person.

RICHARD SIMON, Multimedia Reporter

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Posted by Jackie Sauter | Filed Under government, law, nonprofit, taxes 

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