Katie BaileyThe McCoy Cares Foundation, located in Orlando, Florida, hosted students from Boone High School’s Finance Magnet Program, in partnership with Heart of Florida United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA), at McCoy Federal Credit Union’s Michigan Branch. Under the supervision of instructor William Daniel, the students prepared free basic tax returns for the credit union’s members. Twenty-six members registered to participate in advance.
In the weeks leading up to tax season, each student completed IRS training through the VITA program. This program is designed to assist individuals with low to moderate income access tax preparation services at no cost. Daniel is the sponsor of Boone High School’s VITA site, which has been serving the community for 22 years. This special event for McCoy Federal Credit Union members is the first time Boone’s VITA site has partnered with a local organization to bring tax services to a location outside of the school.
McCoy Federal Credit Union has been a proud sponsor of Boone High School’s athletic program since 2017 and has been providing internship opportunities to Finance Magnet students for more than 10 years. Through McCoy Federal Credit Union’s internship program, students have had the opportunity to gain real-world experience in a variety of departments, including Accounting, Administration, Human Resources, Information Technology, Marketing, and Risk Management. The tax preparation event is an exciting expansion of this existing partnership.
“The credit union’s partnership with Boone High School’s Finance Magnet Program has introduced us to many talented students through the years. Having an opportunity to participate with them in this classroom exercise – and benefit our members at the same time – is incredibly rewarding. Tax preparation is a skill that they will take with them as they build their careers in adulthood,” said Alvin Cowans, President and CEO of McCoy Federal Credit Union and President of the McCoy Cares Foundation.
“Heart of Florida United Way is proud to partner with the McCoy Cares Foundation and Boone High School to ensure more individuals and families have access to quality tax preparation services that maximize their return,” said Mikaela Mendoza-Cardenal, Heart of Florida United Way Director of Community Impact. “Tax season can be a stressful time. This program helps remove the added cost of paying to have your taxes reliably filed, which puts more money back in their pockets and into the community.”
