Greetings!
Our staff, volunteers, and community partners have been working hard to help people navigate the new reality created by COVID-19.
United Way Monterey County (UWMC) is committed to communicating with our community during this extended period of change and uncertainty. We hope you and your family are healthy and safe. We want to hear from you. Send us an email or engage with us on social media.
We are excited to resume our
VITA free tax preparation services
with a
virtual
option! We launched our
virtual VITA
service on April 16 and will offer it through the extended tax day, July 15th. The tax preparation and filing process will be done electronically to ensure compliance with social distancing requirements. The virtual process involves a telephone interview with the taxpayer followed by phone or e-mail correspondence.
Resiliency starts young
: Support the essential work of early childhood care and education during the COVID-19 emergency response. Our educators need health and hygiene supplies, technical assistance, and training to provide quality, safe care. Your contributions will help our community bounce back after the emergency has passed, by ensuring that our youngest have the quality care now, in these unprecedented times, that they need to succeed in school and in life.
Funds raised through the UWMC
Emergency Early Care Response Fund
will be used to purchase supplies, fund technical assistance, and address emerging needs for our front line early educators. As a key partner in the Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Initiative, UWMC is part of the coalition of early childhood champions providing coordinated solutions for emergency care and education during the COVID-19 emergency response. Looking for child care? Visit
MontereyCareChildCare.org
or call (
831) 757-0775.
Our
211 Monterey County
information and referral system has expanded the capacity of our call center and is rapidly updating resources to help with the increasing number of calls requesting information about COVID-19, emergency shelter and rental assistance, food, healthcare, and utility assistance. Call volume is more than double the same period last year, with over 2,500 calls since March 17th. In addition to the
211 website
, we continue to update our COVID-19 pages with
news and updates
, and
community resources
providing information on employment, housing, emergency food, health care, education, and child care.
There is a new financial incentive for Americans to give generously to qualifying charities, including United Way Monterey County and many of our community partners. The CARES ACT grants taxpayers who do not itemize, an above-the-line deduction for up to $300 in charitable donations given in 2020. For filers who itemize their deductions, the CARES ACT allows you to deduct up to 100% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for contributions to qualifying charities starting in 2020.
Now is the perfect time to take advantage of this “above-the-line” opportunity and give to qualifying charities providing critical services to the Monterey community during this health and economic crisis. Your giving to
United Way Monterey County
will aid our efforts and alleviate the hardship created by COVID-19 pandemic.
In safety and health, thank you for
LIVING UNITED
.
With gratitude,