FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Press Release): City and non-profit officials gathered Wednesday afternoon at St. Mary’s Catholic Church to kick off the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 1101 S. Lafayette St., serves as one of two sites in Allen County. Additional sites are available in DeKalb, Noble and Steuben counties.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, or VITA, is available to are residents making $54,000 or less. For these individuals and families, volunteer certified tax preparers will be on hand to assist.

The program is a partnership between the Volunteer Center, the United Way of Allen County and the Allen County Financial Stability Partnership.

The St. Mary’s Catholic Church site will be open Mondays through Wednesday from 2 to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be closed on March 1 in observance of Ash Wednesday. The other Allen County site is the American Red Cross, 1212 California Road. That site is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In 2016, nearly 3,000 tax returns were prepared for low- to moderate-income Allen County residents, according to Jean Joley, the executive director of the Volunteer Center.

The program puts a strong emphasis on making sure that every family and individual receives a maximum return, and takes advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Child Tax Credit.

Through its work, VITA has brought back more than $3 million into the community through refunds and save residents nearly $500,000 in tax prep fees.