2278 Tax Clinic 2

Saturday, February 21, 2009

I volunteered at the tax clinic again today. Donuts and coffee provided in the morning, and big sandwiches at lunch. Sixteen low wage workers got their taxes done for free. (Twenty-seven last weekend. They're expecting a huge crowd next weekend.)

The people are to fill out a general information form first, before they see the preparer. One young man was there with his girlfriend and a baby. He came up to me with the form and asked "It says occupation here. I'm not sure what to put down." I asked what he did. He had three jobs, one at Burger King, one at McDonald's, and one at Dunkin Donuts. I told him to write "food service", and his expression was like I'd just promoted him. Then he asked what the line about child care meant, and I said that's if you pay for child care or babysitter so you can go to work. He said "No. My girlfriend stays at home."

My head spun.

I found out that if RSVP asks you to volunteer for more than 4 hours at a clip, they have to feed you. Sheesh. In all those long days I put in at the Maritime Museum, nobody once offered me anything. I even had to pay for bottled water from the gift shop.

I don't miss the museum at all, and not just because of the lack of feeding. They really did expect too much of the volunteers. We were expected to do things a paid employee should have been doing.
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