Don't stress over filing your taxes: Tips on where to go for free help

Benjamin Franklin's famous quote "The only thing certain in life are death and taxes" may have an element of truth to it, but that doesn't mean doing your taxes has to cause so much stress that you'd rather be 20-feet under.

It's a given that non-health related events in our lives - such as filing taxes - causes health issues resulting from the stress tied to it. Even the U.S. federal government realizes that tax season can cause undue stress, and offers tips on its website on how to deal with it. Read more here.

I'm here to tell you there are places in the Greater Springfield area where you can get FREE help with you're taxes,  or at least offer free information on how to make the process a lot easier.

Springfield Partners for Community Action:


Springfield Partners for Community Action's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides FREE income tax filing assistance to low-to-moderate income taxpayers, and to taxpayers who are disabled or speak limited English. The service is provided up through April 15. You must call for an appointment. Walk-in services are not provided. For a listing of VITA sites see below.

Income eligibility guidelines are $21,660 for a family of one; $29,140 for family of two, $36,620 for a family of three, $44,100 for a family of four, $51,589 for a family of five, and so on following the federal poverty guidelines.

VITA helps working families take advantage of all of the tax credits available to them, including the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and education credits. Volunteers help prepare basic, current year tax returns for eligible taxpayers free of charge.

2011 VITA sites in Springfield:

• Springfield Partners for Community Action, 619 or 721 State St., (413) 263-6500.
• Moxon Apartments Community Room, Indian Orchard, 20 LaFrance St., (413) 263-6500
• 1199 SEIU, 20 Maple St., (877) 409-1199
• Open Pantry, 2460 Main st., (413) 263-6500
• Hampden Bank, 19 Harrison Ave., (413) 263-6500
• Goodwill Industries, 475 Sumner Ave., (413) 263-6500
• Farris Mitchell Education Development Center, Brightwood, 103 Division St., (413) 785-4500
• Barton Neighborhood Center, 160 Nursery St., (413) 785-4500.

For seniors who need help

For seniors, tax preparation locations in the Springfield area are offered through the AARP Tax-Aide Program. Locations for tax preparation services are at the Good Life Center, Greenleaf Center and Pine Point Center.

To schedule an appointment at the Good Life Center, call (413) 787-6785. One hour appointments are scheduled for 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. every Thursday through April 7.

To schedule an appointment at the Greenleaf Center call (413) 750-2873, Appointments will be for 45-minutes at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays through April 12.

To schedule an appointment at the Pine Point Center call (413) 732-1072. Appointments will be held during the afternoons up through April 13.

Don't let the annual task of filing taxes get you under the weather. Seek help first and good luck.

MOCHA selects new coordinator, launches new events to raise men's health awareness

Trevis Wray and Coach Dee Brown

The Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA) campaign has hired  a new coordinator in its efforts to steadily raise awareness about health issues and disparities that effect men of color in Greater Springfield.

Trevis Wray, program officer and community leadership coordinator of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, will also serve as coordinator of MOCHA.

"For me, the health disparities facing men of color are real. I'm living with this and seeing it in my community and in my life everyday," Wray said, noting that statistics on morbidity and mortality rates of men of color are markedly higher than for whites. "Even in my own family and extended outward, I can see the currents of the typical illnesses that plague our community heavily - diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, alcoholism and more."

Wray said to keep the conversation about health and health awareness on the tips of every one's tongue, the initiative will host an on-going speaker series with leaders in the area of health, wellness and the community. The first speaker in the series is Coach Dee Brown, former NBA star and coach of the Springfield Armor.

Brown will speak about the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle and exercise on Wed., Dec. 15, at the Springfield YMCA, 275 Chestnut St., Springfield, MA at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

We encourage everyone to attend MOCHA events as a means to get men of color in our community healthy and informed.

The Mason Square Health Task Force is part of a community collaborative working with MOCHA that includes Baystate Health, Black Men of Greater Springfield, the YMCA of Greater Springfield and others. The YMCA will facilitate a variety of wellness classes ranging from food and fitness to financial literacy.

The Mason Square Health Task Force applauds MOCHA and encourages all men to get and stay healthy!

Local Recovery Walk shines a light on substance abuse treatment and the Recovery High School

The Recovery High School
334 Franklin St., Springfield, MA 

The Mason Square Health Task Force and the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction and Recovery will recognize September as National Alcohol and Substance Abuse Recovery Month with a Recovery Walk on Sept. 24, kicking off at 11 a.m. from the steps of City Hall to Recovery High School at 334 Franklin St. A ceremony at the school will be held from noon to 3 p.m. A bus is available for individuals unable to walk.

The MSHTF team and Board of Directors ask that each of you show your support by taking this walk with us. Many people are unaware that Springfield has a high school whose mission is to educate and to reduce the high rates of relapse associated with teens in recovery by providing a safe, sober and supportive school environment where students and their recovery efforts are understood, valued and fostered.

Recovery High School Administrator Michael Ellis said they are devoted to helping young people by providing them with a high quality education experience in a safe, therapeutically supportive school setting. Studies indicate that without intense support, an extremely high percentage of teens in recovery relapse. 


"We offer a lot of compassion, integrity and respect to help them become acceptable, responsible adults who are an asset to society," Ellis said. "We're smaller and we focus on the kids and their needs. We're proactive in our efforts."

Substance abuse counseling
helps teens achieve success

I consider the city's Recovery High School to be one of our best kept secrets. The school is within the alternative school structure in Springfield, collectively known as Springfield Academy for Excellence (SAFE). SAFE currently includes seven programs located at six different campuses in Springfield and one at Holyoke Community College. Springfield's Recovery School, launched five years ago, is a small highly structured program for 30 to 50 students in recovery from alcohol or other drug abuse dependence.

In an attempt to shine a light on National Alcohol and Substance Abuse Recovery Month activities, our Recovery Walk will conclude with a ceremony at the school. A parent of a teen who is attending Recovery High School will share her story; Springfield Director of Health and Human Services Helen Caulton-Harris will read her powerful poem "Everybody is Recovering from Something," Ellis will talk about the work of the school and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno will issue a proclamation recognizing September as Recovery Month in the city.

For more information on the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction and Recovery visit their website here. 

For more information on National Substance Abuse and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month activities visit www.recoverymonth.org.

We hope that you will come see that recovery is possible, that Springfield offers options for our teens and that we can collectively make a difference to improve the lives of all people no matter the circumstance.