Free Tax Preparation Available

The Accounting Aid Society is providing free tax preparation at the Focus: HOPE Westside Food Center until April 10. Volunteers are available from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at the Center, 1300 Oakman Boulevard, Detroit.

Individuals who earned less than $25,000 are eligible for the service as well as families that earned $50,000 or less. A family is considered a married couple or a person with at least one dependent.

Services is on a first come first served basis. As a result, it is possible that not everyone will be assisted on a given day due to volume.

The Accounting Aid Society also offers a homebound program for senior citizens and those who are physically unable to visit one of their tax preparation sites. Call 866.673.0873 for details.

Focus: HOPE arranges for services to assist those who receive food from the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. The program assists 41,000 mothers, infants and young children, and senior citizens with packaged, nutritionally-balanced food each month. Services include eye examinations, blood pressure checks, flu shots, occasional deliveries of fresh food, and tax preparation. In 2009, a total of 2,085 individuals and families received assistance at the Westside Food Center -- and received a combined total of $2.23 million in refunds from the state and federal governments.