KeyBank to partner with local agencies to help eligible families and individuals file for the Earned Income Tax Credit

(SYRACUSE) – February 16, 2023 – On Saturday February 25th, 2023, KeyBank will partner with PEACE, Inc. and the Beachump Branch Library to host its annual Super Refund Saturday event. As part of Key’s commitment to celebrate and honor Black History Month with community service projects and events, KeyBank employees will work alongside volunteers from various organizations to provide free tax preparation services to those who need it most, helping low- to moderate-income individuals and families determine their eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

This Super Refund Saturday event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Participants should arrive at the KeyBank branch located at 2209 South Salina Street, Syracuse, NY 13205. They will then proceed to the Beachump Branch Library, located across the street at 2111 South Salina Street – Syracuse, NY 13205.

All tax filers are welcome to attend the event and the individual does not have to be a KeyBank customer to participate.

“We are once again excited to work with PEACE, Inc. and the Beachump Branch Library to support our neighbors with free tax preparation services,” said Stephen Fournier, KeyBank Central New York Market President. ”Super Refund Saturday is a signature annual event that is central to KeyBank’s purpose of helping the communities we serve thrive.”

The Earned Income Tax Credit is a benefit for working people with low to moderate income. To qualify, workers and families must meet certain requirements and file a tax return, even if they do not owe any tax or are not required to file. EITC reduces the amount of tax owed and may provide a refund. (Source: IRS)

Each year, thousands of qualifying Americans do not claim the EITC on their federal income tax returns, meaning billions of dollars in much-needed refunds goes unclaimed. Super Refund Saturday is a cost-effective way for tax filers to navigate the potentially confusing tax preparation process and ensure they are getting their full return.

According to the IRS, to qualify for the EITC earned income must be less than:

• • $53,057 ($59,187 if married and filing jointly) with three or more qualifying children
  • $49,399 ($55,529 if married and filing jointly) with two or more qualifying children
  • $43,492 ($49,622 if married and filing jointly) with one or more qualifying children
  • $16,480 ($22,610 if married and filing jointly) with no qualifying children

In addition, income tax return filers need to meet these qualifications for free tax preparation:

• • Total household income less than $60,000
  • Investment income less than $3,500
  • Be a resident of Onondaga County
  • Have income from wages, self-employment, pension or government benefits
  • Do not own rental property
  • Have not declared bankruptcy
  • Have not received military pay
  • If self-employed, do not have employees or inventory, did not deduct your home as an expense and did not have a business loss

Filers should also bring these documents:

• • State-issued photo ID
  • Social Security card (for you, your spouse, and each child and/or dependent)
  • W-2 forms
  • 1099 forms (interest, earnings as an independent contractor)
  • Unemployment forms (if applicable)
  • Proof of childcare payments
  • Other IRS forms as appropriate
  • Last year’s tax return (if available)
  • Bank account and routing number for direct deposit (if applicable)

If filing jointly, please bring all applicable documents for you and your spouse. To file taxes electronically on a married-filing-joint tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

ABOUT KEYBANK

KeyBank’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, KeyCorp is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $189.8 billion at December 31, 2022. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products,
such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit KeyBank | Banking, Credit Cards, Mortgages, and Loans

CONTACT:
Matthew Pitts
Regional Communications Manager
716-270-4243 (work)
716-903-8468 (mobile)
matthew_pitts@keybank.com
KeyBank to Offer

Maribel Mack has worked in the production kitchen at our Merrick HS/EHS building for one year, and she was nominated for this award not only for helping to keep things running smoothly through staff shortages, but also for the many ways that she brings a consistently positive attitude and extra effort to everything she does. To name but a few: learning the names of the children so that she can greet them as they walk past the kitchen, providing translation services for some of the childrens’ families, helping to not only clean and organize but also paint the kitchen and food storage room, and being the first each day to make a pot of coffee.

We want to thank Maribel Mack for the hard work she puts into her job, and for all of the little extra things she does that add up to make a big impact for everyone at the Merrick site. Let’s wish Maribel a happy first anniversary at PEACE, Inc., and congratulate her as our Employee of the Month for February 2023!

Photo: Employee of the Month Maribel Mack (center) with (L to R) HS/EHS Director Becky Heberle, Executive Director Carolyn Brown, Merrick Head Cook Josephine Magunga, and HS/EHS Nutrition Coordinator Jill Hayes.

In a recent post on the Central New York Community Foundation’s CNYVitals blog, PEACE, Inc.’s Community Engagement team raised awareness about its free tax preparation program, the ways in which data has informed its approaches towards recruitment, and some of the tactics pursued to prevent full refunds.

Visit the CNYVitals Blog website to learn more: https://cnyvitals.org/taxing-barriers-using-data-to-overcome-predatory-tactics-maximize-refunds-and-further-free-tax-preparation-for-all/.

Kim Senke was a Family Worker in our Head Start program from 2016 until 2021 when she became a specialist to assist with oversight of family services within our collaborative partnerships, and last month she moved again into a new role as Family and Community Services Coordinator to provide training and technical support to other Family Workers. Kim’s dedication to the families she has served has been demonstrated by their continued participation after their children have left the program, and she has made a lot of extra efforts to show appreciation to the staff that support our currently enrolled families.

We want to thank Kim Senke for all the positive energy she always brings to helping others in furthering the mission of the Head Start program, by making her our first Employee of the Month for 2023!

Photo: Employee of the Month Kim Senke with (L to R) Executive Director Carolyn Brown and HS/EHS Family & Community Services Manager Christine Scott.

For Immediate Release. December 7, 2022.

Syracuse, New York – An incident between 2 individuals -neither of whom are directly employed by PEACE, Inc.- occurred outside of the agency’s Viola G. Chisholm Eastside Family Resource Center on December 6, 2022. As PEACE, Inc. continues to serve vulnerable populations in pursuit of its mission “to help people in the community realize their potential for self-sufficiency,” the agency’s highest priority remains the safety of its staff, partners, volunteers, clients, and the community at large. Presently, the agency is collecting information about the incident, cooperating with an ongoing police investigation, and ensuring the privacy of all impacted. From these steps, evaluation of current health and safety measures will be pursued.

About PEACE, Inc.

Incorporated in 1968, PEACE, Inc. is a federal designated Community Action Agency that serves more than 8,000 clients in Syracuse, Onondaga County, and portions of Oswego County. The agency pursues a mission to “help people in the community realize their potential for becoming self-sufficient.” It does so through 9 socio-economically empowering services: Free Tax Prep, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Family Services, Head Start and Early Head Start, its Department of Energy and Housing Services, AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program, Frank DeFrancisco Eastwood Community Center, Senior Nutrition, and Senior Support Services.

Media Contact

Todd Goehle, Director of Community Engagement
Email: Todd.Goehle@peace-caa.org
Phone: 315-634-3704