Filed under: Arizona, City of Mesa, City of Phoenix News, Mesa, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona | Tags: Mesa, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona
A popular and unique way to take City government directly to its
residents.
For the third straight year, the City of Mesa will be conducting “City Hall at the Mall” Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fiesta
Mall.
Several City of Mesa departments, including Transportation, Development and Sustainability, Neighborhood Services, Library, Water Resources and Energy Resources will have displays and information set up in Fiesta Mall’s Center Court.
Outside Fiesta Mall, Mesa Police, Mesa Fire and the Solid Waste Management Division will have displays in the south parking lot between Dillard’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The displays will include an emergency command van, crime prevention van, police cruiser, fire engine, ambulance and collection truck.
“This is a great opportunity for Mesa residents to learn more about the variety of services the City offers,” Mesa City Manager Chris Brady said.
“They can pick up information on everything from water and energy conservation to summer programs for kids to a list of upcoming events at the Mesa Arts Center and our City museums. This event has been popular the past two years at Fiesta Mall and I am confident this year’s City Hall at the Mall will be just as successful.”
Besides the City displays, representatives from Fiesta Mall will have a table in Center Court to discuss redevelopment news, including information about the new Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and In-N-Out Burger at the mall.
Attendees will have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a $200 Westcor gift card, as well as participate in a raffle for several prizes, including tickets from Arizona Diamondbacks, ASU, City museums and nearby restaurants.
For more information, contact Mesa Public Information and Communications Specialist Kevin Christopher at (480) 644-4699 or Fiesta Mall Assistant Marketing Manager Rachel Stevenson at (480) 833-5587.
Filed under: Arizona, City of Mesa, Community, Community Service, Maricopa County News, Mesa, State of Arizona, Tax, Taxes, Training, US - AZ (Phoenix), Volunteering, Volunteers | Tags: advice, EITC, Help, Income Tax, Income Tax Assistance, Mesa, Tax, Taxes, VITA, Volunteer, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, Volunteers
Mesa VITA volunteers needed for training session
Source: VITA volunteers
Volunteer tax preparers are still needed in Mesa for a training session for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) that begins Saturday January 19 at A New Leaf (MesaCAN), 635 E. Broadway, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The only experience needed is the spirit of volunteerism! The IRS will provide free training and materials. Basic computer knowledge is a definite plus.
New volunteers will need 20 hours of training to prepare the basic 1040 tax returns and related schedules and know the eligibility rules for claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC).
The other classes are scheduled for January 23, 30 and 31 from 6 p.m. to 9
p.m. Returning volunteer tax preparers need 10 hours of self-study. There is also a need for other volunteers with the VITA program, including greeters, screeners and translators. All volunteers must attend an orientation session Saturday January 26 at the City of Mesa Utility Building, 640 N. Mesa Drive, from 9 a.m. to noon.
VITA offers free tax help to hard working community members who cannot prepare their own tax returns. VITA tax sites will be open in February, March and April at four locations in Mesa: Mesa Community College, Southern and Dobson Campus, Student Union, 1833 W. Southern Ave.; Mesa Community College, Red Mountain Campus, Acacia Village Computer Lab, 2305 N. Power Road; A New Leaf (MesaCAN), 635 E. Broadway and Mercy Housing Villas de Merced, Club House, 520 N. Mesa Drive.
For more information, contact Mesa Human Services Specialist Lisa Wilson at 480-644-5831 or
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) information from CIR
Updated January 2, 2008
Return to Give Help VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is a program that provides free tax preparation to benefit individuals with low to moderate income, senior citizens, Non-English speaking persons, and individuals with disabilities. Volunteers prepare basic tax returns at conveniently located community and neighborhood locations. Returns are filed electronically resulting in fast refunds. All training and materials are provided free from the IRS.
Local VITA Impact
In Arizona, millions of EITC dollars were not collected by eligible families. In one hour, you can help a moderate or low-income family collect an average of $1,871 (to a maximum of $4,700) for things like meeting basic needs, purchasing a house or buying a car through your local Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program!
Volunteers play a crucial role in EITC campaigns. Free tax preparation sites depend on volunteers and not only do they help working families get the credit(s) they deserve, but also save families the fee charged by professional tax preparers. Last year, volunteers returned more than $7 million impacting more than 10,000 hard working families.
Bill Austin
Scottsdale Job Network
AZhttp, Inc.
Filed under: Christmas, City of Mesa, Free, Holiday, Holidays, Mesa | Tags: Arizona, az, Christmas Tree, Christmas Tree Disposal, Disposal, Drop-off Sites, Mesa, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona
Mesa residents can help the City of Mesa give the environment a present this
holiday season by recycling their Christmas trees. Residents are encouraged
to bring their tree to any of the free drop-off locations listed below.
Residents are asked to remove all nails, stands, tinsel and ornaments from
trees. Flocked trees will not be accepted because the flocking does not
break down in the environment.
The following 24-hour drop-off sites will be open Dec. 26-Jan. 13:
City of Mesa Solid Waste Management Department, 730 N. Mesa Dr.
East Mesa Service Center, 6935 E. Decatur St.
Superstition Springs Police/Fire Substation, 2430 S. Ellsworth Road
Mountain View Park, 845 N. Lindsay Road
Dobson Ranch Park, 2363 S. Dobson Road
Residents wishing to take their trees directly to the Salt River Landfill at
Gilbert Road and the Beeline Highway can do so between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Saturday. Mesa residents will need to have a current Arizona
driver’s license. Curbside pickup also is available for $10 and must be
requested by Jan. 4. Residents should contact the Solid Waste Management
Department at (480) 644-2688 for more information or to schedule a pickup
time. Additional information may also be found by visiting the City’s Web
site at www.cityofmesa.org/waste.
Finally, Mesa also accepts donations of live potted trees, which will be
planted in Mesa City parks. Live trees five feet or taller will be accepted
at any Mesa Fire Station. The Christmas “Treecycling” program is sponsored
by the City of Mesa and the Salt River Landfill.
Filed under: Art, Artists, Arts, Arts and Entertainment, City of Glendale, City of Mesa, City of Phoenix, City of Tempe, City of Tempe News, Community, Community Service, Mesa, Phoenix Arizona, Tempe Arizona | Tags: Exhibition, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix Arizona, Post Office, Tempe
TEMPE, Ariz. – “Element,” an exhibition inspired by the extravagant holiday
window displays in Macy’s and other New York City department stores, will be
on display from Oct. 19-Jan. 31 at the United States Post Office, 500 S.
Mill Ave. (5th Street & Mill Avenue).
Artists Nicole Royse (Tempe), Jeff Falk (Phoenix), Adil Rahee (Mesa) and
Manny Burruel (Glendale) have prepared elaborate window displays that
celebrate one of the following elements: air, fire, earth and water.
Water
Royse earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in Art History from Arizona State
University. She currently works on several research projects in the field of
art history.
Fire
Falk is a long-time active artist in Phoenix that has studied art at
Glendale Community College, Arizona State University and Phoenix College and
has shown his artwork in more than 200 exhibitions in venues across North
America.
Earth
Since moving to Arizona and becoming an American citizen, Rahee has shown at
the Arizona State University Art Museum, as well as at the January Solo
Exhibition at Shemer Art Center and Museum. He is currently earning his
Masters of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics at ASU.
Air
Burruel is a member of the Glendale Arts Commission and is a past member of
the Arizona Commission on the Arts. He was president of the Shemer Art
Center and Museum Associations Board of Directors and is a past vice
president and artist member of Movimiento Artistico del Rio Salado. His work
has been shown in countless exhibits throughout the Phoenix Metropolitan
area. His work has appeared in numerous publications, as well.
Information: Visit http://www.tempe.gov/arts/exhibitions/USPO.htm or call
Michelle Dock 480/350-2867.
Filed under: City of Mesa, Community, Community Service, Education, Events, Family, Homeless, library, Mesa, Public Library | Tags: agencies, Assistance, Citizens, Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Employment, Exhibition, Family Resource Center, Homeless Shelters, Mesa, Murderers, Murders, October, support
In Arizona, a woman is murdered by her husband or boyfriend every four days.
In an effort to bring attention and awareness to this staggering problem,
the City of Mesa and Save the Family Foundation of Arizona have joined
forces to create a display at the Main Library, 64 E. First St., which will
run through the month of October. The display contains artwork and
stories from the mothers and children in Save the Family’s program.
Visitors to the display will learn to recognize domestic violence, see how
domestic violence victims are working to turn their lives around as well as
find out how they can volunteer and help be part of the solution. The
display coincides with October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Save the Family provides transitional housing and case management services
to more than 300 families a year. With 159 housing units serving homeless
families with children throughout the Valley, Save the Family is changing
the face of homelessness and helping many women and children of domestic
violence get a fresh start. Through programs like Career Development, Legal
Assistance and domestic violence and parenting classes, clients in Save the
Family’s program learn to become both economically and emotionally
self-sufficient.
For more information, contact Save the Family Volunteer Director Andrea Sok
at 480-898-0228, extension 215.
Filed under: City of Mesa, Community, Mesa, Tax, Taxes, Volunteering, Volunteers | Tags: Mesa, tax returns, VITA, Volunteer, Volunteers
Volunteer tax preparers are needed in Mesa for the Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance Program (VITA), which offers free tax help to hard working
community members who cannot prepare their own tax returns. During the last
tax season, the VITA program returned almost $1 million in federal tax
refunds directly to 934 households in Mesa.
New volunteer tax preparers are required to commit to a minimum of 2 to 4
hours per week. They will prepare the basic 1040 tax returns and related
schedules and know the eligibility rules for claiming the Earned Income Tax
Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). New volunteer preparers must
attend training in January.
There is also a need for other volunteers with the VITA program, includin= g
greeters, screeners and translators. All volunteers must attend an
orientation session.
VITA tax sites will be open in February, March and April on weekdays and
weekends throughout Mesa. They are generally located at community and
neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls and other
convenient locations. All locations also offer free electronic filing.
For more information, contact Mesa Neighborhood Services Volunteer
Coordinator Katie Brown at 480-644-3705 or
www.cityofmesa.org/volunteer/neighsvc
Phoenix Arizona 