"Foster youth show up in a lot of spaces. They show up heavily in the unhoused population. They show up heavily in a lot of programs. Sometimes, they end up falling through the cracks because there’s nobody speaking up for them or advocating for programs for them. I always tell foster youth to apply for everything—grants, scholarships, tax credits. I tell them, 'You’re not begging. You’re entitled to these programs. They are here for you, and you really need to utilize them or they go away.'
My tax work is just another way to help support foster youth. Taxes are an important life skill that people don’t teach us. We don’t learn it in school. So, I teach them. You want to live the best quality life, and tax credits and government programs really help."
Hear more from Alexis Obinna, #VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) client, VITA volunteer, and United Ways of California Ambassador, about advocating for #FosterYouth and supporting her community through free tax help: https://lnkd.in/eWGVKk5E