The Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Board and Westchester County Department of Social Services are recruiting volunteers for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, known as VITA. The program provides free tax preparation to low- and moderate-income individuals and families, helping residents file their taxes accurately and claim the refunds and credits they are entitled to. Last tax season, the program helped residents receive a total of $2,389,787 in federal refunds. Volunteers do not necessarily need to be pursuing careers in accounting or finance to help out or benefit from the experience.
“There’s been high school students that have been trained, so that just demonstrates that it really can be open to anyone,” says Sherry Bruck, career center operator for the Westchester-Putnam Career Center Network.
VITA volunteers can take on a range of roles, including tax preparers, quality reviewers, screeners/greeters, computer operators and interpreters. Those who become tax preparers receive free training through the Internal Revenue Service, and their work is supervised and reviewed at VITA sites.
For students and people early in their careers, the training can provide an opportunity to develop skills that extend beyond tax preparation, Bruck adds. Volunteers can gain experience working with the public, communicating complex information, following detailed procedures, and working as part of a team. For job seekers, the experience can also provide something tangible to add to a resume while they pursue their next opportunity.
“There are varying roles,” Bruck says. “If the volunteer chooses to become a tax preparer, they definitely get intensive training, and that can lead to different career paths, and maybe accounting or finance.”
The program also provides flexibility. Volunteers select a site and are asked to commit at least four hours per week during tax season, according to Bruck. Training is generally held in January, with both in-person and virtual options available. The experience can also be useful for people between jobs who are looking to stay active, build skills, and give back to their community.
Bruck points to the experience of David Keeney, who was laid off from Pfizer and was looking for opportunities while pursuing his next full-time position. Keeney responded to an IRS advertisement for the VITA program and was hired as a seasonal VITA site coordinator at the Mount Vernon Career Center last tax season.
While the position was not directly connected to his previous career, Keeney used it as one part of a broader job search strategy. Through the Career Center, he was connected with an employment counselor who helped submit his resume to local colleges. That led to adjunct teaching positions at Monroe University and Manhattanville University.
Ultimately, the combination of his professional background, teaching experience and VITA work helped Keeney land a full-time position as a senior technical assistant at Westchester Community College, where he began working in May 2026. Bruck describes this approach as “braiding” together different employment, teaching, and volunteer opportunities while continuing to pursue a longer-term career goal.
Keeney’s experience illustrates how volunteering can help job seekers stay active, develop new skills and make connections while they search for their next opportunity. And for many VITA volunteers, the value of the program goes beyond what they can put on a resume.
“The volunteers who are recognized each year always speak about how they enjoy helping people get the tax refunds and EITC credits that they have earned,” Bruck says.
The program can also connect younger volunteers with people in their own communities. In Ossining last spring, high school and Youth Bureau students volunteered alongside community leaders. The impact of that work was significant: During the most recent tax season, the Ossining Youth Bureau independently prepared 187 tax returns, securing $257,265 in refunds for local residents, according to Village of Ossining Mayor Reka Levin. In partnership with the Ossining Union Free School District, the program prepared 343 returns and helped bring a total of $444,130 in refunds back to Ossining families.
“It’s all about helping people navigate the tax code, which can be very complicated, and making sure they get what they deserve and what they’ve earned,” Bruck says.
The Westchester VITA program has operated in the county for about 20 years and continues to expand its reach into different communities. As the number of sites grows, so does the need for volunteers. Current locations include the Bronx, Dobbs Ferry, Hartsdale, Mount Vernon, Ossining, Valhalla, White Plains, and Yonkers.
Registration is particularly important in the months leading up to tax season. Bruck says people interested in volunteering should sign up between now and December, before training begins in January. The tax season and volunteer program runs from February through May. The program is coordinated by Linda McKinzie-Daugherty, who works in the months leading up to tax season to reach out to underserved communities, recruit and train volunteers, and coordinate staffing at VITA locations.
Next Steps
For those interested in volunteering, the VITA volunteer registration form is available online. Additional information about the program is available through the Westchester-Putnam Career Center Network website. Questions can be directed to Linda McKinzie-Daugherty at WestchesterVITA@westchestercountyny.gov.
Related: 19 Tips for Using the Westchester-Putnam Career Center Website
