INCOME
The mission of our Income Initiative is to remove critical barriers for families undergoing difficult times. Our vision is to increase the number of stable families in the Lakes Region and in doing so, increase the strength and vitality of our community. Our core value is that every family that stays together makes us a stronger community, and every family that breaks apart weakens the community.
In identifying the attributes of our initiative, we established the following focus areas for Income: Access to affordable health care, access to affordable housing, access to affordable family counseling, and access to public benefits. We have partnered with the following organizations for a three year period, and in some cases we have implemented the following internal programs to ensure that we are fulfilling these aspirations. The amounts shown indicate the three year grant total:

Financial Stablility Partnership In an effort to break the cycle of families in crisis, we have embarked on a Financial Stability Partnership that moves beyond client services and addresses the issue in a systemic way. The FSP will help hard working families and individuals become financially stable and take the next steps to long-term independence. We will achieve the desired results by removing barriers to the financial mainstream, financial education, private and public benefits and workforce development. Lakes Region United Way anticipates investing between $40-100,000 over the next three years in this important work. FamilyWize Prescription Drug Discount Card Download, use, and share (photocopy or email) this card with your coworkers and friends. Use this FamilyWize card to start saving money on your prescription drugs today. Simply present your card and prescription to a participating pharmacy to obtain the discounted price. Use your card as often as you need, for any prescription, for everyone in your family. There is no income limit, age requirement, eligibility or registration required. Download the FamilyWize Prescription Drug Discount Card, or the full FamilyWize poster with clip'n'save coupon, both in PDF format. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program From January until tax day, the Lakes Region Financial Stability Partnership's VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Program offers free tax help to low- and moderate-income individuals who may qualify for the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit). In 2004, it was estimated that 17 percent of U.S. taxpayers received the EITC for a total of $40 billion. EITC filers who paid commercial tax preparers to prepare their tax returns spent nearly $3 billion in fees. The local VITA site offers people free tax preparation assistance--allowing them to hold on to more of their EITC dollars rather than paying a third party to prepare their taxes. Many of the partners involved in the local VITA site are also able to provide information on important matters such as building savings, budgeting, or using credit wisely – a true benefit to the whole community.   Affordable Health Care Affordable Housing Health First Family Care Center $99,216 The Carey House $58,000 Laconia Area Community Land Trust $173,240     Affordable Counseling Access to Public Benefits Child and Family Services of NH $54,000 Financial Stability Partnership New Beginnings: Without Violence and Abuse $60,000 FamilyWize Discount RX Card Program Salvation Army Friendly Kitchen $58,000 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program