NORWICH – The Creating Assets, Savings and Hope (CASH) Coalition – which provides free tax preparation assistance for low-income working families or individuals – met Thursday morning in preparation for the 2011 tax season.

CASH was formed in 2004 when information was released which stated approximately $2.3 million of tax refunds were going unclaimed in Chenango County. In addition, many families were not receiving their Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) due to incorrect tax filing or by not filing at all.

According to coalition member Connie Gaines, the EITC is the number one way for children and low-income families to be brought above the poverty level.

A group of 11 Chenango and Madison County organizations came together to address the issue as part of an anti-poverty campaign – including AARP Tax Aid; Chenango County’s Catholic Charities, United Way, Cornell Cooperative Extension and Opportunities For Chenango; Colgate University and The Upstate Institute; Community Action Program for Madison County, GHS Federal Credit Union; the IRS SPEC Office and the Madison County Department of Social Services.

While there are specific guidelines for eligibility, the coalition typically provides assistance to any individual or family that’s earning less than $50,000 per household. Those interested must have an appointment, which can be set up by calling 336-2101. Callers will be instructed to leave a message answering some preliminary questions and will receive a return call at a later date.