Seven years ago, Amina Nuhanović was laid off from her job as a CPA. She didn’t sulk. Her experience coming to Iowa as a Bosnian refugee at the age of 13 had taught her to be strong in the face of adversity, to keep going no matter what.
“I am not a person to stay at home,” Amina says with a laugh. “I really wanted to do something in the meantime while looking for a job.”
The solution came from The Des Moines Register, where she saw a story about United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which provides free tax assistance to low- and middle-income families who need help. In 2016, VITA volunteers prepared 5,666 tax returns, bringing over $8 million back to working families and the central Iowa economy.