Last Friday, we spent the day celebrating the impact that RealSense volunteers have had on financial stability in northeast Florida. The numbers from the past year tell the story of thousands of dedicated individuals working together to help bring much-needed services to the families in our community. Here are some of the highlights:

32,000 Hours Volunteered

Over the past year, RealSense volunteers spent over 32,000 hours preparing taxes, teaching hundreds of financial education classes, and providing other services to the community. For a sense of scale, this adds up to:

• 4,000 work days
• 3.6 years
• 630 seasons’ worth of Jaguars football

19,590 Tax Returns Filed

RealSense volunteers staffed more than 50 tax sites all over northeast Florida, manned mobile tax units and held events to help as many people as possible get their taxes done right. Of these tax returns, more than 4,500 of them were eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which helps low-wage working families keep more of what they earn.

$26,538,182 Refunded

It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers, but behind each refund is a neighbor or a family that’s on the path to financial stability. Working with RealSense volunteers means that tax filers not only get the help they need for April 15, but also guidance on what choices to make with refund money, like jump-starting a savings account.

For the past 11 years, RealSense has been making an impact on financial stability in our community, but we couldn’t do it without our volunteers. From tax preparation to educational workshops, there’s an opportunity year-round for you to get involved! Click below to learn more.