Maximize and strategize tax return with free, one-on-one financial coaching
Goodwill Industries of Central Florida’s Prosperity Platform provides community members with free one-on-one financial coaching, tax preparation services and more
$2,500. THAT’S HOW MUCH THE IRS SAYS THE AVERAGE PERSON’S FEDERAL TAX REFUND COULD BE. AND TAX FILING SEASON IS WELL UNDERWAY. JOINING ME NOW TO EXPLAIN HOW TO USE THOSE EXTRA FUNDS TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL SUCCESS FOR FREE AS GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA’S PROSPERITY PLATFORM MANAGER ELIZABETH RICE. ELIZABETH, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, ELIZABETH, SO THIS IS ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE. AND THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TIME. IT IS. LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS PROSPERITY PLATFORM. SO WHAT IS THAT AND WHAT ARE THE SERVICES THAT YOU GUYS OFFER AT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES? SO THE PROSPERITY PLATFORM IS AN UMBRELLA FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT WE OFFER TO HELP INDIVIDUALS TO MEET THEIR GOALS. OKAY. WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR THEM. WE DON’T TRY AND COME IN AND TELL THEM WHAT THEY SHOULD DO, WHERE THEY SHOULD BE AT IN THEIR LIVES. WE TALK TO A PERSON IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOURSELF AND WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR FAMILY? AND OUR GOAL IS TO BRING SOLUTIONS, CREATE STRATEGIES, CONNECT YOU WITH RESOURCES TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. SO THE PROSPERITY PLATFORM IS THAT JUST FOR GOODWILL INDUSTRIES EMPLOYEES, OR IS THAT FOR ALL OF THE PUBLIC TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF? IT? IS FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT LIVE IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE. START AS FAR EAST AS VOLUSIA AND BREVARD, GOING ALL THE WAY ACROSS OSCEOLA, ORANGE, SEMINOLE, AND ALL THE WAY WEST TO LAKE COUNTY. THAT’S PRETTY GREAT. SO ANYONE CAN REALLY KIND OF COME TO YOU AND KIND OF SIT DOWN AND SAY, OKAY, TAKE A LOOK AT MY PROFILE HERE. WHAT DO YOU THINK? AND THEN ALSO, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM? WHAT SHOULD THEY BE DOING WITH THEIR TAX RETURNS. SO TAX RETURNS ARE YOU KNOW, IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS TO THINK ABOUT ALL THOSE GOALS, THOSE DREAMS THAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THEIR LIVES FOR THIS YEAR. AND SO THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO EITHER TACKLE SOME OF THE DREAMS THAT YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF. LIKE PERHAPS YOU WANT TO BECOME A HOMEOWNER. THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO START SAVING FOR THAT. BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT BACK TO SCHOOL. LET’S NOT WAIT. WHAT ABOUT CHRISTMAS? WHAT ABOUT THAT VACATION THAT YOU WANT WITH YOUR FAMILY? THAT IS AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO TAKE SOME OF THAT MONEY. IT ASIDE, START SAVING FO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW THAT ARE UPCOMING VERSUS WAITING UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO GET STARTED, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE ALREADY ON A BUDGET. OKAY, SO SO DO YOU KIND OF THEN GO THROUGH JUST BUDGETING OF ALL THAT AND HOW TO MAKE THOSE DREAMS A REALITY TO COME TRUE, RIGHT. YEAH. EXCELLENT. WE DO THAT. BUT WE ALSO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER. WE CAN HELP INDIVIDUALS ANYWHERE FROM CAREER EDUCATION ALL THE WAY THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT FINANCIAL DOMAINS. SO THAT CAN INCLUDE HELPING YOU IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT. THAT COULD BE HELPING YOU TO START A SAVINGS PLAN, THAT COULD BE HELPING YOU TO BECOME A HOMEOWNER. IT COULD BE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT RETIREMENT. BUT THE BIGGEST PART OF THE PROSPERITY PLATFORM IS THAT WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL AN ACTIVE REFERRAL NETWORK. SO WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO IS WE’RE GOING TO CONNECT YOU WITH THE RESOURCES THAT MOST INDIVIDUALS ARE JUST NOT AWARE THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM. MULTIFACETED, YES. HOW DO YOU GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THIS? BECAUSE THIS IS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU GUYS OFFER THIS. WELL, WE THANK YOU FOR HAVING US ON WESH CHANNEL TWO THIS MORNING, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT. BUT THEY CAN ALWAYS GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT WW GOODWILL. THERE’S A PROSPERITY PLANNING SECTION THERE. THERE’S ALSO A LEAK THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE THAT YOU’RE GOING TO PROVIDE ON YOUR WEBSITE AS WELL. THEY CAN ALSO VISIT OUR MAIN CAMPUS, WHICH IS AT 7521 SOUTH ORANGE BLOSSOM TRAIL IN ORLANDO, NOT FAR FROM THE FLORIDA MALL. EXCELLENT. LET ME ASK YOU THIS. WHEN SOMEONE COMES TO YOU, HOW DO YOU ADVISE THEM NOWADAYS? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE SCAMS ARE SO POPULAR. THEY ARE. SO HOW DO YOU KIND OF SAY OKAY, DETER THEM FROM BECOMING A TARGET EASILY? WELL, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS IS USING SOMEONE THAT YOU TRUST. SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW. WE ALSO AT GOODWILL WE HAVE A WE PARTNER WITH VITA AND THAT IS THROUGH THE UNITED WAY. AND WE ARE PROVIDING ALL THE WAY THROUGH APRIL WHERE YOU CAN COME IN ON FRIDAYS AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET YOUR TAXES DONE FOR FREE. YOU JUST NEED TO GO TO OUR WEBSITE. YOU CAN CALL THE PHONE NUMBER, REACH OUT TO US AND WE CAN GET YOU SCHEDULED TO COME AND HAVE YOUR TAXES DONE BY A CERTIFIED TAX PREPARER, AND THAT IS FREE OF CHARGE. ELIZABETH, WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS KIND OF PLATFORM AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE? IT’S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT’S NOT IT’S NOT FROM PEOPLE BEING STUPID. IT’S LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. AND SO WE HAVE THE INFORMATION. WE HAVE THE CONNECTIVITY TO THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES. AND IT’S OUR JOB. IT’S OUR MISSION. WHEN WE SAY BUILDING LIVES AT WORK, WE REALLY MEAN IT. SO WE’RE IN THIS NOT FOR THE NOTORIETY. WE’RE IN THIS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE A PERSON’S LIFE A LOT BETTER. EXCELLENT. ARE THERE ANY QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE PROSPERITY PLATFORM? THINGS, THAT THERE ARE NO QUALIFICATIONS OUTSIDE OF YOU LIVING IN ONE OF THOSE SIX COUNTIES THAT I JUST MENTIONED, THERE’S NO INCOME ELIGIBILITY, THERE’S NO HOUSEHOLD ELIGIBILITY. IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE, IF YOU HAVE GOALS, IF YOU DARE TO DREAM ABOUT WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES, THEN WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU TO DO THAT. EXCELLENT, ELIZABETH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON THIS MORNING. YOU’RE SUCH AN AWESOME THING THAT YOU GUY
Maximize and strategize tax return with free, one-on-one financial coaching
Goodwill Industries of Central Florida’s Prosperity Platform provides community members with free one-on-one financial coaching, tax preparation services and more
Goodwill Industries of Central Florida’s Prosperity Platform provides community members with free one-on-one financial coaching, tax preparation services and more. The nonprofit organization’s Prosperity Platform manager, Elizabeth Rice, joins WESH 2 to share how taxpayers can use their returns to strategically plan for financial, educational, personal and career success. The program helps with goals such as building up savings accounts, paying off debt, planning for homeownership and creating a college fund.Rice outline’s the program services, available resources and how to maximize solutions to people living within the six counties they serve: Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia. Click here to learn more.
Goodwill Industries of Central Florida’s Prosperity Platform provides community members with free one-on-one financial coaching, tax preparation services and more.
The nonprofit organization’s Prosperity Platform manager, Elizabeth Rice, joins WESH 2 to share how taxpayers can use their returns to strategically plan for financial, educational, personal and career success.
The program helps with goals such as building up savings accounts, paying off debt, planning for homeownership and creating a college fund.
Rice outline’s the program services, available resources and how to maximize solutions to people living within the six counties they serve: Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia.