An Early Wakeup Call

Lately I've been having a bit of a problem with insomnia (well documented in these pages). I fall asleep late, sleep late, and find half my day is gone and I'm strangely unmotivated. To combat the growing urge to pummel myself, I've started making firm plans, every other day or so, just to make sure I leave the building.

Saturday morning, I went downtown to meet up with a group of volunteers. We were headed to low-income neighborhoods across the city to prepare tax returns for those making less than $30,000/year (single) or $48,000 (double income). It's called LadderUp (formerly the Tax Assistance Program), and you can learn about it here.

Fortified with a large Diet Coke and a half a bagel, 12 of us wandered into a WIC (Women, Infants and Children) center operated on the near West side. The temperature was about 10 degrees - and the day was super sunny. When we walked in the doors at 8:30, there were about 30 people sitting in a waiting area upstairs.

They were a mix of Latino, Caucasian, and African American folks, some with kids, some without. Single and married, young and retired. And they were there because this program takes volunteers who have a background in accounting, finance, law, or really any profession, and uses them to prepare and file free tax returns. Why? Well, it ensures that even low-income families a) file and b) get the refunds they are entitled to.

I've done the program for a few years, and I have to say, it's damn rewarding to actually be the person who says "maam, your income last year was $12,000, and you're going to be getting a refund of $1400". Or something like that.

But my favorite story from Saturday morning was probably this: The second client that the team saw (and completed a return for) had two small children. He was an immigrant who was a naturalized citizen. He worked a job as a machine operator, and his wife stayed home with the children. He didn't make a lot of money - maybe $25,000/year. He was a nice Latino man who smiled easily and told me not to worry about rushing. I was assigned to review his return, and when he sat down, he helped us translate for the old man sitting next to him. When I apologized for taking so long, he told me not to worry - that he was just happy to get it completed.

He was bundled up in a long gray down coat, with a hat and scarf, and all of his papers in front of him. Because I am slightly prone to conversation (har) I asked him how long he had been waiting outside for the doors to open. He said he had been there since 5 a.m.

I stopped what I was doing then. "You were outside since 5?" I asked.

"No, I pulled my car up and waited in my car until about 6:30," he said. "But then people started coming and I had to wait in line because last year when I came, the line was cut off when I arrived."

He wouldn't have told me had I not asked. And he didn't say it like he was mad. He was just really glad someone was there to help. He was just thankful.

He got up, and waited outside for almost 3 hours, in ten degree weather, to take advantage of this service.

I don't know the last time anything I did felt as important. And frankly, I know that he was glad to help us help the guy next to him. So all in all, it was a pretty good exchange.

If you haven't had a chance to volunteer lately, I'd recommend it. If you're in Chicago, LadderUp will take your help anytime you can give it. And if you're somewhere else, well, dip your little toe in the land of philanthropy. You might find it does more to help you than the other guy.

I'm just saying.