Mary Boucherle knows taxes like the back of her hand. She began working for the Internal Revenue Service by answering calls on the toll-free number. Twenty-three years later, she retired from her position as a Tax Analyst advising 97 Taxpayer Assistance Centers. During her time with the IRS, Mary developed a wealth of tax knowledge. Today, we're lucky she shares that knowledge with volunteers, partners, and clients through United Way's Free Community Tax Service.
While volunteering her talent 18-22 hours per week as a Free Community Tax Service (FCTS) Site Coordinator at the Owen County Public Library, Mary also manages and hones the talent of other United Way FCTS volunteers. "Volunteering is a way to use the knowledge and experience I gained as an IRS employee to give back to my community. Tax law is complex and can be intimating for lots of people. I strive to make the tax preparation process as easy as possible for all of our clients and for our volunteers."
The Free Community Tax Service, led by United Way and the Financial Stability Alliance, helps low- and moderate-income people file taxes for free and claim valuable credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC.
United Way plays an integral role in recruiting, training, and assigning volunteers to all FCTS sites, making sure every volunteer is IRS certified and ready to file tax-returns. Mary provides guidance to help these volunteers best serve their clients. "Two-thirds of our volunteers are Indiana University students. I try to make their volunteer experience educational and not too stressful." Mary is always readily available to help answer questions, review the volunteers' work, and help volunteers address any concerns a client may have about the filing process.
For Mary, to Live United is when everyone in the community does what they can to help others. Having lived in Owen County for twenty years, one of Mary's goals is to share in the "Live United" spirit and give back to her community. The FCTS site in Owen County is unique in that it is the only FCTS in the entire county. "If this tax site did not exist, anyone who needed these services would have to travel outside the county. Having a FCTS site in Owen County especially reduces the hardship for our elderly clients, whose mobility is hampered by the winter weather."
Her favorite part of volunteering for a United Way initiative is helping clients and seeing the impact it makes in their lives. "Our free service gives each client some extra money that they would otherwise have had to spend on tax preparation. That may not seem like much but even a little extra money can start a person on the road to financial stability. Our clients always tell us how much they appreciate our services."
When it is not tax season, Mary and her husband volunteer their time at their church and other nonprofit organizations in the community. Together they perform general building repairs and maintenance that the nonprofits may not have the time or operational funds to do themselves. Mary also leads a strength training exercise program for retired women. When Mary is not volunteering, she can be found taking care of her two adopted Mustang horses.
A great big thanks to Mary for all you do to inspire others to strengthen United Way and make a difference in the lives of our community members. Thank you for choosing to Live United, Mary!