Morningstar Relief Mission is pleased to announce that our 2021 Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) is up and running. We are grateful to all of the volunteers who, once again, have enabled Morningstar to offer this important service to the community. 

“Morningstar has hosted this program, locally, for many years,” says Rick Helman, Treasurer. Income tax preparation is offered free of charge as part of a partnership between the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and community-based organizations.

“CVITP volunteers do more than prepare people’s taxes,” notes Helman, “They play a critical role in providing financial stability to people with low incomes in our community.” Last year Morningstar’s volunteer income tax preparation team completed 600 hundred returns, free of charge. “We estimate having saved clients thousands of dollars in fees since the inception of the program,” adds Helman, “and we’ve helped to put thousands of dollars in essential benefits back into the hands of the people who need it the most.”

For more information on how to access this year's tax clinic please visit our web page or call 613-354-6355. 

By Kevin Alkenbrack

We’re doing something a little different this month, folks. Morningstar Relief Mission is celebrating #nutritionmonth 2021 with Making Ends Meat, a social media education and awareness campaign to share budget-minded tips and resources to benefit individuals and families struggling with the increasing cost of food.
 
The economic impact of the pandemic continues to put people in our community at heightened risk of food insecurity. And while there is nothing Morningstar can do about the rising cost of food, we can showcase the experience of our cooking team, and the skills they use every day, to kickstart a hopeful, practical, conversation with our community about healthy eating on a budget.

The kitchen table means different things to different people. And for an increasing number it is a stressful place that symbolizes the struggle to make ends meet. As we continue to hope and pray for better social conditions, and more livable wages, Morningstar’s focus is on compassionate response in the present.

Every week we feed hundreds of people across Lennox & Addington County. This month we are putting the knowledge and expertise that helps us do that on the social media menu to benefit hundreds more.
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So, stay tuned!