According to a study by TaxSlayer Pro, more than one-third of Americans hire a professional tax preparer to file their returns. In the current tax season, Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) students are volunteering their time to help through PBA’s Workship program, a conduit for students to volunteer in their community.
Each year, an estimated 30 to 50 PBA students use their Workship hours to assist members of the local community with filing taxes, offering free, trained support to individuals who meet certain income thresholds and may struggle to afford professional assistance.
A Partnership Build to Serve
PBA’s Workship program partners with United Way of Palm Beach County to support its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. VITA is an IRS-sponsored program that provides free tax assistance and electronic filing for individuals and families who require guidance and are unable to hire a tax preparer.
By offering this service, at no cost, the program works to remove financial barriers, reduce stress, and help community members access tax credits and refunds they may otherwise miss.
Over time, the initiative has grown into a nationwide effort. United Way of Palm Beach County has offered VITA services for more than two decades, assisting thousands of residents in each tax season. Community members can receive tax assistance at their nearest VITA site by searching their location on the Palm Beach County Taxes Filed Free webpage or by dialing 211 for an automated explanation of the process.
Faith In Action
At PBA, student involvement in VITA is facilitated through Workship, the University’s service-learning program that encourages students to serve their community each year. This work reflects the final component of PBA’s mission statement, which calls students to “serve God boldly.”
Nathan Chau, Workship director at PBA, said the program’s mission is to “help students recognize and respond to the means of Christlike action… and develop habits of service over time.” By participating in projects such as the VITA program, PBA students are using their God-given gifts to assist the less fortunate in their community.
“If we’re able to come together and help meet the needs of our community, and especially on a financial front, I think that’s honoring and very Christlike because we’re putting others above ourselves,” Chau says.
An Invitation to Serve
Students involved in Workship say experiences like these often reshape how they view service. Gracie Houtman, a sophomore studying applied sport performance, said the program helped her understand that service goes beyond fulfilling a requirement.
“We aren’t just doing projects to get our hours in,” Houtman says. “We are doing projects to serve our community and grow from it.”
Other students’ experiences reflect similar growth. Matthew Guerra, a junior studying business administration, said the experience helped him develop a deeper sense of compassion for the community.
“This project really encompasses what I believe Workship is,” Guerra says. “Using the gifts given to us by God to make a change for communities through love, compassion, and hard work.”
Overall, PBA’s participation in the VITA program demonstrates how service can meet immediate, practical needs while shaping students as leaders. Workship extends beyond just an annual requirement; it cultivates the leadership skills promised to students since the very start of their college careers.
To learn more about Workship at PBA, go to https://www.pba.edu/campus-life/christian-community/workship/.
