LIVE UNITED

How I LIVE UNITED: Iris Salazar

For years I have used the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to file my income taxes. VITA has helped me qualify for tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, which are very important to my family.  My biggest community concern is healthcare for our children. Like many other single parents who work full time, I do not qualify for AHCCCS health insurance. United Way has helped me put money aside for any future family medical issues.

Last year I decided it was my turn to give something back. I am a native Tucsonan, and I wanted to create positive change in my community. I contacted United Way, took classes to learn how to prepare taxes and became a certified VITA volunteer. As a VITA volunteer, I filed basic tax returns and translated for our Spanish-speaking clients. Being a part of the VITA program has taught me that it is easy to give back; it only takes a few hours of your time to really make a difference in your neighborhood.



When a non-English-speaking family walks into a VITA site, they are sometimes unsure how to ask staff members for help. They are so happy when I greet them in Spanish and realize I am there to help them. The grateful smiles I receive from these parents are what I enjoy most about being a VITA volunteer. There is no better feeling in the world than knowing that you have made a positive impact on someone else’s life.

What does it mean to LIVE UNITED?

“To me, LIVE UNITED means that we all need to stay together in our community – as a family.”

Iris Salazar


More How I LIVE UNITED stories:

Council Member Karin Uhlich
Former University of Arizona/NBA Star Sean Elliott
University of Arizona Distance Runner Hanna Henson
Young Leaders Society Co-Chair Michael Cleveland