The Rundown

• Credit unions across the country participate in VITA taxreturn preparation effort.
• Millions of direct-deposited refunds are generated, refundanticipation loans avoided.
• Participants cite serving the mission as primarymotivation.

As it's grown, credit unions and their volunteers have become anintegral part of VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance programthat provides free help on returns to those who qualify–and that'smillions of American households.

Across the country, credit unions large and small–typicallythrough community partnerships – are providing staffers andvolunteers, space, supplies and other resources in an effort thatparticipants say speaks directly to the core credit unionmission.

Nationwide, including from credit unions, more than 81,000volunteers staffed 12,753 sites last year and served nearly 3.1million taxpayers, according to the IRS.