After a long and successful career in human resources, Stephen found a new way to give back – by helping low-income individuals and families file their taxes through the Income Tax Clinic at West Neighbourhood House.
“I’m certainly not an accountant,” he shared. “I spent my career in human resources. I held senior positions in fairly big companies across industries like insurance, legal, and banking. I also worked in human capital consulting for firms like Deloitte and KPMG.”
Despite his professional background, his journey into volunteering began years earlier through the adult literacy program at West Neighbourhood House, where he taught English-language skills.
“I worked with a participant for five years to help them achieve the equivalent of a high school diploma. When we started, he had achieved credits through grade 9. During COVID, we worked remotely – putting in three times the work that we initially agreed upon. It was incredibly rewarding.”
After a break from volunteering, a posting from West NH rekindled his interest.
“I saw the ad for the income tax volunteer role. I have friends who can’t imagine me doing taxes, but I’ve always done my own and had a couple of small businesses. So, I thought, why not?”
Stephen joined the tax clinic and quickly found himself among a diverse and inspiring group of fellow volunteers.
“One was a very senior partner from a big consulting firm and the other a nuclear engineer. Just that network alone was a benefit. I was so impressed by the kind of volunteering they were doing beyond West Neighbourhood House.”
When referring to training and the on-boarding process, Stephen says that support from staff and fellow volunteers helped ease the process.
“Even by the end of the summer, I was still learning. But the staff were very supportive.”
He emphasized the importance of compassion and perspective in this role.
For those considering volunteering, he offered some advice.
“It’s not for everybody. You need to be comfortable with computers and talking to strangers about personal things like taxes. But there are different roles – intake interviews, welcome desk, and appointment coordination. You don’t have to do returns.”
Ultimately, the experience was deeply fulfilling.
“I did enjoy being of service to the community, and I’d be happy to do it again.”
West Neighbourhood House is recruiting volunteers to support low-income individuals and families file their income taxes. To read the full volunteer description and to apply, please visit: westnh.org/income-tax-preparer/