Bernita Cauthon is proud to be one of United Way of Greater Kansas City’s 211 Community Resource Navigators. She’s part of a team that answers our community’s call for help 24 hours a day, seven days a week, sifting through a database of more than 7,000 resources to connect individuals to the services they need.
But Bernita is not just a person who takes those calls, she is also someone who has utilized some of the services she tells those calling 211 about.
During tax filing season, a service that routinely gets a lot of inquiries is VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The My Free Taxes initiative is in partnership with the IRS’ VITA program. It helps people file their federal and state taxes for free and is brought to the community by United Way.
“I’ve been with United Way since 2018, and we’ve had our taxes done by VITA that entire time,” Bernita shared.
During the 2024 tax filing season this spring, United Way of Greater Kansas City’s 211 Community Resource Navigators provided a pivotal connection point, reviewing available VITA sites and connecting callers to appointments in real-time. This year, more than 6500 calls were received for tax preparation assistance, ranking it as our top 211 need identified in 2025 thus far. It also represents a 51% increase in tax prep requests from last year.
“It’s always professional. They’re always polite. And we can rest assured that our taxes are always done correctly,” said Bernita.
Bernita and her sister Sharon have been especially pleased with the level of customer service provided by those operating the VITA site at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where they’ve had their taxes done the past two years.
“Previous to finding the VITA sites, I had had my taxes done by private preparers at some of the big name companies. And I don’t believe that the treatment that I got there was any better than when I’ve gotten at VITA,” said Bernita. “Their treatment is first class. They were very respectful of our information. They kept safety and security uppermost in mind.”
Bernita says her tax preparer this year even went above and beyond, showing her some things she can do now, to benefit her when filing her taxes next year. Because she’s had such a positive view of the VITA process, she shares her experiences with 211 callers, letting them know exactly what they can expect at their appointment.
“I think it’s very important that I can speak from an absolutely great personal experience,” Bernita said. “We’ve driven to the VITA site in the snow, the wind, the rain, and they’re there no matter what–treating you with the utmost respect. They do a quality check. And they even have a person at the end who makes sure that the tax forms get submitted.”
Bernita and her sister have also been able to utilize other United Way programs, including Ride United, a grant-funded program that connects individuals with Lyft rides for needed transportation to employment, healthcare, childcare, and more.
“211 is just an invaluable service. I’m so grateful that I work for such a caring, compassionate organization that really does try to go to the utmost lengths to help people get what they need,” Bernita shared.
If you or someone you know needs assistance of any kind and don’t know where to turn, 211 is here for you. It’s free and confidential. Simply dial 2-1-1 from any phone line or visit 211KC.org to connect with resources near you.