Tacos & Taxes Appreciation Lunch

On Monday, August 25, Golden State Opportunity brought together lawmakers in Sacramento for our Tacos & Taxes Appreciation Lunch to recognize their office’s work hosting Tacos & Taxes events in their district that helped make the 2024 tax season a remarkable success.

GSO’s free tax prep events would not be possible without our community partners who work within these districts to find volunteers and drive outreach to reach members of our communities. Tacos and Taxes are a core pillar of our education and outreach programming for the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) and other refundable tax credits.

Our collaboration with lawmakers and our community connect partners led to 23 events across the state connecting thousands of working families and individuals to free tax services. This work brought back $1 billion in tax credits and Golden State Opportunity’s outreach campaign directly put $27 million into people’s pockets.

Tacos & Taxes Appreciation Lunch

We took a moment to celebrate the efforts of lawmakers and their staff to reach this critical milestone and our longstanding partnerships to reach as many tax filers as possible.

“The Tacos & Taxes Appreciation Lunch was our way of celebrating the strong partnerships we’ve built with legislators and their teams,” said Vanessa Orozco, Legislative Advocate for GSO. “These events wouldn’t be possible without the collaboration of the community partners, legislators, and commitment to spreading the word about free tax preparation and valuable credits like the CalEITC. Together, we’re making sure more Californians get the support and refunds they’ve earned.”

GSO continues to fight to ensure tax filing remains affordable and individuals continue receiving the maximum refund they’ve earned.

List of Awards

Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo
The Golden Heart Award – For putting people first in every action

Senator Maria Elena Durazo
More than Tacos & Taxes Award – For giving away household items

Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen
Most Creative Social Engagement – 1st Ever Tacos & Taxes TikTok Dance

Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes
The Smooth Sailing Award – For making every appointment process seamless

Senator Caroline Menjivar
Most Inspiring Speech – Combining Passion and Action

Assemblymember Blanca Rubio
Ray of Hope Award – Most Iconic Entrance of Tax Season

Assemblymember Lori Wilson
Outstanding Teamwork

Senator Aisha Wahab
Most Rooted in Community Award – With City and County Engagement

Assemblymember Chris Ward
Most Spirited Award – Creating a lively and welcoming event

Senator Monique Limón
The Boots on the Ground Award – For being present, engaged, and ready to act

Assemblymember Gregg Hart
Most Tax Refunds Delivered

Assemblymember Steve Bennett
Coastal Cool Award

Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez
Most Tax Returns Filed

Senator Steve Padilla
Perfect Day Award – Sunny weather and great tacos

Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains
Best Turnout

Assemblymember Diane Papan
Most Resilient Team

Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez
YCTC Champion

Senator Laura Richardson
Most Impactful First-Year Senator

Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin
Cool, Calm and Collected Award – For her focus on community action

Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel
Spark Award – 1st Event of 2025 Tax Season

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas
Most Memorable Taco – Large community fair with homemade tortillas

Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson
Best Connector Award – For bringing new VITA partners to Tacos & Taxes

Assemblymember James Ramos
Most CalEITC Dollars Returned

Senator Sabrina Cervantes
Rural Outreach Champion