CCHC VITA Volunteers

For thousands of families in the San Gabriel Valley, Chinese Christian Herald Crusades is where they turn when life gets complicated.

An IRS notice arrives in the mail. A CalFresh application is confusing. A family needs help navigating benefits in a language they understand.

They go to CCHC.

That trust—built over decades of service—has become the foundation of one of the region’s most powerful anti-poverty tools: free tax preparation.

Because when families file accurate returns and claim every credit they’ve earned, tax season can become a moment of relief, stability, and opportunity.

Turning Trust Into Real Money Back

Founded in New York in 1982, with its Southern California chapter opening in 1992, CCHC has long served Chinese-American communities, many of them immigrants and many with limited English proficiency.

“Our community has a lot of people who are from Asia and normally don’t speak English as their first language,” said Shelly Chen, Program Coordinator at CCHC. “They need help with social benefits, government systems, and understanding important notices they receive.”

That support has created lasting relationships—and those relationships are why families come back year after year for tax help.

“The reason VITA is so successful is because the work we do in other areas establishes us as someone to trust with their information,” Chen explained. “We can do it in a culturally relevant way where they feel understood and heard.”

Nearly 4,600 Returns. More Than $4 Million Back.

CCHC launched its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in 2019. Since then, it has grown into a regional force for economic mobility.

This year alone, as of April 20:

  • 4,585 Federal tax returns completed
  • More than $4.06 million in refunds generated

That is money going back into household budgets—for rent, groceries, childcare, transportation, and debt repayment.

CCHC Free Tax Prep

A New Partnership, A Bigger Impact

This tax season, CCHC partnered with Golden State Opportunity through the Community Connect network, opening new opportunities to strengthen and expand services.

“Chinese Christian Herald emerged as a key partner because of its deep and trusted ties to the community,” said Andy Rodriguez, Senior Organizing Manager at GSO. “As a long-standing community organization, it was a natural fit for our shared efforts to connect residents with free tax resources.”

For Chen, the connection felt meant to be.

“We were already thinking about applying, and the same day Andy Rodriguez called us,” she said. “We were excited to partner.”

Tacos & Taxes Changed What Felt Possible

One of the biggest results of that partnership came on April 4, when CCHC hosted a Tacos & Taxes event with GSO and Assemblymember Mike Fong.

The event served:

  • 45 taxpayers
  • 30 volunteers
  • Dozens of families connected to free filing and tax credits

But the biggest impact may have been operational.

Historically, CCHC’s model relied on intake appointments followed by tax preparation completed later—sometimes requiring multiple visits over several weeks.

Tacos & Taxes introduced a same-day tax preparation model.

“I think the biggest thing we’ve seen out of partnership with GSO was the Tacos and Taxes event,” Chen said. “We were hesitant to explore same-day prep because it felt like a lot of pressure. But working with GSO pushed what we were able to do. It opened opportunities to improve workflow and new options we can do.”

CCHC Free Tax Prep in San Gabriel with Asm. Mike Fong

Building Community Beyond One Organization

The partnership also connected CCHC to a broader statewide network of organizations solving similar challenges.

“Before, if we had problems with TaxSlayer or questions, we just had each other,” Chen said. “Now, we have joined a network with other organizations and can share tips with people doing taxes outside of our organization.”

What This Work Really Means

At CCHC, taxes are never just taxes.

They are a pathway to refunds families earned.
A gateway to benefits.
A trusted conversation in the right language.
And a reminder that when community organizations lead, families thrive.

 

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