He always wanted to give back to the community, but Ron Danielak didn’t always have time to Volunteer. He was an upper-level manager at Texas Instruments and chose to LIVE UNITED by becoming a Loyal Contributor (for more than 20 years) and a Leadership Giver (for more than 10).
Ron—who lives in Plano with his wife of 26 years, Tami—heard about United Way through the workplace campaign at Texas Instruments. He decided to become a strong United Way supporter “because of its diversity. Many organizations help one particular group or just one area, city or state. United Way touches so many different people that I knew anywhere I got involved would help.”
When Ron retired from Texas Instruments, he finally had time to Volunteer. He read about the United Way Earn It! Keep It! Save It! program, which helps low- to moderate-income families achieve greater financial stability through financial education and free tax preparation. “It was something I could relate to,” says Ron. “I did my own taxes for years, so I thought I could use my knowledge to help others.”
After Ron completed the free training and passed the certification test, he worked at two tax preparation sites. At one, he worked with many immigrant families who “were working and contributing to the U.S. and paying their taxes. It was very rewarding to see people coming into this country not relying on others, but who I could help one on one. It’s a great way to give back to the community and help people follow through with their obligations to file taxes.”
Ron adds, “I was really amazed at how appreciative everybody was. People didn’t think they deserved anything—they were very happy to get help. And we made a real difference in their lives. Sometimes we were helping families that made only $3,000 to $5,000 get refunds of $1,500. That made a huge impact on their ability to live.”
Ron recommends becoming an Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Volunteer to people who like working with numbers, like finance professionals, accountants, engineers and anyone who does their own taxes. Site coordinators “match the different difficulties of tax returns to your skills. And the mentors make you feel comfortable that you aren’t left on your own.”
In addition to volunteering with United Way, Ron tutors first and third graders at Frazier Elementary in Dallas ISD. He’s also working on his alternative certification to become a teacher.
Want to have a major impact and help hardworking families? Join Ron as an Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Volunteer—and share the program with your friends and colleagues.
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