Thursday, February 16, 2006
Volunteer Tax Help Part 4
I pulled another shift on Wednesday. Friday is my usual day but they had extra clients from a Senior Citizen's Center. There was one lady in particular who I enjoyed meeting. She was born in 1915. I did not have enough fingers and toes to figure out the she was 90 years old. At first I was not comfortable with her. She came in with another lady and waited while I did her taxes first. She just sat there, almost as if she wasn't there.
When got ready to do her taxes, the first lady to me that she was deaf and almost blind. I use somewhat uneasy as I shouted, "Are you ready to do your taxes now?" Well, her face lit up as if she had come to life. She was animated and very pleasant. She was very sharp mentally. I had to yell at her but when she understood me, she responded clearly with intellegence.
When we finished, it was time for her to sign the tax forms. I cleared a spot on the desk that I hoped would be convenient for her. I handed her the pen and pointed to where I had put a red X next to the signiture blanks. She just sat there. I felt stupid when I realized she could not see the page. We laughed together. I held her left index finger and put it on the paper next to the signiture blank. She clearly and carefully wrote her name next to her finger. We had to do that 4 times.
When we were done she asked me how much it cost. I told her nothing. I don't think she understood what they had said at the Senior Center about this being a free service.
Meeting people like her makes Volunteering fun.
Grier Daniels
http://eclecticseminarian.blogspot.com/
When got ready to do her taxes, the first lady to me that she was deaf and almost blind. I use somewhat uneasy as I shouted, "Are you ready to do your taxes now?" Well, her face lit up as if she had come to life. She was animated and very pleasant. She was very sharp mentally. I had to yell at her but when she understood me, she responded clearly with intellegence.
When we finished, it was time for her to sign the tax forms. I cleared a spot on the desk that I hoped would be convenient for her. I handed her the pen and pointed to where I had put a red X next to the signiture blanks. She just sat there. I felt stupid when I realized she could not see the page. We laughed together. I held her left index finger and put it on the paper next to the signiture blank. She clearly and carefully wrote her name next to her finger. We had to do that 4 times.
When we were done she asked me how much it cost. I told her nothing. I don't think she understood what they had said at the Senior Center about this being a free service.
Meeting people like her makes Volunteering fun.
Grier Daniels
http://eclecticseminarian.blogspot.com/
# posted by Dan @ 9:43 PM 
