Financial Literacy

OpenDoors offers financial literacy classes and tax preparation services to our clients and their families.  These services are designed to compliment other services offered in the Resource Center (including employment classes, computer proficiency classes, and womens' and men's support groups) to provide our clients with holistic support as they seek a stability and security.

Classes Offered

Basic Money Management: Learn how to plan ahead, manage money, spend on a budget, and other tips.

Credit Repair: Understanding your credit report and credit score.

One-on-one Counseling: Available by appointment following participation in the two financial literacy seminars.

Please call 781.5808 x101 for more information.

Tax Preparation

OpenDoors can help you file your income taxes for free, as part of the VITA Tax Preparation program. Our program has received national recognition for its tax preparation services for the incarcerated.

It is estimated that at least 10 million dollars in tax credits are lost to our local economy each year. A portion of that loss is because people who worked in the tax year prior to incarceration do not receive the qualified tax preparation an dinformation needed to access their returns. Our goal is to ensure that all of our clients receive the tax refunds and credits that they deserve. We have contributed significantly to the local economy by putting EITC and child tax credits into the hands of our neighbors who need it most.

For the 2008 tax season, the OpenDoors Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program provided tax preparation and electronic filing for 215 clients and their families, including 35 returns for clients behind the walls. This was our best year to date, and was made possible through a close collaboration with the RI Department of Corrections. We processed $328,363 in total refunds, which included $137,336 in the earned income tax credit (EITC), the largest anti-poverty program sponsored by the federal government.