Volunteer spotlight: Peter

Peter spent years working as an MRI physicist at a hospital on Long Island. Today, from January through April, you’ll find him sitting across the table from neighbors at The River Center and helping them make sense of their taxes, for free.

And that's not all he does. Peter is also a volunteer money coach and a donor to The River Center. When he’s not doing any of that, you might find him serving as treasurer for the Monadnock Quaker Meeting, judging high school science fairs, or out contra dancing.
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So, what keeps him coming back?

Part of the solution
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“I like hearing their stories and seeing how TRC helps people,” Peter says. “I can see that I'm part of the solution.”

For Peter, giving back is about more than writing a check or giving a few volunteer hours. He sees the impact his efforts make firsthand. He sits across the table from the people he helps, and he supports The River Center financially, too. That personal connection is what keeps him coming back.

A lesson that stayed with him

Peter learned that way of helping from his father. Once, while being interviewed by a local paper at home, he observed his father stopping to give his full attention to a caller who needed help. After the call ended, the interviewer said, “Mr. K, this was the most important phone call in the world.”

“My father was right there, focused on that person and helping that person,” Peter says. “I think I do my best to do the same.”

As an MRI physicist at a hospital, he realized that his role wasn’t just to understand the theory behind imaging or operating a machine, but to help people feel comfortable through what may be a stressful experience. He brings that same attention and care to every VITA client he works with.

One volunteer and a world of difference

Across the country, VITA programs help millions of people file their taxes for free each year. The volunteers behind those returns are your neighbors who give up evenings, afternoons, and Saturdays to sit across the table from you and take the stress out of tax season. They'll walk you through the forms, find the credits you're eligible for, and make sure you leave feeling confident instead of confused. Peter gets to see the results of that work for himself.

“People leave glad they came, and then they return the next year,” he says. “I love explaining how taxes and tax law work, so people have more control over their lives going forward.”

So how do we know he's making a difference? Here’s what one client said after working with him:

“Peter was excellent...so knowledgeable, courteous, and kind!! :-)”
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You can’t ask for much better feedback than that.

Could volunteering be for you?

Thinking about volunteering but worried it's too much? Peter says relax. You don't need to be a tax expert or a human calculator. You go through training, the tests are open book, and a whole team of volunteers has your back." “You just need to be comfortable with numbers and forms,” he says. “Nobody's asking you to do arithmetic in your head.”

In other words, you don’t have to be an expert to make a difference. You just have to be willing to learn and show up for someone who needs your help.

Toward the end of our conversation, Peter wondered aloud whether giving his time or money was an obligation or a privilege.  The answer he landed on was simple:

“Maybe a bit of both.”

We’re pretty lucky to have Peter as part of The River Center’s VITA team and community.

Want to support neighbors through The River Center? Give at www.rivercenternh.org/donate or www.rivercenternh.org/freetaxprep.

Author

Nisa is Communications, Marketing, and Money Matters Manager at The River Center. She has been coordinating the center's VITA program for almost 10 years.