AL DIA Newspaper Selects Ceiba Executive Director Will Gonzalez as an Agent of Change.
Click here or on the photo below to view the full story.
Radio El Zol Announces Ceiba's Free Tax Preparation Services
Listen to this announcment (in Spanish) from radio station El Zol to learn about Ceiba's free tax preparation services. Ceiba will be in four locations this tax season. Make your appointment and come do your taxes with us!
Univisión: Ceiba helps voters get photo ID
On September 21, 2012 Ceiba joined forces with other Latino organizations in Philadelphia to provide free assistance to voters in need of photo identification. Under a new Pennsylvania law, all voters will be required to present photo ID in order to be able to vote.
The clinic, which took place at Congreso, provided information and help on how to get an acceptable form of ID to vote. For those people who had their documents with them, the clinic provided free transportation to the PennDOT offices so that they could apply for their state-issued photo ID that same day.
Univisión was on site to interview clinic organizers and participants. See the full video of the Univisión news report here. (Video in Spanish.)
For more information about how to get acceptable photo ID before November's elections, download this resource list or call (267) 765-2260 for more infomation about the next voter ID clinic which will take place Friday, September 28 from 10am to 4pm at Congreso.
Ceiba Leaders Honored by Philadelphia Business Journal
On August 9, 2012 Ceiba Executive Director Will Gonzalez and Ceiba board member Luis Mora were honored with Minority Business Leaders Awards presented by the Philadelphia Business Journal.
An article in the Philadelphia Business Journal on August 10, 2012 provided highlights of the event:
"As part of this year’s Minority Business Leader Awards breakfast on Aug. 9 at the Crystal Tea Room, we asked the honorees to share what famous person they would change places with for a day if they could.
Their answers say a lot about what made them contenders for this award... Will Gonzalez, who said the people he admires most are Dream Act youth activists, has been no slouch himself. He’s been advocating for the city’s Latino population for more than 20 years as the head of various cultural and civil rights organizations and has helped hundreds of Latino residents become homeowners."
Visit the Philadelphia Business Journal online for the full article about the awards ceremony.
Ceiba Informs Community About New Voter ID Law
On July 13, 2012 Ceiba Executive Director Will Gonzalez spoke at a press conference to inform the community about a new Voter ID law and to share information about how to obtain a valid birth certificate and photo ID.
A new law requiring voters in Pennsylvania to present photo identification goes into effect in November. People without an ID that meets the requirements will need to obtain one before the November election in order to vote.
One of the required documents to apply for a state-issued ID is a valid birth certificate - a problem for Puerto Ricans who haven't replaced their birth certificates after Puerto Rico voided birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010.
For more information about the event and about the Voter ID law, read this City Paper article or visit the Committee of Seventy website.
Ceiba Leaders Win 2012 Minority Business Leader Awards
Ceiba Executive Director Will Gonzalez and Ceiba board member Luis Mora of Finanta have been selected as winners in the 2012 Minority Business Leader Awards Program. The awards offer recognition to top level corporate executives and advocates of ethnic backgrounds.
The Philadelphia Business Journal and presenting sponsor Wells Fargo will recognize Will Gonzalez, Luis Mora, and fellow honorees on Thursday, August 9, 2012 at 7:30am at the Crystal Tea Room in the Wannamaker Building and in a print supplement in the August 10, 2012 issue of the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Guests are invited to purchase tickets for the event online with the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Ceiba Intern Speaks with KYW NewsRadio
Andy Saxon joined Ceiba as an intern through the Exelon Foundation Veterans Training & Employment Program run by Project H.O.M.E. of Philadelphia.
In his seven months at Ceiba he provided support to staff and programs and became certified as a VITA tax preparer. Andy took on the responsibility of Resource Manager at Ceiba's tax site, helping tax clients get free copies of their credit reports, purchase savings bonds, open bank accounts and low-cost pre-paid debit cards, and access public benefits.
On May 15, 2012 Ceiba joined Andy, Project H.O.M.E., PECO, and the Exelon Foundation in celebrating the graduation of the second class of veteran interns.
Andy spoke to KYW Radio about his experience in the program and is quoted in this article.
El Sol Latino: "Todos a Pagar Impuestos"
En febrero del 2012 El Sol Latino entrevistó a Will Gonzalez, el director ejecutivo de Ceiba. Este artículo provee información sobre el número ITIN y describe cómo uno puede solicitar el ITIN sin costo en las oficinas de Ceiba.
In February 2012 the newspaper El Sol Latino interviewed Will Gonzalez, Ceiba's executive director. This article (in Spanish) provides information about the ITIN number and describes how to apply for an ITIN at no cost with Ceiba.
LISC Grant Supports Ceiba's Tax Preparation Effort
Read about Ceiba in LISC's article: Microgrant Supports Free Tax Preparation for SCI-EN
Ceiba's 2010-2011 tax preparation efforts in the Eastern North Philadelphia Sustainable Communities Initiative Zone were supported in part by a grant from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).
Ceiba's Executive Director Will Gonzalez and Ceiba tax client Carmen Alvarez spoke to LISC about tax preparation and about connecting clients to additional financial services.
“They gave me housing counseling. The connected me with a United Way program that matched some of my savings so I could buy a home. They helped me get a home inspector,” Alvarez said. “They helped make it happen.”