Sunday, December 28, 2014

Tax Time and a few Suggestions for Dispensing Your Refund


Here we are again – tax time is nigh. With that in mind, the only good thing about tax time for some of us is the refund that may be coming our way. Given that our government has already earmarked (no pun intended) our tax monies for such beneficial things as corporate subsidies, Wall Street bonuses, political salaries and all the luxurious benefits that come from them, the military-industrial war machine and the pointless and ultimately damning processes of extreme extraction of fossil fuels, we thought it might be helpful to make a few suggestions as to some good things you can do with the money that comes back to you.

First on our list is to send a nice support check to your favorite charitable organization or a donation to a local shelter or soup kitchen. These are (for the most part) worthy of our support in ways that go beyond money as well. Many organizations will accept and treasure your time as a volunteer - don’t be afraid to give a little time to your local animal shelter or homeless shelter. They are always in desperate need of help in many different guises. Chances are very good you can fill the bill somewhere or somehow.

If you cannot volunteer your time, your monetary donation is not exclusive to your ability to give of your time. Should you have a hard time finding a worthy organization in your area, check with your church. They will be of immense help.

In a much more personal manner, you could purchase gift card for a local grocery store and give it directly to a family in need. These days, families who need a little (or a lot) of help are not hard to find. That grocery card will go a long ways to a few happy days or weeks for those families.

It doesn’t take a tremendous amount of effort to come up with ideas. For us, they are numerous and we don’t have to go far. We have a neighbor who is in constant need of our assistance. For every way that we help that neighbor, they help us in return – engine work on a tractor, fencing (a never-ending task best done with at least two people), rounding up stock on market day, etc., etc., etc. You will find the same thing when helping neighbors, trust us. We also have a Buddhist monastery up the road that always needs a little help with paying the bills and keeping the place open.

And there is always that local organization that works hard to keep things clean and safe where you live. In our case, that worthy group is Allamakee County Protectors. Their work in keeping sand mining at bay here at home is vitally important. They need the help of all of us to keep it up. They give tirelessly of their time – the least we can do is offer a little financial appreciation for all they do. Their Facebook page is here. Their website is here.

With all those suggestions at hand, we have one more for you. This one is local. It helps your family and it helps us. Why not pick up a share in this year’s (2015) CSA? We will be happy to deliver your weekly share from the farm from April through September for $25 per week. However, if you wish to jump on board early and pay for the whole year, we’ll offer a nice discount from now through February with a one-time payment of $500 for the entire season!

Give us a call at 563-568-3829 or send us a check payable to Kitchen Table CSA to 511 Bear Creek Drive – Dorchester, IA – 52140. Thanks!

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