Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) Volunteer Opportunities
Kansas Area Agencies on Aging coordinate service and programs for persons age 60 and over. Northeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging is a SHICK sponsoring organization with many volunteer positions available. Please contact the SHICK Call Center at 1-800-860-5260 for more information.
Ways to volunteer with SHICK:
Educate and assist! Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) provides free, unbiased, and confidential assistance to Kansans who have questions about Medicare and related insurance issues.
Educate and advocate! The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) promotes outreach and assistance for Medicare beneficiaries eligible for Medicare Part D Extra Help and Medicare Savings Programs.
Be on patrol! The Kansas Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) project educates Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and providers about health care fraud, error, and abuse. SMP volunteers provide education, outreach, one-on-one assistance, and problem resolution to beneficiaries, helping them to identify and report health care fraud and abuse.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Volunteer Opportunities
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $56,000 or less, persons with disabilities and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.
Help those in need! Volunteer to help your community by preparing taxes free of charge with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. As a trained volunteer, you would work with NEKAAA staff to provide free tax help for seniors, low-to-moderate income families, and individuals with disabilities who need assistance preparing their tax returns.
Ways to volunteer with VITA:
Greeter/Screener – You greet everyone visiting the site to create a pleasant atmosphere. You screen taxpayers to determine the type of assistance they need and confirm they have the necessary documents to complete their tax returns.
Interpreter – You provide free language interpreter services to customers who are not fluent in English.
Tax Preparer – You complete and successfully certify in tax law training, including the use of electronic filing software, to provide free tax return preparation for eligible taxpayers.
Quality Reviewer – You review tax returns completed by volunteer tax preparers, ensuring that every taxpayer receives top quality service and that the tax returns are error-free.
If you would like to be a volunteer or contribute funds to assist older adults and their caregivers in your community, call the Northeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging office toll free at 1-800-883-2549 or locally at (785) 742-7152.