José Antonio Garcia grew up watching his dad run his own jewelry store in Mexico City. From his dad, José learned the tricks of the trade and developed a passion for the business. Later, José had a jewelry store of his own. He also worked for the police department in Mexico. Then, because of safety reasons, he decided to move to the United States.

That was 20 years ago. José moved to Beverly Hills, California, to work with his cousin, who owned a jewelry store. After a year in California, José moved to Birmingham, Alabama, at the invitation of a friend. He lived with ten people doing construction work.

José yearned to work in the jewelry industry. He found a job at a well-known jewelry store. The owners not only gave him a job, but also helped him get a car and a place to live, and even sent him to English classes.

Finally, after working and saving for 11 years, he had enough money to start his own store, García’s Fine Jewelry. The business grew, but Jose knew he needed help to take his business to the next level. Fortunately, he knew of an organization called Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (¡HICA!). ¡HICA! facilitates economic integration by building family wealth and encouraging savings among Hispanic immigrants. It helps Alabama create vibrant and economically healthy communities.

José contacted ¡HICA! and learned about the Asset Building and Economic Development Program (ABED). The program offers entrepreneurs help to launch, manage, expand or improve their small businesses. It helped Jose file his taxes and manage his bank accounts.

“Seeing entrepreneurs fulfill their dreams is the best part of my job. I love to see them working for themselves and thriving,“ says Johanna Alvarez, ABED Program Director. “I am excited to see how Jose grows his business even more.”

José’s wife Dolores helped him with taxes and finances through the ABED courses. The couple even applied for and received a loan through ¡HICA!’s micro-lending program. With the loan, José was able to buy a jewelry machine. With it, he can do a six-hour-by-hand job in 15 minutes. This has helped him increase his business.

It turns out the jewelry store was just a start. Recently, José and Dolores had an opportunity to buy a local restaurant. They did and Dolores is now the manager. She also helped with the Holiday Tamales Sale, ¡HICA!’s largest fundraiser.

“I feel I am just at the beginning of a long journey. My goal is to be like the large jewelers,” says Jose. “One day, I want to win first prize in designer and jeweler competitions with my store. I have won twice while working with the other jewelry store. But it would mean so much to win first prize with my own store. I thank ¡HICA! for all the help they provided me, my family, and our two businesses. I know we can continue to grow both.”

“¡HICA! is grateful to State Farm for its support of the Asset Building and Economic Development program,“ says Isabel Rubio, ¡HICA! Executive Director. "Because of it, many Hispanic families in Alabama are on the path to financial stability and upward mobility.”

Jennifer* was facing hard times. In her early sixties, she lost her job due to an illness and was in dire financial straits. She had no health insurance. Her home was in foreclosure. She wasn't making enough money to make ends meet.

She looked for help and found Licking County Coalition for Housing (LCCH). LCCH gave her tax assistance that changed her course.

The program that helped Jennifer is called Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). VITA has four primary goals in serving low-to-moderate income individuals and families:

• Help low-income taxpayers file their tax returns correctly, completely and FREE.
• Inform taxpayers about the Earned Income Tax Credit, and make sure they claim it correctly. For some, the EITC can increase a refund by several thousand dollars.
• Educate consumers about the high cost of Refund Anticipation Cards (RACs) and offer a free alternative to a quick refund.
• Provide financial information to help achieve long-term financial stability.

So, what happened to Jennifer? She had her taxes prepared free by a VITA volunteer who also helped create a tax strategy to reflect the changes in her life. She was referred to an attorney who was able to provide pro bono legal advice.

She met with a LCCH homeless prevention assistant who explained the subsidized housing process and the options available to her. Jennifer now lives in a subsidized housing complex near her daughter.

She has maintained a positive attitude through all life has thrown at her and credits her attitude to her special needs grandson.

Jennifer shared, "I've learned a great deal about life from him, and how to make the best of each day. He is truly my inspiration."

Tax Tips:

• Keep all tax documents together and give them to your tax preparer.
• Honesty is the best policy, never provide false information.
• Let your tax preparer determine which filing status benefits you and your family.
• Consider what benefits the household versus an individual when it comes to claiming dependents and credits.
• Ask questions and bring last year's return with you if you are using a different tax preparer.
• There are penalties for not filing a return. Interest is charged for not paying on time.
• Short-term goals for a refund: get current on your rent or mortgage if you are behind. Start a savings account/emergency fund. Take care of your transportation needs. Pay down balances on high interest credit cards.
• Long-term goals for a refund: consider saving for retirement. A small amount can have a significant effect over time. You can talk to a State Farm agent to explore choices that might be right for you.

*The name of the individual in the story has been changed to protect her identity.