It's Tax Season: How Your Generosity Transforms Lives and Brings Benefits Back to You

Let’s be honest: April is a bit of a drama queen and though this is the March edition of GAZETTE, we had to take a moment to reflect on her audacity.

She sneaks in with springtime flirtation - daffodils, cherry blossoms, birdsong and then, right on cue, slams you with a tax deadline. And just when you think you’ve finally organized those receipts from 2023, here comes the IRS calling.

But at Mount Carmel Guild, we believe April isn’t just about paperwork and itemized deductions. It’s about purpose. It’s about realizing that your financial choices - yes, even in the tax season frenzy, can carry profound meaning. And dare we say it… joy.

This April, we invite you to explore what it means to give with intention and to receive in ways that transcend refunds or credits. Generosity, when aligned with mission, creates a kind of ROI no calculator can compute. And in our case, it creates clean diapers for struggling mothers, bags of nourishing food for seniors, and urgent nursing care for the uninsured.

“Tax season reminds us that every dollar tells a story,” says Mary Inkrot, Executive Director of Mount Carmel Guild. What story are you telling with yours?

Our Mission Members are a kind of generous league of monthly donors and committed partners, who embody this ethos. These individuals aren’t just supporters. They are co-authors of our impact narrative.

As of March 2025, Mission Members and other donors provided some 40.31% of our recurring revenue, enabling the Guild to respond to urgent needs without delay. From winter utility shutoffs to emergency food and other supplies, our Mission Members help us say “yes” when it matters most.

But here’s the clincher: this generosity often loops back in the form of tangible tax benefits.

Let’s break it down:

Charitable contributions to qualified nonprofits like Mount Carmel Guild may be tax-deductible. (According to the IRS, individuals who itemize can deduct up to 60% of their adjusted gross income via charitable giving).

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) offer a flexible way to give and reduce capital gains.

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs allow those over 70½ to give up to $100,000 annually - tax-free - from their retirement accounts.

Gifts of appreciated stock can help you avoid capital gains tax while maximizing charitable impact.

(*Please consult a licensed tax professional before acting on any of the above. We’re excellent at food distributions… but not at deciphering your 1099.)

As our Executive Director often shares, “giving shouldn’t be transactional - but it’s okay if it’s transformational…for both the giver and the receiver.”

April also brings another opportunity to reflect on purposeful living: National Volunteer Week, observed April 21–27. It’s a moment to recognize the hands and hearts that make missions like ours not only possible but powerful.

At Mount Carmel Guild, our volunteers are more than helpers. They are listeners, encouragers, and often the first to say, “I’ll show up.” Whether restocking pantry shelves, organizing hygiene drives, or helping a senior read their new medication label, volunteers are our miracle-makers.

Studies from the Corporation for National and Community Service show that volunteering isn’t just good for society - it’s good for your health! 

Volunteers report lower rates of depression, greater life satisfaction, and even longer life expectancy. (That’s right: you might live longer just by spending your Friday mornings handing out peanut butter jars with a smile).

Mission Members often begin as volunteers, and volunteers often become donors. It’s a virtuous cycle of service - one fueled not by obligation but by joy.

According to Inkrot, “volunteering at the Guild isn’t about checking a box, it’s about expanding your heart’s capacity for hope. And that’s the kind of growth worth investing in.”

Let’s talk impact.

Carl Holland, one of our long-standing care receivers, walks several blocks twice a week to visit our food pantry. When asked why he chooses Mount Carmel Guild, his answer is simple: “You let me choose what I need. You treat me like I matter.”

That dignity is your generosity at work.

And then there’s Terri Olexa, a long-time volunteer and member of our Board of Trustees. Terri’s legacy is one of quiet service: Assisting in the food pantry, coordinating Guild benefit events, and supporting families in need. Her contributions aren’t flashy - but they are faithful.

Now, because of our Mission Members and volunteers, Terri’s contributions remain manifest in every box packed and every hand held.

Mount Carmel Guild is not just a place where people give. It’s a place where they belong. It’s a space where people like Carl and Terri remind us why we give at all.

So here we are. April. A month of taxes, tulips, and truth.

The truth is this: generosity doesn’t deplete - it multiplies. When you become a Mission Member, or when you volunteer, or when you make a one-time donation to Mount Carmel Guild, you become part of something that transcends tax brackets and checklists. You help rewrite stories.

And yes, if you play your financial cards right, you may also qualify for tax deductions or portfolio benefits. But the bigger payoff? It’s the IMPACT. It’s knowing your money or your time helped a child sleep with a full belly. Or gave a widow someone to keep her company. Or kept the lights on for a family facing eviction.

We don’t give because it’s April. 

We give because every day, someone is waiting for hope and sometimes that hope looks like us.

So, don’t let this April pass without claiming a return you’ll truly feel.

Join us. Be a Mission Member. Volunteer. Write a new story.

And this time next year, when the IRS asks what you did with your money, you’ll have the best answer of all: I changed a life.