December 2007

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Volunteer for VITA Tax Program:  

Café Move

We’ve closed our 3 Pleasant Street site and will re-open at 110 Pleasant Street in late January. Renovations are moving along as planned. Look here or check the Malden Observer in mid January for information.

Cyber Café Volunteer of the Year

The Cyber Café awarded its Volunteer of the Year Award to Ed Ligon, member of the Cyber Café Advisory Committee. Ed is Assistant Manager of Central Bank in Malden and established a relationship between the Café and Central Bank in May of 2002 as part of the bank’s Community Reinvestment Act. However, Ed goes far beyond the bank’s involvement and is a frequent presence at the Café. He assists the technical committee, donated the small computer stands that freed up floor space beneath workstations, helps the staff at closing time, and greets many patrons by name as they come or go. He gives of himself and his personal time in a way that models the type of mentoring we are establishing at the Cyber Cafe in several of our programs. . 

Congratulations Ed!

Cyber Café Fundraiser: Giggles Comedy Club

Wednesday, Aug 15th, At Prince Restaurant, Route 1, Saugus

Everyone enjoyed a night of laughter, good food, and drinks and helped raise more than $1,600 for the Cyber Café @ Malden Square.

This is a great start, but we always need funding to cover consumable supplies such as ink, paper, office supplies, etc. Donations should be made out to Tri-CAP (put “for Cyber Cafe” in memo field) and sent to Loretta Kemp, Tri-CAP, 110 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148.

We exceeded our goal of raising $1,000 . Your support helped us meet our goal and help the Cyber Café continue to provide computer and Internet access to all. Most of our patrons cannot afford a computer or the Internet connection. They rely on the Cyber Café to apply for jobs, search for housing, and stay in touch will family and friends. 

Please thank MATV for sponsoring this fundraiser. MATV is a member of the Community Technology Access Coalition, which formed and operates the Cyber Café. 

Cyber Café Receives Access Grant

The Cyber Café received a $20K “Access and Inclusion” Grant through CTCNet that is funded by the AT&T Foundation. Click here for the Press Release and other information. 

Access Committee Formed
Looking for more members

The newly-formed Access Comittee is looking for members. All you need is an interest in accessibility issues and 3-5 hours per month to commit. Pat Hill, a local disability expert, chairs the committee. 

Interested? Contact Neil La Vita, Coordinator of Volunteers after 3 weekdays at 781-393-0575 or by email: neil@maldensquare.org

Tax Program Returns $47,078 to Local Residents! 

The Malden Tax Partnership helped local taxpayers get a total $47,078 back from the IRS.

• Total of 45 e-filed returns accepted (and 3 paper returns filed)
• The average adjusted gross income: $10,967
• 21 residents qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
• Total EITC refunded: $24,482
• Average EITC refund: $1,166
• 6 residents qualifed for the Child Tax Credit
• Total Child Tax Credit: $4,427
• Average Child Tax Credit: $738

The Malden Tax Partnership is comprised of: Cyber Café @ Malden Square,
Tri-CAP, Office of Mayor Richard C. Howard, YWCA Malden, DAB Business, Central Bank, and Bentley College Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic.

Tax Program is Open for Business! 

Free tax preparation for low income residents! We are scheduling taxpayer appointments for this free service. See brief article below or click on the link in the left panel to go to our tax preparation website.

Cyber Café Funding in Short Supply

We need funds, folks. That’s the bottom line. For the past 5 1/2 years, the Cyber Café @ Malden Square has been funded primarily by the members of CTAC (Community Technology Access Coalition). 

CTAC formed and operates the Cyber Café primarily to meet the needs of low-income residents affected by the Digital Divide—that gap between those with access to technology and those without such access.  CTAC provides the majority of the Cyber Cafe’s funding—especially rent, heat and other utilities, and related costs. Other funding comes from donations and grants.

With funding to CTAC partners affected by diminishing resources, it is becoming more difficult for us to pay our overhead expenses. We need the community’s help to keep the Cyber Café open.  To date, we have served more than 6,000 individuals; average 75 patrons per day, and serve approximately 1,200 new people each year!

The Cyber Café is really a low-cost operation; providing its services for about $36,000 per year. All our computers are donated. Technical support is done by volunteers and overseen by a CTAC partner. Our staffing is limited and we rely on volunteers for most of our programs and services. But rent, heat, and utilities are unavoidable costs and we are struggling to pay those. We need individuals and businesses willing to help us share the cost of providing this vital resource to the community. 

Please help: send your donation to Tri-CAP (write “for Cyber Café” in the memo field), 110 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148. If you want to make a larger or ongoing donation, or become a partner with the Cyber Café, please contact Loretta Kemp at Tri-CAP (781-322-4125).

Cyber Café Sets Up EITC/VITA Site

The Cyber Café @ Malden Square was approved as a VITA site for tax preparation assistance for low-income residents in the tri-city area.  This included grant money to coordinate a large crew of volunteers and form a coalition of organizations. This grant was awarded to MassCAP for 10 CAP agencies, including Tri-CAP—a Cyber Café partner. See our sister site, Malden Tax Partnership, for more information..