As the 2025 tax season wraps up, Dreams for Change is proud to reflect on a record-breaking year of providing free, high-quality tax preparation services to San Diego County and beyond. Thanks to the power of partnership and a committed team of staff and volunteers, our CalEITC and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs helped thousands of families keep more of what they earned and claim the tax credits they deserve.
Reaching Communities, One Return at a Time
From January 27 through April 15, Dreams for Change operated free tax preparation sites in four shopping centers across San Diego County, served clients at our El Centro site, and hosted mobile events at community gatherings throughout the region. Whether in a mall food court or under a pop-up tent at a neighborhood event, our team was ready to meet people where they were and file accurate, timely returns.
Many clients left our sites with visible relief and even joy.
“I’ve never gotten a refund this big before. I can finally fix my car and still have enough left to catch up on rent,” said Angela, a mother of two who visited our El Centro site.
“They treated me with respect, explained everything clearly, and didn’t charge me a dime,” shared James, a senior who had been putting off filing for years.
By the Numbers: Our 2025 Tax Season Impact
- 16,011 total tax returns filed
- 8,239 federal returns
- 7,772 state returns
- $11,304,144 in total federal and state refunds secured
- $5,093,227 in federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
- $926,338 in California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC)
- $3,960,732 in Child Tax Credit (CTC) refunds
- $2.4 million+ estimated saved in filing fees (based on $150 per return)
Refunds That Ripple Through the Community
These refunds don’t just help individual households; they ripple through the economy. Most families spend their refunds locally on rent, groceries, gas, clothing, and household necessities. That infusion of over $11 million directly supports small businesses, landlords, local shops, and essential services in our region.
“That refund helped me stock up at the grocery store and pay down my utility bills. I didn’t have to choose between gas or groceries this month,” one client told us at a mobile event in Southeast San Diego.
It Takes a Village: Thank You to Our Partners
We are deeply grateful to our dedicated community partners:
- 211 San Diego
- United Way of San Diego & United Way of California
- County of San Diego
- San Diego County EITC Coalition
Your support with outreach, scheduling, funding, and logistics made this impact possible.
Behind Every Return Is a Story
Each return filed reflects the power of free, accessible services and the compassion of our VITA volunteers and tax prep team. We helped seniors who hadn’t filed in years, families navigating tax credits for the first time, and individuals working multiple jobs just to get by.
“I came in scared I owed money. I left with a refund and peace of mind,” said one first-time filer in Chula Vista.
Still Need to File? We’re Here Year-Round
The tax deadline may have passed, but our work hasn’t. Dreams for Change continues to offer tax services throughout the year for anyone who missed the deadline, needs to file prior-year returns, or has questions about tax credits.
From all of us at Dreams for Change, thank you! This success belongs to every volunteer, partner, and supporter who made the 2025 season a triumph. Let’s keep this momentum going in 2026!
