Category Archives: Concord

Free Tax Preparation & Support

Posted on March 15, 2013 | Leave a comment

Contra Costa County’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It! program, assists low-income people and families to claim their full, correct tax refunds, at no charge. They aim to make sure that families collect all benefits due to them through underutilized tax provisions such as the Earned Income Tax Credit.

This program also saves taxpayers hundreds of dollars in preparation fees by eliminating all preparation costs. If you have a household income below $52,000, this program can help you file your taxes and get your full, correct refund at no charge. Plus they have access to many other useful resources. Click here for the printable flyer about the program, including locations.

Here’s a few local locations:

Catholic Charities Concord
3540 Chestnut Ave
Concord, CA 94519
Phone: (925) 825-3099
Hours of Operation: Monday and Wednesday 4pm-8pm
By Appointment, Walk-In when available
Opening Date: 01-21-2013 Closing Date: 04-10-2013

Concord – United Methodist Church
1645 West Street
Concord, CA 94521
Phone: (925) 405-5234
Hours of Operation: Wednesday & Thursday 9 am to 3 pm
By Appointment, Walk-In when available
Opening Date: 02-06-2013 Closing Date: 04-11-2013

Concord Library
2900 Salvio Street
Concord, CA 94519
Phone: (925) 646-5455
Hours of Operation: Friday & Saturday 10 am to 3:30 pm
By Appointment, Walk-In when available
Opening Date: 02-01-2013 Closing Date: 04-13-2013

Michael Chavez Center
2699 Monument Blvd Suite G
Concord, CA 94520
Phone: (925) 682-8248
Hours of Operation:
Wednesday – 12:00pm-4:00pm
Thursday – 4:00pm- 8:00pm
Saturday – 12:00pm- 6:00pm
By Appointment, Walk-In when available
Opening Date:01-23-2013 Closing Date:04-11-2013

Monument Community Partnership (MCP)
1760 Clayton Road
Concord, CA 94520
Phone: (925) 682-8248
Hours of Operation:
Drop-off Information by appointment only!
Opening Date:02-05-2013 Closing Date:04-09-2013

When you are going be sure to bring with you the following items:

Photo identification (for you and your spouse, if filing jointly)
Social Security card or ITIN for each family member
W-2 forms for all jobs held in 2012 and all 1099 or 1098 forms
Child care provider information
Landlord’s Name, Address & Phone number for the CA renter’s credit
A voided check for direct deposit
Last year’s tax return

To file at home on your own: Visit www.myfreetaxes.com/bayarea

Call 1-855-698-9435 Monday through Saturday 10am to 8pm EST to ask questions. Or you can email ekstaxhelp@gmail.com with your questions and we will respond within 24 hours.

Search for free tax locations by county:

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Posted in Concord

Volunteers Needed! Help FIght Hunger!

Posted on March 14, 2013 | 2 comments

The Diablo Reporter has teamed up with Anna Chan, aka The Lemon Lady! Over the last four years, Anna has been on a nationwide campaign against hunger. The Lemon Lady Foundation is all volunteer and self-funded. Anna organized over 6,000 volunteer hours and personally harvested over 300 TONS of urban fruit and produce that’s delivered to local food pantries and hunger relief organizations.

Anna would like to inspire others about fruit and vegetable donations to local food pantries and she’s made simple to do so. Anna Chan & The Lemon Lady Foundation is looking for volunteers to pass out flyers! This is a great opportunity for everyone, especially walkers.

If your interested in lending a hand to the cause, please print out a few flyers (below) and delivery them to the doorstep of your neighbors that have fruit bearing trees or gardens. Most fruit tree owners will do the harvesting themselves, once they call, Anna will organize someone to come pick them up and transport the produce to the Share Food Pantry on Willow Pass Rd, in Concord or other local food bank.

Visit The Lemon Lady Blog for more information or contact Anna directly via email at AnnaAndAva@gmail.com or by phone (925) 672-1988 or (510) 406-1625. Happy Harvesting!

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Posted in Clayton, Concord, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek

Free Small Claims Advisor Workshop

Posted on March 13, 2013 | Leave a comment

This free small claims advisor workshop is presented by the Contra Costa County Superior Court. The workshop will be held on the second Thursday of the month (tomorrow) from 5:30-8:30pm. No registration is required but late comers will not be admitted due to the large amount of information to be covered. The workshop will be held at the Concord Public Library 2900 Salvio St, Concord. They can be contacted by phone for more information at 925-646-5455.

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Posted in Clayton, Concord, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek

Free Disaster Training & CPR / AED Training

Posted on March 12, 2013 | 6 comments

Tomorrow Clayton CERT will be offering a FREE disaster training class! This 2 hour seminar, presented by CERT Instructors to give you insight into what items you should keep on hand in case of a disaster in our area. In addition there will be CPR and AED training offered at this event free of charge. The course will be held tomorrow, Wed Mar 13, 2013 at 7pm – 9pm at the Clayton Library. The Library is located at 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton CA 94517 (Clayton Library) (map)

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can help others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not available to help.

Visit the link below to find classes for your area

To become a CERT member, you must complete a FREE 20 hour CERT Basic Training course and take part in at least one exercise per year. Continuing Education opportunities are available for free to all CERT members. CERT is a great opportunities for those that want to help during a disaster. Your training and knowledge learned today, may save a life tomorrow.

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Posted in Clayton, Concord, Martinez, Moraga, Pleasant Hill

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Posted on February 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

Just wanted to tell everyone Happy Valentine’s Day! I have had a crazy couple of weeks but soon things will settle down and I will get back to more regular posting. I hope all of you have a fabulous Valentine’s Day! Check back soon for more postings!

XOXO ~ The Diablo Reporter

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Posted in Clayton, Concord, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek

No Burning Today – Spare the Air in Effect

Posted on February 2, 2013 | Leave a comment

Unfortunately, The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has declared it “unlawful” to burn today. To find out more information on the Spare the Air legal issues, including how this costly program affects its residents and how they feel it about it, click here.

Since we can’t enjoy the real thing (unless you’re a rebel 🙂 ) perhaps this will help a little.

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Posted in Clayton, Concord, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek

2013 East Bay Health Expo – Walnut Creek

Posted on January 21, 2013 | Leave a comment

The East Bay Health Expo is coming to Walnut Creek on Saturday, January 26, 2013! The mission of the East Bay Health Expo is to increases awareness of all forms of health and healthy living opportunities that are available to all residents of the East Bay. The event will be from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM and admission is free. First 200 visitors will receive a free swag bag full of goodies($100 value)!

Premier health providers, wellness based businesses from the surrounding cities will be sampling services and offering information. Several businesses will hosting a local job fair, so bring your résumé. The American Red Cross will be holding a blood drive. The expo also offers free workshop topics such as Natural Health – Green Living – Healthy Foods – Happy People. For a complete workshop schedule, click here.

Bring the family and enjoy a fun, relaxing day in Civic Park. For more information or directions visit the East Bay Health Expo website by clicking here.