Just about every time Mark Suh makes a run to the supermarket or goes out to dinner in Koreatown, he is recognized as the “Tax Guy.”

For six years, Mark, who is an SBA Loan Officer at Open Bank, has been an active volunteer at KYCC’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program; he has volunteered every single evening from January to April 15 of this year.

“After assisting a few families,” Mark explains, “I became more comfortable and wanted to learn more advance tax laws to help families with more complicated tax needs. Tax refunds and credits, like the Earned Income Tax Credit, help low-income families in these tough times.”

This year, Mark accepted his new volunteer role as Assistant Manager to KYCC’s site. “As the VITA program grows each year, it was a real honor to help other volunteers and increase the number of families served.”

KYCC’s five VITA sites has already served 1,300 families and assisted them in claiming over $3 million in refunds. Mark plans to return as a volunteer each year and suggests that anyone interested in helping families claim tax refunds and credits should contact the KYCC VITA program at 213-365-7400 ext. 5235.