The VITA program coordinator has been named the Volunteer of the Year for the Junction City / Geary County United Way.

The Executive Director for the local United Way chapter, Nicole Mahder, confirmed that Cynthia Cason is the recipient of the Volunteer of the Year honor. “Every year we have our volunteer income tax assistance program where people who live in Geary County, who make $54,000 or less per year can come in and have their taxes done for free. ”

Mahder said Cason has been doing the program with United Way since they began overseeing it, and before that performed the service at the Geary County Extension Office. Mahder stated, “So she has been doing the VITA program for just about 10 years. She files between 300 and 350 taxes ( income tax returns ) every year.”

Cason was honored during the United Way Appreciation luncheon at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.