United Way of Horry County (UWHC) has presented the 2021 Hidden Hero Award to Utocqua Grissett. The Hidden Hero Award is given out annually to an individual or organization that has gone above and beyond to help United Way of Horry County. The Hidden Hero recipient is often not recognized by the public for the work that they complete, but they are dedicated to our mission and diligently work to give back to Horry County.
Utocqua has been involved with UWHC Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for nearly two decades. VITA is a program that provides free tax preparation and electronic filing services to Horry County residents that meet eligibility.
Utocqua has served as our Horry County VITA Coordinator, as well as, the site coordinator for the Conway tax site location. While in high school, she began to help her friends and family with filing their taxes after seeing the amount that they were paying for tax preparations and the financial burden that it caused. Utocqua knew that this was something that she could help with and has dedicated her time to helping others avoid the same cost burden for nearly twenty years.
United Way of Horry County appreciates Utocqua’s leadership, interest, and expertise in the VITA program in Horry County. She has led the way in making the VITA program what it is in today. Through the challenges of COVID-19, Utocqua has ensured that we have been able to provide tax assistance to Horry County residents through the duration.
During the 2021 tax season, United Way of Horry County’s VITA program assisted over 800 people with income tax returns resulting in almost $1.2 million dollars in returns. “Utocqua has a full schedule and supports many other organizations in the community. We appreciate that she dedicates so much of her time every year to the VITA program. We are honored to have such a great relationship with her, and are proud to honor her with this award,” states Blakely Roof, President & CEO of United Way of Horry County.
More information on the Hidden Hero Award and a list of past winners can be found here.