Progressive entrepreneur Joe Sanberg today announced the launch of Working Hero South Carolina, a statewide campaign to ensure that every eligible South Carolinian gets the earned income tax credits. The campaign will be led by communications strategist and community activist Rania Jamison, who will be speaking about the new effort at this weekend’s Charleston Black Expo Economic Empowerment Summit.

The announcement of Jamison as State Director follows the recent hires of J.D. Scholten as Iowa State Director, Kerri Evelyn Harris as National Advocacy Director, and Lanae Norwood as National Field Director, as Working Hero Action continues its nationwide expansion of efforts to improve the lives of working people.

“Empowering the countless hardworking South Carolinians who find themselves struggling to make ends meet is a welcome challenge,” said Rania Jamison, State Director of Working Hero South Carolina. “I am thrilled to join forces with Joe Sanberg and Working Hero Action to further champion the eradication of poverty in our communities. My passion runs deep for this work! Our families deserve access to tools like the Earned Income Tax Credit to uplift them and provide them with access to a prosperous tomorrow.”

The EITC is a cash-back tax credit designed to encourage and reward work by supplementing the earnings of low-wage workers. However, every year an estimated 94,000 low-income South Carolinians who are eligible don’t claim it -- simply because they don’t know it exists, don’t know they’re eligible, or don’t earn enough to have to file taxes -- leaving an estimated $246 million on the table. With less than six weeks to go until tax day, Working Hero South Carolina will work to ensure that every South Carolinian who’s eligible gets the cash refunds they’ve earned.

At this weekend’s Charleston Black Expo Economic Empowerment Summit, taking place March 9th at the Charleston Area Convention Center, Working Hero South Carolina will be sponsoring free on-site tax preparation, conducted by the AmeriCorps via SC Thrive. To be eligible to receive free tax prep, filers must have an adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less per year for individuals, and $95,000 or less if married and filing jointly.

“Rania Jamison is a creative leader with a proven ability to make a positive impact across this state,” said Working Hero founder Joe Sanberg. “She has a passion for serving as a champion for poverty awareness, and working to motivate others by celebrating everyday heroes. I’m excited to work with her to help tens of thousands of low-income families across South Carolina get cash refunds that they otherwise wouldn’t receive.”

Rania Jamison is an entrepreneur, public relations consultant, and change agent. As president of her own public relations firm, Purpose Promotions, Rania’s recent clients include the Obama Foundation, Dominion Energy, SC Democratic Party and Columbia, SC Mayor Steve Benjamin. Her previous work includes serving as the voice of the South Carolina Census Campaign, gaining the state national accolades for record participation improvement and an additional seat in the U.S. Congress. Jamison was also recently hired by the Obama Foundation to serve as one of nine community leaders across the nation to train and empower emerging community organizers.

Working Hero South Carolina and Working Hero Iowa mark a major expansion of the work that founder Joe Sanberg has done in his home state of California, where his community organizing campaign CalEITC4Me has connected low-income families with more than $4 billion of tax credits. In 2018, Joe and Laura Capps founded Working Hero PAC, a people-powered political organization to support elected leaders and candidates who champion policies that will help end poverty. In 2019, Joe and Laura also created Working Hero Action to expand his successful model of EITC outreach beyond California, and advocate for policies that will help all Americans afford their basic needs.

Sanberg is a progressive entrepreneur who has been one of the nation’s leading advocates for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for low-income families. In 2015, he successfully lobbied legislators in his home state of California to create the state’s first EITC. Joe is also co-founder of Aspiration.com, a socially conscious online financial institution that enables people to bank, invest, and spend in accordance with their values.