“It was just a sigh of relief.”
That’s how Kelli Jo Bradford describes the moment United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s Free Tax Prep volunteers finished preparing three years of her tax returns — paperwork previously standing between her and the next steps in rebuilding her life.
Each year, United Way’s Free Tax Prep program connects thousands of people across Greater Cincinnati with trained volunteers who help them file their taxes at no cost.
For some, that means saving money on preparation fees or claiming refunds and credits they’ve earned. For others, it means removing a financial barrier standing in the way of something bigger — stability, opportunity or simply the ability to move forward.
For most of her life, survival has been Kelli Jo’s reality. She spent her childhood in a home shaped by addiction, violence and unpredictability — the kind of place where a child learns early how to read the warning signs before trouble begins.
“The house I grew up in was a battlefield,” she wrote. “My bedroom was a bunker I never felt safe in.”
By her teenage years, Kelli Jo was already navigating situations that forced her to grow up quickly. At 15, she became pregnant with her son.
“When my son was born, I looked at him and thought, you’re the first good thing that’s ever been completely mine.”
Motherhood gave her a reason to keep going. But the road forward hasn’t been easy.
About five years ago, Kelli Jo was in a relationship that spiraled out of control. A partner’s hidden drug addiction upended her life, leading to years of instability, including periods of homelessness.
“I always joke that in a past life I must have been a Marine,” she said. “Because I adapt and overcome. You just play the cards that were dealt to you.”
Still, rebuilding a life often means confronting barriers that may seem small to others. For Kelli Jo, one of those obstacles was taxes. To begin working toward stable housing, she needed returns from the previous three years.
“I’d been trying to figure out how to get it done,” she said. “It was something I just couldn’t get past.”
Then one afternoon at the library — a place she says has long been important during difficult stretches of her life — she noticed a flyer for United Way’s Free Tax Prep program.
“In my journey, ‘no’ has been a big word,” Kelli Jo said. But that’s not what she heard when she arrived for her appointment at the Clermont County Public Library’s Union Township Branch.
Across the table sat Jeff Bertsch, a retired insurance professional working his very first shift as a volunteer tax preparer. Although Jeff had experience preparing taxes for family members, the software was new to him and he wanted to be sure he got everything right.
“You just make them feel at ease — that’s the key, I think,” Jeff said. “This is exactly what we’re here for, to make sure you’re taken care of.”
Kelli Jo’s return was more complex than a typical appointment, but Jeff understood what was at stake.
“You knew it was a rough thing,” he said. “But I said we can get through it. This is just one little step.”
Like every return prepared through the program, a second volunteer reviewed Kelli Jo’s taxes to ensure accuracy. That reviewer was veteran preparer Ginger Vining.
Ginger recently retired after 33 years at Park National Bank, where a group of colleagues has long volunteered with Free Tax Prep. Most Thursdays during tax season, she can be found at the library reviewing returns as they come in.
She says appointment slots rarely stay open for long — a sign the program continues to grow through word of mouth.
“Most everyone who uses the service is so appreciative of being able to get their taxes done without costing them anything but time,” Ginger said.
That appreciation was something Jeff noticed right away.
“It makes you feel proud that you were able to help someone that needed it,” he said. “And the gratitude from people when you’re finished doing it is amazing.”
For Kelli Jo, what stood out most wasn’t just the help itself. It was how she was treated.
“You showed up with competence, kindness and zero judgment,” she later wrote in a message thanking the volunteers.
“They didn’t treat me like a project,” she said. “It felt more like colleagues helping colleagues.”
That sense of dignity mattered. Kelli Jo provides peer support and outreach for people experiencing homelessness — a role she calls “Mamma Jo.” Because of her background, she understands how easily people in crisis can feel judged when asking for help.
At the tax site, she felt welcomed instead.
In 2025 alone, United Way’s Free Tax Prep volunteers prepared more than 9,600 returns, saving taxpayers more than $2.6 million in fees and helping secure $10.7 million in refunds.
For many families, that means saving money or receiving a refund that can help cover essential expenses. But sometimes, the impact runs deeper.
For Kelli Jo, it meant finally removing a barrier that had been standing in her way for years. “The worst somebody can tell you is no,” she said. This time, someone said yes.
