Celebrating Five Years of Free Tax Preparation Clinics
Nationwide Children’s Hospital started free tax preparation clinics in 2020. Today, the hospital is preparing more tax returns than any institution of its kind in the country. Since inception, the 614 File Free program has helped 2,600 families receive more than five million dollars in tax refunds.
Among those helped is Adrian Saunders, who once paid $500 to file taxes with a local tax preparation service. A friend told her about Nationwide Children’s program in 2020.
“You just saved me enough money for a month’s worth of groceries,” Adrian, the mother of two, told the tax clinic volunteers.
After five years, Adrian still appreciates the ease and convenience of the free tax program. The process takes less than 45 minutes, and she received her refund within 21 days.
“The tax clinic helps me save time and money. I learned about the credits that I could earn, and I got a better refund,” she said.
Another recipient of services, Auribel Then, said she “literally didn’t believe the guy” who first told her about the program. After taking her taxes to another service where she didn’t get the refund she was promised, she scheduled an appointment with 614 File Free.
Here, she learned about the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credits and other ways she could reduce her taxes. “I was promised a certain refund and given an estimated date of the refund,” she said. “Everything happened like it should.”
Not only did she have peace of mind when it came to filing her taxes and knowing everything was securely done, but she found peace of mind in her life. The mom of two twin boys was able to use her refund to catch up on bills and purchase her first car.
“I have peace of mind for me and for my kids,” she said. “Especially with having a vehicle where we can get places and not have to rely on the bus or stand out in the cold.”
She was also able to use one of her refunds to see her mother at her home in the Dominican Republic for the first time in 10 years.
Auribel has participated in the service for five years now and says she will keep coming back. She even enrolled in another free resource at Nationwide Children’s, the Proud Linden Parent Program.
“It doesn’t matter how much refund I’m getting,” she said. “This is a blessing for me and my family. I’ll use it for good.”
To learn more about our free tax clinics or to schedule an appointment for this tax season, visit 614FileFree.org.
Published January 2025
