BLUE ASH, Ohio — A nonprofit near Cincinnati is putting people with traumatic brain injuries and other challenges to work. 

In Return has a capacity for about 30 workers, including Tony Danemeyer, who has worked at the office in Blue Ash for more than a decade.

What You Need To Know

  • Founder Rob Groeschen created In Return to help his brother Tom find work after a traumatic brain injury

  • In Return has a capacity for 30 workers

  • In Return workers also receive life skills classes

“I like working together as a team and not being work I do on pace and not being rushed,” Danemeyer said.

“For some of our guys they have severe panic or task completion,” said Kelsey Schaible, In Return’s executive director. “A lot of our jobs are one to three steps which really helps them to be successful."

​Founder Rob Groeschen created In Return to help his brother Tom find a mission in life after a car wreck left him with a traumatic brain injury. Tom was the first employee at the Blue Ash facility in 2005.  

In Return has contracts with local businesses doing everything from assembling products to recycling. Scott Kerregan works in a large area, breaking down boxes and sorting trash.

“I recycle,” Kerregan said. “There’s a company called Crane and we get their stuff and we separate their plastic and cardboard and you know, so nothing goes in the landfill.”

In addition to working, Kerregan and the other associates take part in life skills classes every day.

“What I like about life classes, we have reading and yoga and exercise and it’s a benefit for our associates here and it makes life a lot better and it’s amazing,” Kerregan said.

They also learn about each other.

“You get to find out how other people, how my coworkers are dealing with their situations and that makes me feel like I’m one of us,” Danemeyer said.  “It’s not you or me, it’s a team.”