"The need is now": OhioHealth Nurse Creates Blessings Box to Help Curb Hunger in Hardin County

Shirley Byal is an OhioHealth cardiology nurse who is celebrating her 43rd anniversary working for OhioHealth this month. Byal said in all that time, she has never seen a need like there is now to fight food insecurity in Kenton and across Hardin County. 

“Crazy. I had no idea the number of people in this community [who are affected]. I know hunger is a global issue, I had no idea how close to home it really was,” Byal said. “It seems like the need is so much greater than I could have ever imagined.” 

She said she felt the need to act, after seeing the number of cars lined up at a recent food distribution event that happens monthly thanks to a partnership between the West Ohio Food Bank and OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital. 

Leaders from the West Ohio Food Bank said they are seeing a spike in the number of people who are turning to their services. They said they haven’t seen numbers like this since the height of the pandemic. 

Byal didn’t know where to begin, but she knew the need was urgent. She thought about starting a Blessings Box because she saw community members recently post about them on social media. The idea, she explained, is a small weather protected, publicly accessible space where people can take what they need or leave what they can donate. Boxes can contain shelf stable food items and baby formula, for example. 

There was a small, wooden box near the medical campus parking lot outside Hardin Memorial Hospital. Byal thought it would be the perfect spot to set one up. 

Byal reached out for permission from hospital leadership – and in return received an outpouring of support to get it set up and stocked. She said it was a team effort to make her vision a reality. She checks on it daily—and in just a matter of weeks she already sees how often it needs to be re-filled. 

“The need is now,” she said. “I’ve tried to start re-thinking and re-programming to think tomorrow is now. I need to do something now.” 

Byal and other OhioHealth associates work to keep the box stocked with pasta, jars of sauce, cans of tuna, baby formula, and more. Byal’s hope is to eventually include other items like soap and shampoo. 

Byal said she is planning to retire later this year, and she hopes the Blessings Box will leave a lasting impact. 

The Blessings Box is located near the parking lot of Hardin Memorial Hospital at 912 E Franklin St. in Kenton. 

The West Ohio Food Bank and Hardin Memorial Hospital host a food distribution event on the 4th Tuesday of every month at Home Run Memorial Park in Kenton from noon – 2 p.m. 

Additional help can be found through OhioHealth's Community Resource Directory by clicking here.