OhioHealth Provides Support of $5,000 to United Way of Hardin County to Create Food Pantries Inside High Schools

They say home is where the heart is. You’ll also find a lot of heart inside Hardin Northern High School. 

“It’s really the community, the people, and the great kids that we have here. It makes it fun to come to work every day,” explained Hardin Northern Local Schools superintendent, Andrew Cano. “When I was offered the opportunity to be superintendent, it was my dream job.” 

“I think what’s amazing about our community is that everybody is knows everyone. It’s just amazing because when something happens to one person everybody just joins in, and they are there to support them in any way possible,” said Bethany Kauffman, a kindergarten through 8th STEM teacher for the school district. “We identify the issues in our community and then we figure out how to address it and help each other out.” 

When it comes to supporting others, you’ll find something that’s unexpected inside this high school: A food pantry. 

“We know that there are kids who don’t eat. We know that we are their sustenance throughout a day,” Cano said. 

The Polar Pantry was created last school year – supported by teachers and staff. But this year — they wanted to find a way to make it better for the long run. That’s when the United Way of Hardin County stepped in. 

Earlier this year, the United Way of Hardin County launched an initiative to partner with schools across the county to develop food pantries for middle and high school students. 

“Currently, many of our schools provide food to their elementary students, but none of our schools have anything in place for older students. Our hope is to create food pantries that allow student choice on what items they wish to take home for weekend and holiday breaks,” said Martha Nau, United Way of Hardin County’s executive director. “We’re really excited about the idea that this will meet a need we haven’t been able to yet. Support from the West Ohio Food Bank, OhioHealth, and other sponsors helped make this happen.” 

This year, OhioHealth committed $5,000 to the United Way of Hardin County to keep this pantry going – with the goal of expanding this effort to more high schools. 

For Jim Whitaker, senior advisor of operations at OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital, it’s a cause that’s close to his heart. 

“The need for food is something I’ve seen first-hand in our community,” Whitaker said. “At the beginning of the year, OhioHealth launched a monthly food distribution event in Kenton in partnership with the West Ohio Food Bank. We have been able to provide hundreds of our neighbors and local families with fresh, healthy food.” 
Whitaker also serves on the United Way of Hardin County Board. 

“There is a huge need, and we are always trying to find ways of how to we help the community,” he explained. “What we do on the board is we get donations, and then we give to other entities that help people and as we interview those other agencies, we have seen the big need for food. It’s been one of their top needs.” 

“[Hunger] is a problem everywhere, but the fact that we’re in such a small community and can attack it from a more personal level, and understand what our community is going through, I think that makes us a little bit different in that we can help a little bit more,” Cano said. “I can only see this effort growing.” 

“To know that there are so many kids in our school who are impacted by this, and it’s 1 in 4 kids in Hardin County who are really struggling with that food insecurity, the fact that we can provide something is just so powerful,” Kauffman said. 

“I think the best thing is that the schools can take their own initiative and make it what they want it to be and that also brings some school spirit along with it. The whole school is involved,” explained Nau. “I think it’s amazing that the word is getting out and people are talking about it.” 

For more information or to learn how you can help, contact the United Way of Hardin County at (419) 675-1860.