MEDIA RELEASE__Beatitudes and Bee Home recently provided the following data to the board of directors, reporting on 2025 outreach programs that served all of Hardin County. The report includes details on funding received, volunteer efforts and services provided. The Beatitudes Community Center and thrift store is located at 210 N. Main St. and Bee Home second-hand furniture and housewares is located at 228 N. Main.

BY THE NUMBERS

• 272 clients assisted with electric, gas, propane, rent, and mortgage payments, medication, steel-toed boots, phones and gas cards
• 595 food packages distributed
• 4,770 meals provided by summer children's lunch program 
• 1,505 community meals served

EMERGENCY AND URGENT NEEDS

• The center opens for emergency situations and provides food and clothing to those in need. Calls come from Red Cross, schools, fire departments, and churches
• Personal hygiene products, food and free clothing are provided to unhoused people and those being released from prison
• Assist local police and churches in finding solutions for homeless people

OHIO NORTHERN VOLUNTEERS

• ONU intern put on a style show using clothing from the Beatitudes thrift store. Students and a few other volunteers were models and provided entertainment.
• Thanksgiving meal bags made and donated to Beatitudes by student group
• Pre-Dentistry students collected and donated toothbrushes and paste

SEASONAL SERVICES

• Monthly meals, holiday meals and special events
• 400 Christmas gift bags were distributed on the 2nd Saturday of December (Merry on Main)
• Volunteers provided entertainment and photo ops dressed as the Grinch family

DONATIONS

• A donor buys coats whenever she sees them on sale. Any needy family can have a new coat for their child
• Donated clothing that cannot be used at Beatitudes is bagged and picked up by a Toledo church and sent to needy people overseas
• Volunteers clean out houses when someone moves to a nursing home. Recently 10 volunteers and 7 SUVs, trucks and a trailer were enlisted for this service

PROGRAM AND FACILITY FUNDING

• Hardin County United Way helps pay for all community meals
• Hardin County Community Foundation and the John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation supported the summer lunch program.
• Beatitudes and Bee Home daily sales cover building expenses.
• Holiday window raffle in November raised $3,600, far exceeding the $2K goal.

BEATITUDES WALL OF BLESSINGS