Nurse raises money for Regional Food Bank

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — As the government shutdown continues to impact many Oklahomans, one nurse from Mercy felt compelled to do something, and her efforts resulted in a big outcome.

"I don't want any kid to not have food. So what can we do to help bridge that gap while they're figuring their lives out in other places to make sure those benefits come back?" said Shelby Finn, an RN at Mercy with the Baby Resource Team.

That's a question Shelby Finn felt called to answer.

Being a nurse at Mercy, Finn comes face-to-face daily with families in need, and after seeing a social media post on a food fundraiser, she decided to also pitch in.  

"So I felt really inspired by that," said Finn.

Finn wrote her own post on the hospital's employee page, and money started coming in from nurses at Mercy.

"Then I had an anonymous donor who was willing to match up to 500. So right now we're at like $1,100," said Finn.

Children, veterans, and seniors make up the majority of SNAP recipients in Oklahoma, that's an estimated 700,000 people. Finn is grateful that the money her hospital raised will help the Regional Food Bank feed needy families.

"I think they're like, oh yeah, this is a need, and I want to help meet it. And I'm glad you said something so we could all work together because I can donate $10, but if I have, you know, 50 other people donating $10, it's a bigger impact. And so I think that it inspires us more and keeps us encouraged," said Finn.

If you want to donate, Finn encourages you to donate directly to the Regional Food Bank. You can do that at this link.