1/07/2025 | Donations Help ABH Patients Take Strides Toward Recovery

Donations Help ABH Patients Take Strides Toward Recovery

OhioMHAS' Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare (ABH) in Athens has given nearly 100 pairs of high-end running shoes to its patients since 2022, thanks to a partnership with a local shoe store and a former intern who brought the two together.

"One student made all this possible," said Jennifer Schwirian, LISW-S, Clinical Services Director at ABH. "She saw past the stigma of mental illness. She thought about our patients' needs and how to creatively meet those needs," Schwirian said.

ABH has a close relationship with Ohio University and accepts many interns from OU. One former student worked part-time at Ohio Valley Running Company in Athens. The store's return policy allows customers to wear shoes for a month or so and return them if they're not a good fit.

Ohio Valley Running Company owner Jonathan Bernard was on board from the beginning. He and his wife, Ariana, opened the store in 2016.

"I've had my own issues with mental health and addiction," said Bernard, an Athens native who underwent outpatient therapy at the beginning of his own recovery journey at Hopewell Health Centers on the ABH campus in 2002. "This has been a way to give back and pay it forward."

The shoes, all name-brand like HOKA, Saucony, and Brooks, typically sell for close to $150. Many patients don't have the financial means to afford new shoes, let alone a pair of elite running shoes that can provide comfort, stability, and support. Patients request a pair through the facility's social workers, who coordinate with the hospital police department, to pick up the shoes and deliver them.

"A lot of us take comfort for granted. For the patients, comfort is a luxury," said ABH Police Chief Derek Barbee, who said he picks up anywhere from five to 20 pairs of shoes each month. "It is a crucial role in their recovery. When they can leave their units, maybe to go an appointment outside our facility, and be able to walk comfortably, it gives them dignity that they may never have had before," he said.

"My hope is that this program is really meaningful to people in crisis, whatever that crisis might be," said Bernard.

Since 2022, ABH has distributed 90 pairs of shoes from the Ohio Valley Running Company.