The primary goal of the Raven Packs Foundation has always been to feed the children in the Ravenna school district. A lot of hungry mouths will be fed after the Foundation received a donation of $2,175 from the University Hospitals Portage Medical Center on Nov. 20.
“People see what we are doing in Raven Packs and they see the value in that and again, they are excited about being a part of it, as we founded ourselves on being a community-wide initiative,” Raven Packs Director of Operations Laura Wunderle told The Weekly Villager on Nov. 29. “That was always our plan for our own community, to see that need. The students in Ravenna that are affected. What we are seeing here is groups taking the initiative and doing something to be a part of that.”
The money that the Foundation received from the UH Portage Medical Center was collected from a UH Portage 5k walk/run in October. According to Wunderle, that money is enough to feed at least 75 children in the Ravenna School District or at least 2/3 of an elementary school building.
“It is encouraging to see that our community is willing to do that and it has been encouraging to see that Raven Packs really do not have a negative stigma.” she added. “We have not experienced students not wanting Raven Packs for any reason, feeling singled out or feeling that they are embarrassed at taking Raven Packs. It is encouraging that they see it is a service that is available.”
Founded in 2018, Wunderle said that the UH Portage Medical Center has been one of the Foundations’ biggest supporters. She added that when the UH Portage Medical Center first started supporting Raven Packs, it provided some bags for the Raven Packs Foundation to fill with food or would donate food from its food service department.
Since then, that partnership has blossomed into the UH Portage Medical Center sponsoring several Raven Packs fundraising events.
“Recently we had a summer farmers’ market garden program that we worked on with them and they are so well-connected,” Wunderle noted. “They have so many resources and connections in our community and even just familiarity. People see the name UH Portage and they know where they are, so the partnership has been such a beneficial thing for Raven Packs.”
Although several food pantries exist throughout Portage County, Wunderle said a food pantry had not been established that focused on helping students of the Ravenna School District until Raven Packs was founded in 2018.
She said that staff members in the school district noticed students who came to school hungry because they had not eaten much over the weekend either due to their families not having enough financial means to provide food or poor management of resources.
“We saw this as an opportunity to serve children so we sent the Raven Packs home with items that are appealing to them that they can open and use and cook themselves,” Wunderle said. “Regardless of what is going on with their home or family situation, they have access to food so that was one of our main goals which was to address that need for the students themselves.”
Since its inception, Raven Packs has grown its roots in the Ravenna community, originally feeding approximately 255 children when it started and has now doubled the number of families that have signed up for its services.
In addition to having grown its client base, Wunderle said it was also a testament to the Ravenna community that several individuals have reached out to Ravens Packs on behalf of other families who need help.
“It speaks to people being aware that we are here so there are students who school staff may not know their need directly but someone else does or they are able to speak to a trusted adult and express that need. I think that awareness of Raven Packs and the Raven Packs mission has grown,” Wunderle said.
As Raven Packs nears the end of the calendar year, it has already laid the groundwork for next year as the annual spring fundraiser will be held in partnership with the West Main Street Winery which will host a main wine event. In addition to the annual spring fundraiser, Wunderle said that there have been discussions to add an additional fundraiser to the schedule.
