About this Event
Portage Gathers: Food, Family & Community
Join your neighbors for Portage Gathers, a free community gathering centered around food, connection, and community, presented by Portage Grassroots Project and the Community Action Council of Portage County (CAC).
Enjoy a community food spread (while supplies last) made possible by local businesses, farms, and food partners. Connect with local organizations and community resources, bring the kids for activities and crafts, enjoy some music, play some games (Cornhole sponsored by Beloved Community), and take part in a relaxed, informal space to meet neighbors and connect with local leaders.
Throughout the Day
- Community Food Spread
- Local Resource Tables
- Kids’ Activities + Crafts
- Community Scavenger Hunt
- Wellness Activities (with Bella Vita Wellness)
- Cornhole (Sponsored by Beloved Community)
- Music
- Local Leaders mingling throughout the event
- Take-Home Meal Packs (limited quantity, tentative)
Want to know why we’re doing this?
Read John Kennedy’s op-ed in The Portager: One Meal, One Child, One Family at a Time. https://theportager.com/op-ed-one-meal-one-child-one-family-at-a-time
“Here in Portage County, when we see a need, we try to fill it. When we see a wrong, we try to right it. We don’t always get it right; sometimes our solutions aren’t always perfect. I wish I could wave a magic wand and solve every problem — I can’t, just ask my wife, Marybeth!
But we can do something. We can deliver a box of nutritious meals to a child’s doorstep. We can open a meal site in a neighborhood where children need it. We can make sure a child doesn’t have to wonder where their next meal is coming from.
And this summer, we did that for more than 1,240 children here in Portage County.
That’s worth celebrating.
One meal. One child. One family at a time.”
Agenda
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Storytime + Gather
Info: Storytime kicks off the day! Kids’ activities, the community food spread, resource tables, and music begin.
🕑: 11:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Community Welcome
Host: Portage Gathers + Portage Grassroots Project + CAC
Info: A brief welcome to the day, including an introduction to Portage Gathers and the community partners joining us.
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Community Garden Tour
Host: Rita Connelly - Master Gardener
Info: Explore the community garden, learn about what’s growing, and discover opportunities to connect with local food and gardening. Possible seed giveaways.
🕑: 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Storytime
Info: A short storytime for kids and families. 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00.
🕑: 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Community Listening Spot
Host: Local Leaders
Info: An informal opportunity for community members to share thoughts, questions, and ideas with local leaders. 11:45, 12:45, 1:45 (TBD)
🕑: 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Yoga Hike
Host: Bella Vita Wellness
Info: An optional outdoor experience combining gentle movement, nature, and exploration.
🕑: 01:15 PM - 01:45 PM
Community Mic (TBD)
Host: Portage Gathers
Info: A relaxed opportunity for community members to share what they love about our community, what they’d like to see more of, or what a strong community means to them. Sharing is completely optional.
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:00 PM
Community Listening Spot + Closing
Host: Portage Gathers + Local Leaders
Info: A final opportunity to connect with local leaders, followed by a thank-you and closing to the day.
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:00 PM
Closing Drum Circle
Host: Trust Drum Circles
Event venue & nearby stays
130 Chestnut Hill Dr, 130 Chestnut Hill Drive, Ravenna, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.