A look at food donations from the ground level

Arlington Memorial Baptist Church recently gave away 18,000 pounds of food to residents in need, thanks to a donation given by the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

Every week, the Foodbank donates food to this church, as well as to many other agency members across the county. Mary Coppenger, 72, and her husband Jack, 75, have been giving out food at Arlington Baptist for four years now.

The happily married couple of 50 years arrives at the church at 5 a.m. every Tuesday morning to set up, staying until 1:30 p.m. "When we first started there was only about 15 people coming. We'd sit here, read the paper and have coffee," Mary said of their beginnings.
Now they average 100 to 150 people each time.

Local musicians Josh Rzepka and Scott Stein will perform a concert at Tangier March 3 at 9 p.m. The concert features all original music performed by Rzepka, Stein and their bands, as well as students from Firestone and Copley high schools. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the music programs of Firestone and Copley High Schools.

Recent winner of the 2011 AAAA (Akron Area Arts Alliance) Rising Young Star Award, Rzepka, an '02 graduate of Firestone High School, will be joined by his band as well as students from Firestone's jazz band performing original compositions from his two CDs "Into the Night," and "Midwest Coast."

Stein, an '01 graduate of Copley High School, will perform original compositions with his band as well as with students from the Copley High School choral program. Stein is currently based in New York City, where he performs with numerous bands and works as an accompanist and music director for numerous choral ensembles.

A new spokesperson for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank is cute and quiet, but her story speaks loudly. Kate, the focus of a new video, helps spread the serious message of hunger in a creative way, said Michelle Hinton, the Foodbank’s director of marketing and communications.

Set to a catchy acoustic guitar track, the video, “Hungry Kate: The Girl With the Belly Ache,” illustrates the domino effect within a family whose father has lost his job, leading to debt, home foreclosure and the eventual impact it has on “Kate,” who is one of 95,000 local children who struggles with hunger.

The video also shows how crucial even small donations are to helping combat this community-wide problem. Launched a month ago, the video has drawn more than 1,200 views, according to the Foodbank’s YouTube site. “We want the viewer to take a second to think about how the issue of hunger is closer than they probably realize, and how a simple sacrifice can make a big difference,” said Hinton.

Perkins Stone Mansion, built by the son of the founder of Akron, may contain a few ghostly secrets. Within its walls, an image of a ghostly visage was caught using a cell phone camera, and various orbs and other anomalies have been recorded by ghost enthusiasts.

ArtCetera, the young professionals arm of the Akron Area Arts Alliance, will meet at the mansion this Friday (Nov. 18) for a ghost tour, which begins with drinks and snacks at 7 p.m.

Participants are encouraged to bring their flashlights, as well as a yearning for adventure.

The Summit County Health District will spray for mosquitos on Copley Road and West Akron Aug. 3, and in Northwest Akron and in the Merriman Valley Aug. 4. Spraying will begin at approximately 8:30 p.m. and continue until completed. In the event of bad weather, the spray schedule may be modified. according to city officials.

Residents may also take personal safety precautions to protect against mosquitoes. They can wear light-colored clothing, long sleeve shirts, long pants, socks and shoes, stay indoors during dawn and dusk hours, keep window and door screens in good condition, and use repellents that contain Picaridin or DEET. The amount of DEET in a repellent should be 30 percent or less for adults and 10 percent for children.

Anyone with questions or concerns may call at (330) 923-8856.

The Humility of Mary Housing Organization (also known as HM Life) is a non-profit organization that has provided supportive services and quality transitional housing to poor and homeless residents in the Akron area for more than 20 years. This is exactly why retired Army veteran Phyllis Flint, 56, felt that she was all wrong for the program when they reached out to her.

Flint, who describes herself as being “at the door to being homeless” just a few short months ago, asserts that she did, in fact, have a place to live and a job with a steady income. “The house I was renting had been foreclosed so I did need to move,” explained Flint. “I was only looking for assistance with the security deposit I needed to get into another place and that’s when H.M. Life contacted me about living in their new Glory House.”

Located within the building opened in 1987 as H.M. Life’s first location on Copley Road in Akron, The Glory House includes eight units – four of which were designated specifically for female veterans and their children earlier this year.

Panel speaks to Leadership Akron about the importance of volunteering

Being a community leader and volunteer entails more than just showing up and putting in hours, said Betty Dalton, who recently spoke to the current class of Leadership Akron.

In fact, one should take a community leadership position as seriously as his or her job. And those who do will be paid back in dividends, said Dalton, a former Akron Public Schools board president and local philanthropist. “Akron is a giving community; it’s a remarkable place to live.”

Dalton was one of four past winners of the Polsky Humanitarian Award who conducted a panel presentation on community involvement and volunteerism for the current class of Leadership Akron.  The group spoke at Stan Hywet Hall, and offered a wide range of advice and ideas.

Akron-based Packard Institute hits the trail June 11

Working with adolescents who have substance abuse problems can be an arduous journey for any practitioner. But Raynard Dean Packard’s recovery space will encompass mountains, winding trails and wildlife rather than plush couches and doctors.

Packard, CEO and director of Akron nonprofit counseling agency the Packard Institute, and his recovery group of adolescents and young adults will hike the Appalachian Trail starting June 11, an excursion that celebrates the transitions of the young participants.

“By transitions, I mean staying clean and sober could be one,” said Packard. “But we have other kids who are overcoming some astonishing barriers in life, whether it’s poverty or abuse within the family or post traumatic stress disorder, or a combination of these things.”

Little infielders, outfielders, pitchers and catchers will be lined up on South Main Street this Saturday for the annual All American Baseball and Softball Parade in downtown Akron.

Leagues from around the city -- Goodyear Heights, North Akron, Ellet, Kenmore, West Akron Little League and West Akron Baseball League -- will send a total of 1,200 youngsters to parade down Main Street and be cheered on by family and fans Saturday morning beginning at 11 a.m..

The route begins at Cedar and Main streets, heads north on Main to Bowery and then west on Bowery to finish at Lock 4.

City hosts ribbon-cutting to celebrate the Village at New Seasons

The site at the corner of Vernon Odom Boulevard and Hawkins Avenue sat vacant for years, collecting trash and graffiti. Now, the space houses the Village at New Seasons, a new $11.4 million complex with senior living apartments, retail space and a health center.

The city recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the official opening of the development.

The more than 115,000-square-foot facility was developed through the combined efforts of the House of the Lord, who owns the land; the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation; Testa Companies; and Summa Health System, among other investors.