Portage County Health District

09/07/2026

In observance of Labor Day, the Portage County Health District will be closed Monday, September 7, 2026.

Our office will reopen and resume regular business hours on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day from PCHD and the Safe Communities Coalition!

As you celebrate this holiday weekend, remember that good times are better when everyone gets home safely.

The Safe Communities Coalition brings local organizations and agencies together to help reduce preventable crashes, injuries, and fatalities on Portage County roadways.

Before you hit the road:
🚗 Buckle up
📵 Put the phone away
🐢 Slow down
🚫 Never drive impaired
👀 Stay alert

Enjoy the holiday, make safe choices, and help keep Portage County roads safe for everyone.

Drive safe. Arrive safe.

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

🍎 269 Families Served at Our September Pop-Up Food Pantry!

Yesterday, the Portage County Health District, in partnership with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, served 269 families at our September Pop-Up Food Pantry, helping connect our neighbors with healthy food and essential resources.

Our Pop-Up Pantry also serves another important purpose. Each month, PCHD operates the pantry using the Incident Command System (ICS), giving our team hands-on experience working within the same coordinated structure used during emergency response. This helps strengthen communication, teamwork, and readiness while serving our community.

PCHD Pop-Up Food Pantry
First Thursday of every month | 1:00–3:00 PM
📍 999 E. Main Street, Ravenna

Need additional food support?
🥫 Use the Foodbank’s Find Help Tool
https://www.akroncantonfoodbank.org/find-help

🗺️ Explore PCHD’s Portage County Food Resource Dashboard for local food pantries, WIC and SNAP offices, farmers markets, and other resources.
https://portagehealth.net/our-programs/health-education-and-promotion/food-resource/

Thank you to our PCHD team, partners, and volunteers who make this monthly effort possible!

09/03/2026

There is now an ENHANCED RISK (level 3 of 5) for severe weather across parts of Northeast OH and Northwest PA for later today. Confidence is increasing in a cluster of strong to severe thunderstorms moving southeast across the area this evening. Damaging winds are expected to be the primary severe weather threat with these storms. Flash flooding, isolated hail, and perhaps a brief tornado are also possible.

09/03/2026

PCHD Pop-Up Food Pantry TODAY 1-3pm!

Join us for our market-style Pop-Up Food Pantry, where community members can select from available fresh produce and other food items.

📅 Thursday, September 3
🕐 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
📍 Portage County Health District
999 East Main Street, Ravenna

🥕 In partnership with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, PCHD proudly hosts a Pop-Up Food Pantry on the first Thursday of each month to help connect our community with fresh, healthy food.

Looking for additional food resources?

PCHD Food Resource Dashboard
🔗https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/c92774ced7894f37a7bc069400a237c0

Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Find Help Tool
Use the Foodbank’s Find Help tool to locate additional food assistance in the area.
🔗 https://www.akroncantonfoodbank.org/find-help

Please share to help us spread the word and connect our neighbors with available food resources!

09/03/2026

We’re proud to see PCHD’s own Will Duck featured as a presenter in Leadership Portage County’s Leadership Lunchbox Series this fall!

Will will kick off the series on September 22 with “Leading with Presence: Elevating Your Professional Image.”

We’re excited to see Will sharing his leadership experience and perspective with professionals from across our community.

Check out Leadership Portage County’s post below for the full series and registration information.

Join us for LPC’s Leadership Lunchbox Series this fall! This series brings leaders and professionals together for practical conversations on topics of leadership development. Each session offers real examples, tools, and perspectives you can apply in your work and community roles. A boxed lunch will be provided. Register today at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/leadership-lunchbox-series.

Cost: $40 per session or SAVE with all 3 sessions for $100!
Dates: September 22, October 20, November 17
Time: 11:45am to 1:00pm
Location: Kent Free Library (312 W Main St, Kent, OH 44240)

Sessions include:
- September 22: Will Duck, Leading with Presence: Elevating Your Professional Image
- October 20: Dr. Tadarrelle Lett, The Multi-Generational Workplace: Leadership that Connects; Sponsored by Kent Area Chamber of Commerce
- November 17: Amanda Cole, Networking Without the Awkward: Simple Strategies for Making Meaningful Connections Without the Awkwardness; Sponsored by Plexus LGBTQ and Allied Chamber of Commerce

09/02/2026

PCHD Environmental Health Team Takes on the National Stage!

We’re proud to recognize Natalie Menke, BA, REHS, Environmental Health Supervisor, and Nicole Lipchik, MPH, CPO, REHS, Registered Environmental Health Specialist, for representing PCHD at the 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 (NEHA AEC) in Kansas City, Missouri!

Natalie and Nicole presented “From Classroom to Kitchen: Building Food Safety Inspectors for Success,” highlighting PCHD’s training program for new food safety staff and how our team incorporates the FDA Voluntary Retail Food Safety Standard 2 to promote consistency and competency among staff.

Their session generated so much interest that it was moved to a larger room to accommodate attendees. They also had the opportunity to connect and exchange ideas with environmental health professionals from across the United States and abroad.

🏆 Natalie also earned first place in the Food Safety category of the conference photo contest!

We’re proud to see our team sharing PCHD’s work on a national stage, learning from professionals across the field, and bringing new ideas and connections back to Portage County.

Congratulations, Natalie, Nicole and our entire environmental health team!