PPBH Celebrates 50 Years

April 5, 2022 (Akron, Ohio)– Portage Path Behavioral Health is proud to celebrate 50 years of providing behavioral health care services to the people of Summit County. As Portage Path celebrates this milestone, the non-profit that serves 10,000 people a year continues to grow with projects and initiatives that will expand services in the communities it serves by providing care closer to home. 

With the help of a $2.3 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Portage Path is identifying new ways to be “Here for You,” including a mobile community therapy center, co-locations in underserved parts of the county, and a new resource app for all. 

“We are so grateful for the support we get from individuals, foundations, and now SAMHSA”, says Portage Path board member and 50th-anniversary chair, Bob Cooper. “These funds are allowing us to spread our wings and break barriers to services in the community with new and innovative methods of reaching people where they are not only geographically, but on their journey.”

May 21 event will celebrate, raise additional funds 

Portage Path is hosting a sold-out 50th-anniversary celebration event on May 21 at Greystone Hall in Akron. During the event, guests will have the opportunity to raise funds for a new mobile community therapy center. The therapy center, a large vehicle outfitted with computers and two private rooms to provide services anywhere they are needed, is the highlight of the evening’s “Fund-a-Need” paddle raise. Guests will have the chance to contribute to the project by purchasing the vehicle, supporting staffing and other operational costs, and other needs. 

Portage Path has also partnered with the Bipolar Butterfly Project for a raffle to raise funds for additional programmatic growth and outreach. Raffle tickets are $100 and winners will receive a 6×7 foot, one-of-a-kind, butterfly sculpture designed by Portage Path client and Bipolar Butterfly Project founder Kimmy Henderson. This is a rare opportunity to work directly with the artist and commission a large art installation. To learn more about the raffle and purchase tickets, visit  https://www.portagepath.org/raffle50/. 

This event is made possible by many sponsors, including presenting sponsors and honorary event chairs Bob & Regina Cooper. We also greatly thank The Maynard Family Foundation, Northeast Ohio Psychiatric Institute and Kenneth L. Calhoun Charitable Trust for being additional presenting sponsors. You can view our full list of sponsors at https://www.portagepath.org/50years/.