Honoring a Loved One With Hope

Steven’s Legacy of Hope

Mark and Virgie honor their late son by helping children across our tristate area.

Mark and Virgie’s son, Steven, was the type of person who’d give you the shirt off his own back if you needed it.

“Steven was as close as you can come to having a perfect child,” Mark says. “He was loving, outgoing, fun. And loved people so much, especially those in need.”

Since kindergarten, Steven was eager to help others. He used to gather up his lunch money and buy food for his classmates who didn’t have enough to eat. That’s just who he was.

But when Steven passed away unexpectedly at the age of 21 due to an undiagnosed congenital heart defect, he left behind a very big space.

“Immediately, we knew we had to do something in his name to help kids,” Mark says.

So, back in 2006, Mark and Virgie started the Steven A. Hunter Hope Fund. Then, in 2010, they decided to honor their late son by providing food for students at two Portsmouth elementary schools.

Since then, their reach has grown by the year. Steven’s Power Pack Club and Power Pantries have helped serve over 1,400 children in 22 schools across Scioto, Adams and Pike counties. But beyond food, they’ve also expanded to provide essentials like clothing, school supplies, college entrance exam and ACT/SAT fees, field trip fees, tutoring, and limited eye or dental exams and treatment for children who have financial needs.

Still, their impact on childhood hunger can’t be overstated. In the 15 years they’ve been operating food programs, the Steven A. Hunter Hope Fund, in partnership with Freestore Foodbank, has helped serve over 2.25 million meals to children facing hunger.

See? That’s all it takes: even the smallest act of kindness can add up to make a big difference! Thank you for helping us work toward a healthier, hunger-free future for everyone in the tristate area.