David & Cheryl Venarge
2025 Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award Recipients
David and Cheryl Venarge are the 2025 recipients of Akron Community Foundation's Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award.
The Venarges are well known in Greater Akron for both their financial contributions and their hands-on volunteerism, particularly in the areas of food insecurity and issues affecting women and girls.
Recently, they helped create The Venarge Family Food Pantry and Resource Center at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, which is open to the public three days a week. Opened in early 2024, the pantry distributed nearly two million pounds of food in its first year. The couple also created two nonprofits to address needs in the community: Mount Hope Cemetery Corp. and Food From Friends.
In the mid-2010s, Mount Hope Cemetery in Akron fell into disrepair after its former maintenance organization disbanded. The Venarges organized community cleanups and developed the Mount Hope Cemetery Corp. to provide funding for future maintenance. The couple established Food From Friends in 2023 to purchase and distribute backpacks, school supplies and food to children at qualifying local schools. That year, the nonprofit supplied nearly 750 holiday food bags to Firestone Park Elementary and Barber CLC students in addition to numerous food bags, supplies and hygiene kits to other area schools.
Over the years, the Venarges have intentionally involved their children and grandchildren in their philanthropy, helping to inspire The Center for Family Philanthropy at Akron Community Foundation and using their donor-advised fund to impact dozens of organizations in the community.
David is the owner of APV Engineered Coatings, a nearly 150-year-old business where he worked prior to purchasing the company in 1982. In addition to his work, David has been involved with numerous nonprofits in the area, including Mount Hope Cemetery and First Tee Akron.
Cheryl is a dedicated community volunteer, giving her time to organizations like Akron Community Foundation, where she previously served as a board member, and the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
The Venarges are both Akron natives and graduates of Akron Public Schools, with David graduating from Garfield and Cheryl from Firestone. They both participated in Leadership Akron's Signature Program and were honored in 2023 with the Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Northeast Ohio Chapter..
2025 Award Dinner
Akron Community Foundation will honor David and Cheryl's lifetime of giving at the annual Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Akron Fairlawn. We're grateful to the many generous sponsors and contributors who make this event possible.