Collaboration
We partner with community leaders who possess intimate knowledge of the needs and innerworkings of their communities and industries.
Care
Our future medical professionals are people with unique experiences and struggles. We seek to meet them where they are and elevate them to reach their full potential.
Hope
By participating in our program, students gain the tools and knowledge to impact their communities for the better for generations to come.
Who We Are: Founding Portage Community
Portage Community began its work in the spring academic semester of 2019, when leaders from our partner company- NursingABC- gathered together a team of volunteers to support a group of 8 nursing students at the Community College of Beaver County through scholarship, mentoring, and professional development. In the summer of 2019, we went on to award the first Portage Community scholarship to a medical student in the Dominican Republic, officially marking the start of its reach internationally. Since then, we have supported 21 local nursing students and 3 international medical students through the help of over 40 volunteers and your generosity.
In the fall of 2020, Portage Community officially received its status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Several months later, we broke ground on a clinic in the Dominican Republic with the ultimate goal of providing more accessible healthcare, giving learning opportunities for international scholarship students, and expanding employment opportunities for medical professionals in the Dominican Republic.
We invite you to come along with us as we continue supporting students in our community and across the globe! Check out our different Programs pages to better understand how we do this and ways to get involved!


What We Do: Accomplishing the Mission

Medical Mentoring
Life Mentoring
Professional Development
Networking
NCLEX Preparation
Technology and Academic Supplies
Financial Scholarships
International Housing
Transportation Support
Advocacy
Meet the Team
Portage Community employs an incredible full-time staff in addition to a host of volunteers.
Thanks to their vision and dedication, we are able to continue serving students locally and internationally.

Steve Michalik
President
As the founder of Portage Community, Steve serves as President of our Board of Directors. He continues to provide vision that drives us towards reaching more students with our unique program offerings.

Mandy Dodd
Vice President
Mandy Dodd joined Portage Community shortly after its inception and was elected Vice President of the Board of Directors. In addition to her duties as VP, she also serves a volunteer mentor for our local students.

Michael Witterman
Secretary

Jeff Francona
Treasurer

Pamela McFarland
International Program Director

Chris Ream
Board

Contact Us Today
2521 Darlington Road
Beaver Falls, PA 15010
(855) 896-8294