Our Founder

I was born in Knoxville, TN where I lived for 25 years before meeting my husband Kevin. Kevin and I have three wonderful children and are now living in Richmond, KY. We both have been a part of the Relentless mission since November 2014. Relentless is a powerlifting organization that raises money for families who have children with life-altering or chronic illnesses. Soon after becoming involved, God began to whisper in my ear that I should be doing something for the moms and dads of Relentless. Most of the time, the kids are very well taken care of, but who makes sure the moms have their tooth bush or dad have his deodorant when they have to rush to the ER and then stay for weeks on end?
It wasn't clear, at the time, what God was asking me to do, but I knew that it had something to do with making sure these parents had the small things taken care of so they could focus on what was really important. So, I simply waited for God to show me when and how.
In August of 2015, I started to prayerfully brainstorm ideas. From there, Hannah's Care Packages was born!
Since then, our mission has grown beyond anything we ever imagined. Delivering over 900 packages in over 26 different states. Because of our generous funders, we are not only able to provide love and support in the form of a care package and friendship, we are also able to provide much needed financial support to those families that need it most. Hannahs Care packages also holds several medically fragile and sensory friendly events throughout the year for families that have to celebrate holidays in more controlled settings. God has brought our mission so far in the last few years, and we give Him all the glory!
It wasn't clear, at the time, what God was asking me to do, but I knew that it had something to do with making sure these parents had the small things taken care of so they could focus on what was really important. So, I simply waited for God to show me when and how.
In August of 2015, I started to prayerfully brainstorm ideas. From there, Hannah's Care Packages was born!
Since then, our mission has grown beyond anything we ever imagined. Delivering over 900 packages in over 26 different states. Because of our generous funders, we are not only able to provide love and support in the form of a care package and friendship, we are also able to provide much needed financial support to those families that need it most. Hannahs Care packages also holds several medically fragile and sensory friendly events throughout the year for families that have to celebrate holidays in more controlled settings. God has brought our mission so far in the last few years, and we give Him all the glory!
Meet the Board
I grew up in Woodhaven, MI, where I lived for 25 years until I married my husband Ron and then moved to Wyandotte , MI. We are blessed to have three wonderful children Emily, Andrew and Addisyn.
Our youngest blessing, Addisyn (7) is chronically ill, on five machines and is severely handicaped. She is our little miracle and God shows us day after day just How Big HE is, through our little sunshine. We feel so honored that God choose us to be the parents for this precious little girl. We are a Relentless family, which is how I became a part of HCP. Jessica approached me and shared her vision. I instantly fell in love! I know what it's like to be in the hospital at the bedside of your child , weeks at a time , empty handed , because getting to the ER was the only thing on your mind. I serve on the board as the Vice President I help by getting donations, as well as Packaging the bags and finding families in need. I am so grateful to be able to serve as an Ambassador of Hope for "HCP in the "D" ( Detroit ). Showing love and offering Hope is the biggest blessing. GABE BONNEVILLE
gabe@hannahscarepackages.org Gabe Bonneville resides in Collegeville Pennsylvania and is the team lead for the Philadelphia chapter of Hannah’s care packages. Gabe got involved with Hannah’s several years ago when a friend tagged him in a post we had made looking for donors to provide care packages for several families. When he was tagged on our social media in a picture of the family and the sweet little girl that were the recipients of one of those packages he was hooked. Gabe reached out to us to see how he could get more involved and has been working with Hannahs ever since. Gabe is a regional sales manager for a medical device company and a loving father of two girls Charliegh four and Bree 10.
I'm from outside of Colorado Springs, CO and currently bouncing around the United States serving my country. God is at the helm of my life and I hope he'll continue to steer me in whatever direction he wants me to go. Elizabeth Newton was the first to introduce me to the Hannah's Care Packages organization and I fell in love with the selfless and supportive characteristics of this team. I'm excited to serve in this group and its mission to whatever capacity I am capable of providing.
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REBECCA KELLY
rebecca@hannahscarepackages.org I was born in KY and spent the last 10 years in South Florida. We recently moved back to KY and started attending our "old" church again. It was through church that I was exposed to Hannah's Care Packages and met Jessica. I quietly observed from the "sidelines" for a bit, always feeling a tug on my heart regarding HCP. I responded to a Facebook post from Jessica saying that Hannah's was looking for some help. My heart goes out to these families who have their world turned upside down with children who are diagnosed with life threatening illness and sickness. To provide support and care packages with items to help ease their hospital stays a bit I hope brings them some comfort. To know that we are praying for them and their children I hope brings them some strength. To know that someone cares and is thinking of them I hope brings them a feeling of being loved.
Participating in the Easter event for medically fragile children this past April and seeing the smiles on the kids and their parents was priceless. I love being able to be a part of giving families happy moments where they can enjoy being who they are, kids....full of laughter, love, and innocence. Not only do we deliver packages to hospitals, but we also host events for these families. How awesome! No one plans for a crisis, no one expects their "normal" to be uprooted in an instant, so in the midst of life's uncertainties, especially with children, we all look for an anchor to steady us. I am humbled to be a part of such a great organization. Elizabeth Carpenter became a Christian about a year before she met Jessica Ball at a wedding in Michigan. Jessica and Kevin informed her they were now her "brother and sister in Christ", which was a new phrase for her at the time. She heard about the mission of Hannah's and immediately fell in love with the organization.
She was based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan and owned of Straight Edge Painting Midwest, a small painting business that had been in operation for 2 years. While enjoying flexibility and challenge of owning a business, she felt God calling her to a different kind of service. In January of 2019, Elizabeth joined the Navy. She is still highly involved with Hannah’s Care Packages as she attends her A school and joins the fleet in 2020. Elizabeth has ambitious goals for US Service Members and HCP families alike when it comes to sharing the love of God with those who need it most. "For every house has a builder, but the builder of all things is God." - Hebrews 3:4 JULIE BARKER
julie.barker@hannahscarepackages.org My husband Dave and I have 2 adult sons (Andrew, Taylor). I am an empty nester but still work full time. I first met Jessica when we were office neighbors and she was selling cake balls to raise funds for Hannah's care packages. I always knew God would put cake balls in my life for a reason, and now I know why. Although I was happy to donate to the cause, I did not have the capacity to manage deliveries at the time. As if by divine providence, a timely career change provided the necessary flexibility in my schedule to join the delivery team.
After just a few deliveries, the impact of Hannah’s care packages became profoundly evident. I quickly learned that the experience and circumstances of the families served are as unique as the patients themselves; many parents experience loneliness because they don't have family nearby; many don’t have the opportunity or wherewithal to prepare for a lengthy hospital stay; many don’t have the luxury of leaving the side of their sick child; and most simply don’t have the time or energy to worry about anything else when faced with devastating news, life changing decisions, and helpless children. When I see how grateful and humbled these families were to receive one of Hannah’s care packages, I smile, and sometimes cry, right along with them. Children hold a special place in my heart, and to be afforded the opportunity to make even the smallest difference in the lives of a few is perhaps as much a blessing to me as it is to them. Often, I am even invited to hold babies because I have a unique ability to pacify and soothe them. Usually, patients’ families come to know me as Julie, but in some remote circles, I am known fondly as “The Baby Whisperer.” With Hannah’s care packages, every day I am proud, happy, and fortunate to be an ambassador of hope. Although these care packages contain many essentials and a few fun surprises, at the end of the day, we deliver what these families need more than anything––hope and strength; hope that it will get better and strength to hold on until it does. |