The council helps clients improve reading skills and language proficiency, prepares them for employment, helps students achieve high school equivalency certification, provides workforce development and works with permanent residents seeking U.S. citizenship.
Suddenly, however, the future of the organization appears uncertain as it anticipates federal funding cuts for its next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
“I never thought we’d be in this position,” said Ryan Breisch, executive director. “We’ve relied on federal funding since it was authorized in 1987.”
WIOA funds account for about 20% of the literacy council’s total budget of $760,000, with other funding coming from the United Way of Berks County, the state, private donations, fee-for-service work with area businesses and an annual fundraising event.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, WIOA funds are intended to improve the nation’s workforce system by helping people attain high-quality jobs and careers while also assisting employers hire and retain skilled workers.
And that, said Breisch, is exactly what the funding accomplishes.
“That funding pays for classes for students working to improve English proficiency skills so they can obtain employment or advance to higher paying jobs,” he said. “And it helps us to keep the lights on in our classrooms and pay our staff members so we can continue to meet the needs of our community.”
Clients Are Seeking Better Lives
Breisch, who has been employed by the literacy council for 30 years and has served as executive director since 2010, said people who find their way to the organization are self-motivated and prepared to work hard to advance.
“They want to make a better life for themselves,” he said. “And that ultimately results in better circumstances for our entire community.”
Breisch spoke of Gabi, who moved from Brazil and, with help from the literacy council, was able to graduate from nursing school and obtain employment in the health care field.
A literacy council tutor works with a student.
He related the story of Juan Pablo, an industrial engineer who, with his American wife and children, moved to Berks County from Mexico in 2002 to care for his ailing father-in-law. Able to speak only Spanish, Juan Pablo sought help from the council, became proficient in speaking and writing English, and landed a meaningful job that he’s held for 17 years.
“We have thousands of success stories,” Breisch said. “And when people are successful, they can contribute to the success of others.”
Uncertainty Makes Planning Nearly Impossible
Ongoing uncertainty about its budget for next year has made planning for 2026 nearly impossible, according to Breisch.
On top of not knowing what will happen with its federal funding, Literacy Council staff worry that Pennsylvania’s ongoing state budget impasse could eventually result in adverse financial consequences.
And, explained Breisch, if federal funding does come through for 2026, which at this point is by no means guaranteed, it’s unclear what conditions may be attached to it.
“We aren’t giving out student handbooks at this point because we don’t know what classes we can include in them,” Breisch said. “And we’re planning on only doing a half-year budget for 2026 for now because we have no clue what will happen after June 30.”
Ryan Breisch, Executive Director of The Literacy Council of Reading-Berks.
While the current uncertainty is disconcerting, the Literacy Council continues to look forward to its move from its current headquarters in West Lawn to Tec Centro’s building at 450 S. Sixth Street in Reading. The move is tentatively planned for January.
The rent they will pay for the new space should be substantially less than costs for upkeep of its current building, which the Literacy Council owns, Breisch said. And funds from the sale of the current building will allow grant money to be applied for education rather than to pay for rent or building upkeep.
“We’re worried about a lot of unknowns right now, but we’re also excited about moving and working more closely with Tec Centro and the clients it serves,” Breisch said. “We’ll keep doing what we do to the best of our ability.”
