“We simply don’t know what to expect,” Garrigan said. “It’s a very uncertain and worrisome time.”
Safe Berks is one of many organizations in Berks County feeling the pinch from the budget impasse, which makes it impossible for the state to make billions of dollars in payments to nonprofits, schools, local governments and other organizations that provide services to residents.
Garrigan explained that about 75% of funding for Safe Berks is dependent on local, state and federal funding, some of which is federal money that passes through the state before getting to the agency.
Due to the budget impasse, which has resulted in a stoppage in funds of between $75,000 and $100,000 a month, Safe Berks has been forced to deplete its cash reserves and rely on a line of credit.
If funding is not soon restored, Garrigan is fearful the agency may have to tap into some investments, risking further harm to its financial future.
“The line of credit is great to have as a backup, but the interest on it is horrible,” Garrigan explained. “What happens if this keeps going and we run out of our reserves?”
Shutting down the agency, she emphasized, is not an option.
“We absolutely cannot close down,” Garrigan said. “There’s just too much need in our community.”
Beth Garrigan, Safe Berks CEO, in her office at the agency’s headquarters.
Work of Safe Berks is ‘Multi-Layered and Complex’
Gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026, Safe Berks has served tens of thousands of women, men and children seeking escape from sexual and domestic violence.
The services that Safe Berks offers are tested and proven, Garrigan said, although many people are unaware of the depth of the organization.
“A lot of people think we’re just a shelter, but the work we do is multi-layered and complex,” she said.
A women studies a red silhouette representing a victim of domestic violence.
Looking Ahead with Apprehension
Although it’s nearly impossible to plan programming or anticipate the agency’s capacity to provide services, Garrigan and others are tentatively looking toward the coming year.
“We’ll try to maintain the bare minimum in staffing and we’re looking into how to generate additional streams of revenue,” Garrigan shared.
Nine of the agency’s approximately 60 employees have already been laid off, and others are seeking other employment as they anticipate that further cuts may be necessary.
“To have to let go of people who are doing this work from their hearts is incredibly difficult,” Garrigan said. “Those layoffs were the hardest thing I ever had to do.” Garrigan said shelter residents and other clients are sensing the uncertainty surrounding the agency, resulting in a general sense of unease. “I thought the time during Covid was bad,” she said. “This is worse than Covid.”
Walkers participate in a Silent Witness event sponsored by Safe Berks.
‘This is Just Devasting’
Echoing leaders of other area nonprofits, Garrigan praised the Berks County community for stepping up in times of need to support organizations that serve them and their neighbors.
“Community support is big in Berks County, and we have a strong donor base,” she said.
She remains concerned, however, that many people are unaware of the precarious situation service organizations are facing due to the four-month funding delay.
“We’re fighting so hard, and this is just devastating,” Garrigan said. “A lot of people can ignore the situation because it doesn’t affect them, but this is impacting everything we do.”
Even if the legislature passes a budget tomorrow and the delayed money is released, there will be a lag time until funding reaches community organizations.
“We’re going to keep doing what we do as well as we can,” Garrigan said. “We’ve been working in this community for a long time, and we know that our services are needed. I just hope we don’t get so deep into debt that we can’t get out of it.”
by Susan Shelly McGovern
On any given day, there are hundreds of men, women, teens and children experiencing homelessness in Berks County.
Some have been without homes for months – even years – while others are homelessness for the first time.
They are teenagers who have aged out of foster care, and parents who have lost their jobs and ability to provide for their families.
They are veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, and mothers with children who have fled abusive relationships.
They are men and women battling substance abuse and its surrounding issues, and working families desperate to stay together, but unable to afford the high cost of housing.
Sixteen percent of those identified were under the age of 18, 25% were 55 or older and 38 individuals were U.S. veterans. They were sleeping in tents, cars, emergency shelters, transitional housing, under bridges and on city benches.
The tent of someone staying in a local homeless encampment.
Berks Coalition to End Homelessness (BCEH) “At a Stalemate”
Jack Williams, executive director of BCEH, said major uncertainty regarding how much federal funding may be available, and when, makes it impossible to plan for 2026 or beyond.
“We’ve basically come to a stalemate,” Williams said. “We can’t make decisions or enter into contracts, because we don’t know what’s happening with the funding we rely on.”
BCEH is an umbrella agency that oversees services to Berks County residents and works with a network of area nonprofits that receive federal funds for a variety of projects.
While federal funding has increased in recent years, officials worry that proposed cuts and conditions placed on funding may badly jeopardize the work they’re able to do in the future.
A problem this year, Williams explained, is that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has not yet released guidelines for next year’s grant applications, which normally are due at the end of September.
Unable to even complete an application for funding leaves agencies completely in the dark, unable to know what to expect. Most agencies, however, are anticipating funding cuts.
Volunteers cut children’s hair during a back-to-school community event sponsored by Family Promise of Berks County.
Reading Housing Authority “Preparing for Changes”
Lorena Keely, chairwoman of the board of commissioners for the Reading Housing Authority, which works to assist individuals and families find permanent housing, agreed that future funding and policies are uncertain, and cuts may be imminent.
“We’re trying to keep our finger on the pulse of what’s happening at the federal level, and we share the concerns of other agencies,” Keely said. “If what we’re hearing is being discussed comes to fruition, we need to figure out what that means for the people we serve.”
Specifically, representatives of the housing authority are concerned about a federal threat to end support for Housing First programs, which enable people to attain permanent housing without having to first meet certain conditions, such as employment or mental health treatment.
That would disproportionately affect people struggling with chronic, long-term homelessness, Keely explained, placing additional strain on agencies addressing housing issues.
There also is talk of instituting a two-year voucher program, which would put a time limit on assistance for eligible participants. While Reading Housing Authority has received no notification of such a limit, officials are working to stay on top of reports.
“We’re preparing ourselves as much as possible for any potential changes,” Keely said.
Tents provide shelter for unhoused people in Berks County.
Family Promise of Berks County Facing Severe Cuts to Operating Budget
Anticipating its 20th anniversary next year, Family Promise of Berks County’s future is uncertain as it faces the possibility of severe cuts in federal funding.
“Unfortunately, 70% of our budget comes from federal funding,” said Jill Glose, executive director. “It’s absolutely critical to what we do.”
Family Promise provides housing for families in crisis for 90 days while also providing crucial case management services and assistance in finding jobs and permanent housing. It also runs a program for homeless youth and supplies rent and utility assistance for eligible applicants.
Glose remains hopeful that federal funding will come through for next year. If it does not, she said, Family Promise’s ability to serve clients will certainly be impacted.
“The amount of need has absolutely increased, and it’s harder and harder to keep up with the support we can provide,” Glose said.
Luis Ruiz Lopez, a former caseworker for Family Promise of Berks County’s U Turn program, poses with a client who’s just been given a bicycle to use for transportation. The U Turn program serves teens who are experiencing homelessness.
Determined to Continue Serving Clients
While it’s difficult to remain optimistic in the face of looming budget cuts likely to adversely affect a large number of individuals and families, leaders of local agencies addressing housing and homelessness are determined to keep working for those they serve.
“We can’t give up,” Williams said. “We have to be prepared to pivot and do what we can to make sure the least number of people possible get hurt by all this.”
Keely said Berks County has a long history of agencies with common goals working together – something that will benefit everyone.
“We’ll put our heads together and seek solutions the best we can,” she said. “Our commitment to the people we serve is not going to change.”
At the Community Foundation, we want to improve life in Berks County by connecting its residents with accurate information.
What do these cuts mean for Berks County residents, nonprofits, businesses and donors?
The impact of federal funding cuts, government shutdowns, and the state budget impasse are beginning to be felt on a local level.
While philanthropy helps create vibrant and healthy communities, it is not designed to replace the stability of federal or state investments. Affordable housing, food security, access to education, workforce development, affordable healthcare and much more depend on federal dollars. When that funding is stripped or halted, we risk a reduction in essential local services.
Local philanthropy has never and will never be able to fill the void of government funding.
Why Stories of Impact?
As a community foundation, we hear directly from the Berks nonprofits, agencies, businesses and individuals how federal cuts impact their capacity to serve the community. To connect Berks County residents with accurate information, we’ve engaged a local freelance reporter to elevate the voices of those impacted and shed light on the real-world effects of these budget changes on local organizations and individuals.
This research has been captured in the form of articles that you can read below.
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Note from Monica Reyes, VP for Programs and Initiatives: Opinions expressed in the Government Cuts, Local Impact Series do not necessarily represent those of Berks County Community Foundation.
Click here to read the bio of our reporter, Susan Shelly McGovern
Susan is a freelance writer, editor, and researcher.Over the course of a long and varied career, Susan has crafted thousands of articles, written or contributed to more than 50 books, generated copy for advertising and marketing firms, edited a variety of manuscripts, researched corporate histories and generally applied her skills to whatever projects presented themselves.
But what Susan has enjoyed the most is telling stories.
As a feature writer for the Reading Eagle, area colleges and universities, health care systems, treatment centers and others, Susan has had the opportunity to tell the stories of first-generation college students, people struggling with addiction, veterans, business executives, health care workers, educators, patients dealing with serious illnesses and people who have triumphed over adverse circumstances.
As a long-time, invested resident of Berks County, Susan has witnessed some of the challenges local people experience with food insecurity, homelessness, incarceration, alienation and other extremely challenging situations. She has worked with agencies including New Journey Community Outreach, Opportunity House, Berks Coalition to End Homelessness, Family Promise of Berks County and Connections Work.
by Susan Shelly McGovern
Helping Harvest vans are frequently seen at community events in Berks and Schuylkill counties.
Maria has always worked hard to make sure her children have enough food and other necessities. There seldom was extra, but they always had enough.
When Maria, of Reading, was diagnosed earlier this year with Stage 5 kidney disease, however, the single mother didn’t know what to do. Unable to work, faced with medical bills and receiving only 60% of her wages through short-term disability insurance, having enough food for her family was suddenly a very frightening uncertainty.
Volunteers distribute food to neighbors at a Helping Harvest Mobile Market.
Fortunately, Maria reached out and was able to secure immediate assistance from Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank, a community resource serving Berks and Schuylkill counties. That help has given her family access to adequate food supplies as they wait for their application for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be processed and, hopefully, approved.
But that ability to provide immediate and adequate aid for those in need is becoming increasingly difficult, according to Jay Worrall, president of Helping Harvest and board chair of Feeding Pennsylvania, an organization that promotes food banks within the state and assists them in obtaining necessary resources and support.
Cuts in federal funding for food distribution programs made earlier this year are straining the ability of food banks across the state and nation to continue supplying resources to those most in need.
Worrall said federal cuts resulted in a loss of $3 million to Helping Harvest, equivalent to about 15% of the food it distributes annually.
Those cuts, coupled with stalled state funding caused by Pennsylvania’s ongoing budget impasse and impending cuts to SNAP, are resulting in trying times for Helping Harvest, Worrall said.
SNAP benefits could be reduced by as much as $11 million in Schuylkill County and up to $26.8 million in Berks, according to Worrall, affecting thousands of families. In addition, it is unclear whether the recent shutdown of the federal government, which was still underway at the time this article was written, might have long-reaching implications for the future of Helping Harvest.
Volunteers pack food boxes in Helping Harvest’s warehouse in Spring Township.
“Demand for our services continues to increase, but we’re left with fewer resources to meet those needs. The worst of the SNAP cuts haven’t even taken place yet, but people are anticipating them and already looking to us for extra help. It’s the perfect storm and it’s making our work very difficult,” Worrall explained.
Helping Harvest recently announced cuts to some of its programs in Schuylkill County, starting in November. The food bank will stop providing food to about a dozen pantry and mobile market sites, a move Worrall attributed to federal funding cuts and the state’s budget impasse.
A Helping Harvest volunteer gives local students fresh fruit to take home.
Although the food bank has made some organizational changes and altered the way it processes and distributes food to try to make up the shortfalls it’s experiencing, it is unable to keep up with decreased funding and increasing demand.
“We’re working to close that gap, but we’re not going to make up $3 million in one year,” Worrall said. “We’re going to have very serious challenges to overcome.”
While the future of funding for Helping Harvest and other food banks is uncertain, Worrall is looking forward and trying to remain optimistic.
He pointed to the potential of Helping Harvest’s Community Kitchen that opened in August in downtown Reading, explaining that the kitchen makes it possible for large-scale food donations to be repurposed into thousands of individual meals for people in Berks and Schuylkill counties.
“That’s a real help in getting meals out to people who need them,” Worrall said. “It’s wonderful how the community came together to support the Community Kitchen and make that possible.”
Volunteers and staff assemble ready-to-eat meals at Helping Harvest’s new Community Kitchen.
In these very uncertain times, Worrall will continue to look to the Berks and Schuylkill communities for support. It is urgent, he said, that the needs of everyone at risk for hunger – especially children – are addressed and met.
“Think what it would be like to not have enough food for your kids,” Worrall said. “I can’t imagine that, and I don’t want anyone else to have to, either. We’re going to need all the help we can get, but Helping Harvest will continue to serve the people who need us the most.”
Reading, PA (August 25, 2025) – Health and Human Services Program Officer of Berks County Community Foundation, Cindy Milian, gave the keynote speech at the Community Wellness Department of Reading Hospital Tower Health’s “Voices for Health” event. This event launched the Community Wellness Department’s week-long celebration of community health workers. Tanieka Mason, MPH, Director of Health Equity at Tower Health, asked Cindy to address the health needs of Berks County residents, impart her expert knowledge, and provide a testimonial to the vital services our community health workers provide.
Event attendees and speakers included Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank’s President, Jay Worrall; Reading Hospital President and CEO, Dr. Charles F. Barbera, MD, MBA, MPH, FACEP; Secretary of Human Service of the PA Department of Health, Dr. Valeria Arkoosh, MD, MPH; Executive Deputy Secretary of the PA Department of Health, Kristen Rodack; Senator Judy Schwank; various local health service and pharmaceutical providers, and of course, a cohort of dedicated community health workers who serve Berks County.
According to the Tower Health website, “Reading Hospital’s Community Wellness Department works to identify and address key health issues in the community by leading a variety of programs and initiatives, collaborating with community partners, and investing in the overall health of our community.”
Cindy Milian’s keynote speech for the Community Wellness Department of Reading Hospital Tower Health’s “Voices for Health” event can be found below. Please note that certain photographs and last names of individuals have been omitted to maintain anonymity.
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“Thank you to the Community Wellness Department of Reading Hospital Tower Health for having me as a speaker for this event.
It is an honor to address esteemed hospital leadership, the stewards and officials of our local community, and of course, the cohort of community health workers present today.
My name is Cindy Milian, and I am the Health and Human Services Program Officer at Berks County Community Foundation. After 25 years of working as an Early Intervention Specialist, Therapeutic Staff Support, Home Health Aide Supervisor, Caseworker, and Casework Supervisor in Pennsylvania, I decided to take a well-deserved break by joining the foundation and overseeing hundreds of grants for individuals, public health initiatives, and human services initiatives.
Before I talk to you about community health, patient advocacy, or social determinants of health, I want to talk about my grandson.
This is Alexander (image omitted). He loves Baby Shark, Reggaeton, and being carried on my husband’s shoulders. If anyone here has a one-year-old child in their lives, then you know that they assert themselves and their needs loudly and with conviction. Alexander is no exception to this—we always know when he’s hungry, or wants Papa, or isn’t feeling well. Being a grandmother to Alexander means witnessing community health initiatives in action; it means fielding a lot of requests for help and hugs; it requires the inspection of the tangible and intangible world around him, and evaluating how it will affect his mental, physical, and spiritual health.
But the real inspection I want to conduct today is on the health of Berks County. My current work with the Community Foundation places me in a position of power and privilege: the power—or burden—of saying no to grant applicants, and the privilege of witnessing the life-changing impacts our donors have on their fellow Berks residents.
With the foundation, I’ve met with Hamburg community leaders who are struggling to identify mental health clinics for their at-risk populations; in Reading, I’ve guided a monolingual, Spanish speaking resident through the process of applying for a grant that could save her child’s life; and all over Berks County,
I’ve talked with countless individuals who are one paycheck away from homelessness. They are our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends. They are the patients we see in our offices, clinics, at-home visits and hospital beds every day.
Before we can talk about community health, we must talk about the community. In 2023, the United Way’s ALICE Report, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, showed that over 40% of Berks County households earned less than the county’s basic cost of living. This means that more than 47,000 Berks County working households are one paycheck away from a severe financial crisis, and more than 18,000 households are living in poverty.
For those 18,000+ households, the cost of a survival budget is unattainable. Meaning 12% of Berks Countians cannot afford the following:
Housing
Childcare
Food
Transportation
Health care
Technology
Taxes and
Unanticipated, one-time costs within the other categories.
So, what budget item would you cut to make ends meet? Would you call out from work and miss a paycheck because you couldn’t afford the bus fare? Would you skip a mammogram appointment to pay your rent this month? These aren’t hyperbolic questions designed to scare you – these are questions that tens of thousands of our community members ask themselves every day.
Some people in Berks County might hear these numbers and think, “well, that’s just a City of Reading issue.” This belief is false.
The need to improve access to equitable care, particularly for marginalized populations
The need to provide behavioral/mental healthcare to both adults and youth
The need to focus on health education and health literacy, especially resources and information tied to wellness and disease prevention
The need to address health disparities and increase the focus on health equity
Based on the information provided in this report, I’d like to share with you a story that highlights the need for these improvements. Last names have been omitted to maintain anonymity.
Ms. Susan is a grandmother, just like me. She lives in Boyertown, and, like so many families in our county, has been tasked with the guardianship of her grandson, who was diagnosed with Joubert Syndrome at birth. This genetic disorder affects part of the brain that controls balance and coordination. The disorder requires extensive therapy and services to manage daily living. Missing these appointments can have severe impacts on health – so why would Susan skip them? Ms. Lauren, a community health worker assigned to Susan’s family, noticed a trend of skipped appointments and decided to check in with the family.
Lauren found that Susan’s husband is wheelchair bound and in need of constant care, just like their grandson. Between providing 24/7 care for both her husband and grandson, Susan struggled to manage the paperwork and scheduling necessary for her grandson to attend school and therapy. Lauren discovered that the family didn’t have readily available access to a computer, where most of this paperwork could be found. That’s when Lauren reached out to the foundation.
For less than $200, Jess’s Sunshine Fund provided a laptop for Susan to manage her grandson’s care. The no more missed appointments led to no more unnecessary declines in her grandson’s health. Susan’s grant is one of the smallest distributions made by Jess’s Sunshine Fund, but it was profoundly impactful.
This technological barrier reveals a much larger truth: when we have a dedicated community health worker committed to the recognition, investigation, and improvement of the conditions that people are born, raised, and grow in, we can work together to create a healthier future.
Stories like Susan’s are just one of hundreds that I’ve been a part of at Berks County Community Foundation. Our relationships with community health workers in the county allow us to allocate donor dollars to essential health initiatives.
I’d like to give you another example of how collaboration with a community health worker made a positive impact on a family.
In 2024, a Berks County community health worker, Ms. Bobbi, noticed that Ms. Carmen, whose son has sickle cell anemia and Lowe syndrome, often rescheduled or missed her son’s necessary, recurring appointments in Philadelphia. After talking with Carmen, Bobbi discovered two things: first, Carmen’s car was in constant need of repair and wholly unreliable. Second, Carmen is a single mom, tasked with providing constant care for her son. As a young boy who is blind, non-verbal, and non-ambulatory, Carmen’s son has total dependence on his mother.
With Bobbi’s help and a written letter of recommendation, Carmen applied for our Arthur O. and Clara M. Schlegel Memorial Fund and was awarded the grant money needed to purchase a reliable vehicle. In Carmen’s case, and too often in Berks, non-medical factors impede our community’s health. We’ve all heard the cliché statement of, “I can’t afford to get sick right now.” Right now, it is our job to make a healthy life attainable and affordable for all.
Addressing the social determinants of health in Berks decreases health issues and lessens the burden on our community. Having a community health worker on your care team to identify both non-medical and medical needs is vital to ensuring positive health outcomes.
Berks County is a beautiful, diverse, and complicated region. We speak different languages, experience different life stressors, and hold vastly different beliefs. But our personal health is fundamentally interconnected with our community’s health. We need community health workers in our offices, clinics, hospital rooms, and mobile health services. Now more than ever, for ourselves and for future generations.
In closing, I want to leave you with one final thought. At Berks County Community Foundation, we have a quote on the wall of our boardroom from local philanthropist and industrialist Louis R. Thun; that reads,
“We remind ourselves constantly that we are heirs of an exceptional past, custodians of a challenging present, and architects of a limitless future.”
I believe that together, we can rise to the challenges presented to us today. I believe that we can build a more equitable, healthy, and vivacious Berks County. And to the community health workers of Berks County – thank you. Your work is invaluable and necessary. True change can start with a single spark, and we need yours.
Thank you.”
Talking is hard – and for girls, having a safe space to discuss feminine issues can make those conversations easier. John Paul II Center created Girl Talk 101 so girls with special needs could meet monthly. There, girls can discuss topics they may not feel comfortable discussing in front of male classmates or at home.
Girl Talk 101 received a grant from the Power of the Purse (POP) in Berks County Fund of Berks County Community Foundation. The grant was awarded so that the club can continue to meet and provide resources for participants. POP awarded the club $3,500 for 2025-2026 to financially support the club’s endeavors. The “girls only” club is available for JPII female students ages 10 to 21 and meets monthly. There, the girls discuss topics like feminine health, personal hygiene, bodily changes, relationships and more. Girl Talk 101 participants also cultivate social skills and self-assurance, so those who can enter the workforce do so with confidence.
John Paul II Center’s mission is to serve “children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing diversified programs.” The center believes in the Catholic Church’s teachings on the sanctity of human life, which guides programming. John Paul II Center acknowledges the dignity of all learners while they realize their full potential.
POP is a women’s giving circle established in 2012 to support causes that improve the quality of life for women and children in Berks County. Chiara Sockel Renninger, a financial advisor who had taken part in something similar in Lehigh Valley, brought the idea to the Community Foundation.
“I wanted to start a group that would give local women a place to pool their charitable resources to improve the lives of women and girls in our community,” Renninger said. Since its inception, POP has provided more than $581,000 to local organizations, including JPII for Girl Talk 101.
To learn more about the Power of the Purse Fund of Berks County Community Foundation, please click here.
Reading, PA (June 12, 2025) – Home Health Care Foundation and Berks County Community Foundation announced that they have merged. Home Health Care Foundation became an affiliate of Berks County Community Foundation in 2020. The transaction adds $7.3 million to the Community Foundation’s assets.
Home Health Care Foundation was created in 2019 after the merger of Berks Visiting Nurse Association, the Visiting Nurse Association of Pottstown and Vicinity and Advantage Home Care with Tower Health.
For years, each of these organizations provided compassionate and much-needed care to the communities they served. In that spirit, the Home Health Care Foundation was created to support charity care and other programs for the good of the community.
The Community Foundation has supported the Home Health Care Foundation board over the past five years.
The merger between the two foundations creates a fund at Berks County Community Foundation that will support:
Programs and educational activities that promote the general health and wellness of Berks County residents or its contiguous counties
Organizations and programs that help the residents of Berks County or its contiguous counties recover from illness or disability at home
Organizations that provide health-related charity care for the residents of Berks County or its contiguous counties
Programs and activities that support preventative healthcare and community health.
Kevin K. Murphy, president of Berks County Community Foundation, stated, “Our board and staff are delighted to be carrying on the legacy of Berks Visiting Nurses Association. We look forward to continuing to support projects that help our residents remain healthy and active.”
Rabbi Brian Michelson, Chair of the Home Health Care Foundation board, commented, “The board of the Home Healthcare Foundation has confidence that the Berks County Community Foundation will utilize these funds to enhance healthcare in the Berks County community and support programs that enable individuals to age in place and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations. This mission honors the legacy of the Berks Visiting Nurse Association and its donors.”
For more information, please contact Monica Reyes, Vice President for Programs and Initiatives, at monicar@bccf.org. To learn more about Monica Reyes and the Community Foundation team, visit Our Team page.
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Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation serving as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing, and distributing charitable funds to improve the quality of life in Berks County, PA. More information is available at www.bccf.org.
On Tuesday, May 6th, Berks County Community Foundation hosted a poverty simulation event at GoggleWorks, facilitated by Community Action Partnership of Lancaster. Dozens of community leaders attended to gain an understanding of the daily struggles faced by individuals living in poverty. School administrators, local government officials, mental health professionals, attorneys, and nonprofit organization staff participated in this event focused on tackling poverty in Berks County.
Cindy Milian, Health & Human Services Program Officer at the Community Foundation, organized and participated in the simulation. She shared her thoughts after the event: “I felt uplifted to see the variety of community leaders who actively participated in this simulation and voiced their renewed compassion for the Berks County residents who are struggling just to survive. With 41% of Berks County residents living paycheck to paycheck, I’m glad that conversations were had to discuss how we can all play a part in reducing the barriers faced by those living in poverty.”
To learn more about this event, email Cindy at cindym@bccf.org. To learn more about Cindy Milan and other Berks County Community Foundation team members, visit the Our Team page.
Power of the Purse in Berks County Fund Awards over $70,000 in Grants
Reading, PA – May 15, 2025 – The Power of the Purse in Berks County Fund of Berks County Community Foundation recently awarded $70,899 in grants to seven organizations. The Power of the Purse Fund supports programs that help break the cycle of poverty by eliminating or addressing barriers for Berks County girls and/or women who want to enter or re-enter the workforce or seek the education to do so.
The following grants were awarded:
$15,000 to Safe Berks to help eliminate barriers that survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault face in obtaining and/or maintaining employment by providing direct support and financial assistance for education and employment needs.
$15,000 to Helping Harvest to focus support on low-income women during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum to provide a box of healthy, vitamin-rich foods.
$15,000 to Reading Science Center to provide access to a wide spectrum of hands-on science investigations, professional female role models and field trips that inspire young women with the confidence and skills to prepare for careers in the sciences.
$8,000 to Literacy Council of Reading-Berks to help female residents of the community participate in the Gateway to Citizenship Program.
$8,000 to Hannah’s Hope Ministries to provide career guidance, skills training, and mentorship and to introduce women to industries and roles that align with their interests and abilities.
$6,399 to Co-County Wellness to help educate teens to make healthy and informed choices to postpone pregnancy and plan their futures.
$3,500 to John Paul II Center for Special Learning to provide female students ages 10-45 with any disability category a safe space to talk about their bodies, rights, safety, and self-advocacy with staff and community experts.
“From an outsider’s perspective, you think that there are these big mountains that you have to go over, but sometimes it’s a small amount of money or just a small gesture that can make the difference for someone being successful and getting out of poverty or getting a job,” said Chiara Renninger, founder of Power of the Purse. “I learned that small things can really make a huge difference to people.”
“Being able to engage the collective giving of the Power of the Purse (POP) is really empowering for the women in our community,” said Cindy Milian, health and human services program officer. “POP funding for these organizations supports the belief that woman play a pivotal role in driving change and shaping the future of Berks County.”
Power of the Purse Fund was created in 2012 as a women’s giving circle. For more information, visit https://bccf.org/funds/power-of-the-purse-in-berks-county-fund/ or email Molly McCullough Robbins, Vice President for Philanthropic Services, at mollyr@bccf.org.
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Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation serving as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing, and distributing charitable funds to improve the quality of life in Berks County, PA. More information is available at www.bccf.org.
READING, PA (April 9, 2025) – Berks County Community Foundation is pleased to announce the conclusion of its 1st quarter grant cycle for calendar year 2025, which has successfully distributed vital funding to local nonprofits and initiatives dedicated to improving our community.
In this quarter, the Foundation awarded grants to a diverse range of projects focusing in areas of environment and energy, education, health and human services, arts and culture, and neighborhoods and economic development; supporting the impactful work of local organizations that improve the lives of Berks County residents.
These numbers are a testament to the Foundation’s commitment to its mission to promote philanthropy and improve the quality of life for the residents of Berks County.
Q1 total grants awarded: 190
Q1 total dollar amount awarded: $1,152,270
Q1 number of organizations impacted: 142
“Grants awarded are made possible by generous donors who give back to the community they love,” stated Molly McCullough Robbins, Vice President for Philanthropic Services.
Moving forward, community members are invited to join the Community Foundation in sparking change. Here are two ways to get involved:
Give to an Existing Fund: Your contributions can help sustain the important work of established funds addressing specific needs within Berks County.
Create Your Own Fund: Whether you want to honor a loved one or support a particular cause or organization, the Foundation can help you to create a fund that reflects your passions and philanthropic goals.
For more information on how to give or create a fund, please visit www.bccf.org, email Molly McCullough Robbins at mollyr@bccf.org, or call (610) 685-2223.
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Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation serving as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing, and distributing charitable funds to improve the quality of life in Berks County, PA. More information is available at www.bccf.org.
