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Ed Lombardo has a connection to Berks County Community Foundation that goes back many years. A lifelong Berks resident, high school football coach, community volunteer and investment advisor, Ed recognizes the importance of philanthropy.  

Earlier this year, Ed reflected on his history of giving, which includes the Lombardo Family Scholarship Fund and the Lombardo Family Memorial Fund. To learn more about Ed’s connections to Muhlenburg, read his feature in this year’s edition of our annual magazine, 237 Court. Click here to view the magazine; Ed’s story begins on page 3. 

To learn more about establishing a fund at Berks County Community Foundation, click here or email mollyr@bccf.org.  

On Tuesday, July 16^th, 2025, leaders from Bernville Heritage and Cultural Center, Rentschler Arboretum, Bernville Area Community Library, Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church and Christ Little Tulpehocken Church welcomed Berks County Community Foundation team members to their spaces to discuss community programming initiatives.

The Foundation visited these institutions, as some have received gifts from various funds the foundation manages, and others simply enrich the cultural, educational, or religious life of the Tulpehocken area.

The program team of Berks County Community Foundation, comprised of experts in their fields of interest, started their Tulpehocken area tour at the Rentschler Arboretum.
The arboretum is a sprawling 34-acre tract of land, pictured below. Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club (BMECC), a grantee of Berks County Community Foundation, owns and maintains the arboretum. BMECC leads hikes on the Appalachian Trail, schedules bike rides and camping trips, and hosts various cultural and educational events throughout the year.  

When Berks County Community Foundation staff arrived at the Rentschler Arboretum, Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club (BMECC) member Linda Enders greeted the team and led them on a tour of the grounds.
Linda highlighted the club’s non-native flower planting initiative that encourages biodiversity, as well as their kestrel nest box, which helps protect the small falcon’s declining population. A source of pride for the club is its youth camp offerings that allow kids to camp in tents on the Rentschler Arboretum land, learn about environmental protection, and form healthy connections to nature.

A grant from the Conservation Equity Fund of Berks County Community Foundation was awarded to BMECC in 2022. The club used the money to install a new Wayfinding Mural, pictured below.

To learn more about the climbing club and Rentschler Arboretum, visit BMECC’s website. 

The next stop on the Tulpehocken tour was the Bernville Area Community Library. The director of the library, Jen Franklin, gave a presentation on the library’s history and its position as a vital public institution.
Residents can visit the library for resources beyond books and media. The foyer features a food pantry, the technology section boasts public computers and hotspot rentals, and the library itself hosts over 200 programs each year. Franklin and the library’s website commit to creating a welcoming and safe environment for everyone. To learn more about the programs and resources available at the library, visit their website. 

Then, Marisa and Tom Vanzin, members of the Bernville Heritage and Cultural Society, gave a detailed presentation on Bernville’s history. Nestled in rural Berks County, Stephanus Umbenhauer founded Bernville; the borough was officially incorporated in 1851. Stephanus’ children were laid to rest in the Evangelical Lutheran Friedens Church’s graveyard, a historical site in Bernville. Impressive stained-glass windows and a Dieffenbach organ adorn the inside of the church. Much like Bernville Area Community Library, Friedens Church offers public resources and lends its basement to other organizations to congregate. To learn more about Friedens Church, visit their website. 

The Tulpehocken tour concluded at Christ Little Tulpehocken Church, another religious institution that dates to the 18^th century.
Despite fire damage and other structural issues, congregants have rebuilt and maintained the historic site for more than 250 years. On the upstairs balcony, a Kantner organ extends to the ceiling. This is where Christ Church member Carol Dieffenbach Kantner played hymns for the foundation and other visitors. To learn more about the storied history of Christ Little Tulpehocken Church, visit their website.  

Berks County Community Foundation extends their gratitude to all the organizations, volunteers, and congregations that hosted us for our first Tulpehocken area tour.
Meeting our community friends and partners strengthens our connections and provides learning opportunities to expand our knowledge of various parts of Berks County.

To learn more about our areas of focus and grantmaking, visit our website: Community Initiatives

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Have a charitable spark? Create your own fund to put your charitable vision into action.  

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. 

Maggie Lewis does not currently live in Berks County, but her connections to home run deep. Maggie grew up here and now returns regularly to participate as a member of the Power of the Purse (POP) women’s giving circle.  As a working mother living outside Philadelphia who is busy with her husband and twin toddlers, Maggie makes time to come to Berks County regularly for POP meetings and events, because she believes the mission of POP and the grantmaking facilitated by the Community Foundation is a meaningful way to give back to the community in which she was raised. While she lives in Aston, PA with her family, her connections to her home stay strong.

The Power of the Purse (POP) Fund of Berks County Community Foundation was established in 2012 and currently boasts over 60 members. POP members meet four times per year and attend optional site visits to determine recipients of grant funding through an application and review process. The Community Foundations manages the application and review process.

To read more about Maggie, click here to view the 2025 edition of 237 Court, the official magazine of Berks County Community Foundation. Her donor highlight story is on page 14. 

To learn more about the Power of the Purse Fund of Berks County Community Foundation, please click here. 

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:   

  

1. Give to an Existing Fund: Your contributions can help sustain the important work of established funds addressing specific needs within Berks County.   

2. 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. 

One of the most pressing issues facing Berks County – and many communities across the country – is poverty. Poverty is not just an individual struggle–it is a community-wide concern. While poverty is often viewed as a stand-alone issue, the reality is that it’s deeply interconnected with many aspects of our lives, including physical and mental health, family relationships, cognitive development in children, and the risk of homelessness and violence. 

To address these complex issues and spark meaningful conversation, we invite you to a Poverty Simulation. This unique, interactive workshop is designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by families living in poverty, and more importantly, to inspire action toward solutions. 

What is a Poverty Simulation? 

The Poverty Simulation is a role-playing exercise where participants are assigned a new persona and family profile that reflects the realities of low-income families. Over the course of the simulation, participants navigate through daily tasks—tasks that many of us take for granted, such as paying bills, buying groceries, and finding transportation. 

However, the experience isn’t just about completing these tasks—it’s about realizing how hard it can be to meet even the most basic needs when financial resources are limited. The outcomes of the simulation are unpredictable, and participants are often surprised by how difficult it is to make ends meet.  

According to the 2020 Census, over 11.1% of Americans live in poverty while in Berks County, over 11.9% of our residents face this daily challenge.  

The Poverty Simulation offers participants a rare opportunity to walk in the shoes of someone facing these challenges. It helps participants see firsthand how factors like limited access to resources, transportation, and support networks can impact the ability to thrive. The hope is that by experiencing this, individuals will gain empathy and a deeper understanding of the barriers that many in our community face. 

After the simulation, participants engage in meaningful discussions about how our community can address these challenges. They are prompted to think critically about the systems in place and explore how we can all work together to create solutions that lift people out of poverty and support families in need. Participating in the Poverty Simulation is an opportunity to not only gain insight into the realities of living in poverty, but also to be part of a larger movement toward change.  

Whether you’re a business leader, educator, healthcare professional, or simply a concerned citizen, your involvement in these discussions can help make Berks County a more equitable place for everyone. After participating in the poverty simulation, community leaders will be equipped to make decisions in their work while keeping the barriers faced by the people they serve in mind. Join us in this vital effort to make a difference. You can stay up to date on all the foundation’s events by clicking here.

On March 29, 2025, approximately 145 guests gathered at the Berkshire Country Club to honor Ramona Turner Turpin with the 2025 Thun Award. The Thun Award was created in 1988 to honor Louis R. Thun and Ferdinand K. Thun, local industrialists and philanthropists, in recognition of their long-standing record of civic and community service. The award is presented to Berks County residents whose commitment of time, leadership, and philanthropy exhibits the enduring sense of community reflected by the high ideals of the Thun family.  

Fulton Bank and Berks County Community Foundation proudly presented the 2025 Thun Award to Ramona Turner Turpin for her extraordinary community contributions, engagement, and philanthropy in Berks County. Ramona is an Instructor at the Literacy Council of Reading-Berks. Early in her career, Ramona was employed by Berks County Intermediate Unit – first as a teacher, then as an early childhood education coordinator. She served as the Dean of Leadership and Director of Funds Development for the I-LEAD Charter School in Reading. Ramona’s banking career began as the Community Reinvestment Act Director for Bank of Pennsylvania before she was named Community Relations manager for Sovereign Bank in 1999, a position she held for almost ten years. In addition, she held the role of Small Business Specialist for three years.  

Ramona has served on numerous boards, including Berks County Community Foundation, Reading Musical Foundation, Olivet Boys and Girls Club, BCTV and United Way of Berks County. She has volunteered her time with Berks Intercultural Alliance. Ramona is a long-time member of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church where she has shared her time and talents as a teacher, choir member, and Christian education director; she presently sits on the steward board. Ramona has received numerous awards, including the Athena Award, the Outstanding Woman award from Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, the Amiga Award from the Latina Gathering, and the NAACP Image Award. 

Previous Recipients of the Thun Award:  

Thun Award recipients are community advocates who are leaders in commerce and industry. This year’s award recipient embodies the passion for and investment in this community, qualities that are found in all the recipients of the Thun Award. 

Berks County Community Foundation established the Thun Award Fund from which honorees recommend grants to organizations of their choice. Ramona selected The Sisterhood of Reading to receive this year’s grant. The Sisterhood of Reading strives to foster a kindred and caring spirit among African American women. Their goal is to mentor young women for the betterment of our community. 

Click here to view event photos from the Celebration of Giving and Thun Award presentation. To view the video which highlights Ramona’s contributions to the community, visit our YouTube page here. For more information about the Thun Award, please email me at mollyr@bccf.org.

Part 2 in a 3-part Series Exploring the Impact of Philanthropy   

Thanks to the generosity of our community, Berks County Community Foundation now manages nearly 400 funds totaling over $140 million. Since we were founded in 1994, donors have worked with us to establish these funds to support the causes and organizations that are most important to them. Are you interested in giving back to your community? Sparking change in Berks County starts with defining your charitable goals to create a fund. We can help you achieve those goals, no matter the cause or motivation. Let us help make a difference to what matters most to you. 

One way to spark change is to determine how you want to support the community. What causes interest you most? We have created a short questionnaire to set your journey of generosity in motion. The questionnaire starts by asking, “What do you hope to achieve with your fund?” 

Different funds fulfill different charitable goals. When you create a fund with Berks County Community Foundation, do you want grants from your fund to support: 

• A variety of community needs as determined by the Community Foundation 

• A specific organization (or multiple organizations)  

• A cause I care about, not a specific organization 

• Different nonprofits that I select each year 

• Individuals seeking an education 

• Individuals who excel at something 

Once you’ve narrowed down your goals, it’s time to talk to us. We will work with you to draft a fund agreement which details your wishes and eligibility parameters for future grant recipients from your fund.

In this three-part series, we will explore endowment funds, sparking change, and grantmaking. At Berks County Community Foundation, we do all three. Whether you’re a nonprofit leader, philanthropist, or community advocate, this series will provide insight into how strategic funding can shape a better future. 

If you have questions, please email me at mollyr@bccf.org or call 610-685-2223. I look forward to hearing more about you and how you would like to spark change in our community.  

On February 26th, Berks County Community Foundation held a reception at Vintner’s Table in Wyomissing, attended by over thirty-five professional advisors. The event was an opportunity for us to thank the professional advisors who, by introducing the Community Foundation to their clients, allow us to continue our mission of promoting philanthropy and improving the quality of life for Berks County residents.      

Other staff members present included Kevin K. Murphy, President; Monica Reyes, VP for Programs & Initiatives; Molly McCullough Robbins, VP for Philanthropic Services; Erica Caceres, Communication Manager; Vivi Anthony, Executive Assistant, and our team of program officers. 

Cindy Milian, Health and Human Services Program Officer, oversees grants for individuals, public health initiatives, human services initiatives, and animal welfare.   

Emily Smedley, Environment and Energy Program Officer, manages programs and grants related to the environment, sustainable energy, land use, and neighborhood vitality.   

Kim Sheffer, Lifelong Learning Program Officer, manages the scholarship and educational grant funds.   

We enjoyed the chance to mingle with our professional advisor friends and provide updates on Community Foundation work in the community. 

Since the Community Foundation was founded over 30 years ago, 50% of the charitable funds we manage have been the direct result of a referral by a professional advisor. In dollar amounts, 76% of our current investment pool is the result of funds referred to us by a professional advisor.  

Details on how you can be a referrer and spark change are available in the Community Foundation’s Giving Guide.   

If you have questions, please email me at frankia@bccf.org. 

As we age, maintaining strength, balance, and flexibility becomes essential for staying active and independent. Recognizing this need, the Home Health Care Foundation Fund of Berks County Community Foundation provided a grant to support older adults in their wellness journeys. Through a grant awarded to the TriCounty Active Adult Center’s Fitness Program, older people in the community now have greater access to a variety of fitness classes designed to improve their overall health, reduce the risks associated with falls, and provide general elder care. 

The TriCounty Active Adult Center, formerly known as the Pottstown Area Seniors’ Center, is a nonprofit community center dedicated to serving individuals aged 50 and above across western Montgomery, northern Chester, and eastern Berks counties. With nearly 100 programs each week, many free or at a minimal cost, the center provides ample opportunities for elder care, so older adults can stay active, learn new skills, and connect with others.  

“I decided to go to a class to check it out. It was then that I realized what I had been missing. I’ve met new friendly people and there are many things to do. It filled the void in my life. I felt I had a new life now. Something to look forward to,” one participant mentioned after attending a class.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021 falls caused 38,000 deaths among those age 65 and older. The center offers a variety of classes for all abilities to help people over 50 improve their strength, stamina, flexibility, and balance to avoid falls and to reduce the severity of injuries when falls do occur.

The grant from the Home Health Care Foundation Fund of Berks County Community Foundation supports programs and organizations that benefit the health of residents in Berks County and surrounding counties.  Since 2019, this fund continues to be a crucial resource for supporting health and wellness efforts across the region, ensuring that older adults have the tools and resources they need to age well. You can read more about the fund by clicking here.  

Together, we can build a stronger, healthier future for all!