In March 2023, the Berks County Commissioners released a study about public health in our community. The study was conducted by Health Management Associates and listed four recommendations:
1. Create a Berks County Health Director position to lead public health collective action and coordination and serve as a trusted communicator about public health information.
2. Establish a Public Health Advisory Panel and appoint members who can advise on public health assessment, assurance, and policy activities.
3. Support the establishment of a “Healthy Berks” Coalition to serve as a coordinating body for public health efforts in the county.
4. Create a Berks County Health Data Analyst position to improve Berks County-specific public health data completeness and accuracy.
The report and its recommendations have received nearly unanimous praise and support from our region’s medical community and voices representing a wide range of public responsibilities. You can access the report by clicking here.
As the commissioners prepare for a final decision on the study, we are happy to support Berks County Medical Society’s virtual lunch and learn conversation on March 6th, 2024, about this study and its path forward. This event was supported through the Community General Hospital Healthcare Fund of Berks County Community Foundation. The goal of this lunch and learn is to review the report and have an open discussion on the future of public health in our community.
For more information and to save your virtual seat, click here.
The generosity of our donors allowed us to award $610,000 in scholarships in 2023. Each scholarship has specific eligibility criteria based on the donor’s intention when the scholarship was created. Our scholarship application opens on January 1 each year. The deadline to submit all applications is 11:59 P.M. on March 1. Applications cannot be edited or submitted after the March 1 deadline. To maintain a fair process, we cannot make exceptions.
All of the scholarship opportunities currently offered by the Community Foundation are available to students with no need for any documentation from FAFSA for this year only.
How do I apply? Create an account in our online portal using a personal email address. Do not use your school address. Once you create an account, this account will serve as a hub for your universal application. Ensure you have ample time to complete the application, as it may require up to an hour.
What’s a universal application? It’s a single form that matches your answers to the scholarship(s) for which you may qualify.
How do I know if I am eligible for a scholarship? After submitting your application, check your dashboard for additional questions or requests that need to be considered for the matched scholarship.
Where is my dashboard and how do I access it? Click here to watch a video guide on accessing your dashboard.
Should you have questions during the application process, our FAQ section provides helpful information. We wish you the best of luck. If you have questions, you can email scholarships@bccf.org or call us at 610.685.2223 and ask for Kim Sheffer, Lifelong Learning Program Officer.
For nearly 30 years, Berks County Community Foundation has helped individuals, families, organizations, and businesses achieve their charitable objectives. We know that change radiates outward, and we help people create a brighter future and a legacy of real transformation for all of us. This often includes creating a fund to honor the memory of a loved one or support a cause about which the individual or family cares deeply. In either case, a member of our staff works with the people involved to determine the best way to meet their charitable objectives.
How does it work? First, think about what you are passionate about supporting. We can help you achieve your charitable goals, no matter the cause or motivation. Let us help you discover the type of charitable fund that best matches your goals.
Different funds fulfill different dreams.
Which of these types of funds works best for your dream?
- Undesignated: Want to meet the most pressing needs in Berks County? Grants from undesignated funds are determined by our board of directors to address ever-changing community needs.
- Designated: Support a specific organization year after year, even after you are gone. Organizations benefit from consistent support, and you can be confident the money in your fund is professionally managed.
- Field of Interest: Whatever your cause, our team of program experts will do the legwork to ensure grants from your fund make a difference for your cause now and for years to come.
- Donor Advised: Make decisions about where grants from your fund go each year while you are alive, with the option to name a successor advisor after you are gone.
- Scholarships and Awards: Help students pay for their education through a scholarship fund, honor people for significant accomplishments by establishing an annual award, or use a designated fund or field-of-interest fund to support a specific school or area of education.
Ready to put your charitable vision into action? We are here to help. Click here to use our short questionnaire to set your journey of generosity in motion. Questions? Email give@bccf.org. – We look forward to helping you fulfill your charitable goals.
VOiCEup Berks has developed the Youth Mental Health Education Initiative, which addresses the need for accessible mental health resources for local youth while recognizing that young people have an easier time communicating with others their own age. VOiCEup will educate youth about mental health issues and the support systems available to them.
Fifteen student participants, also known as Youth Mental Health Ambassadors (YMHA), will work directly with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which will teach them about mental health topics, resources for support, and suicide prevention efforts. Once the YMHAs complete these learning requirements, they will assist VOiCEup Berks staff. This project was funded by the Home Healthcare Foundation Fund.
VOiCEup Berks promotes individual and community growth by connecting different sectors of Berks County through volunteer opportunities. The organization hopes to reach thousands of youths and adults in our community with this initiative, which includes the following activities:
To address the need for youth education on suicide prevention, VOiCEup Berks will educate local youth through “Question, Persuade, Refer” (QPR) training, a professional form of suicide prevention training. Certified VOiCEup Berks staff will train students on properly identifying and addressing a suicide crisis. Upon completion of the training, students should be able to persuade and refer someone to get help effectively. Young Mental Health Ambassadors, students at Yocum Institute, students from the VOiCEup Berks advisory board, and students from local high schools will receive training from the staff of VOiCEup Berks.
The Yocum Institute will partner with VOiCEup to complete the “Suicide Prevention Through Art Collaboration” project. Yocum performers will bring a suicide awareness play called “Between Apt. 2B and the End Zone” to different high schools in Berks County. The primary goal of the play is to spark hope in the students watching while simultaneously reducing the stigma behind suicide.
To reach as many Berks County residents as possible, Youth Mental Health Ambassadors will work alongside the Muhlenberg Aevidum Club and a marketing professional to create a suicide prevention marketing campaign. This campaign will be youth-driven and focused on normalizing discussions and treatment related to mental health. Promotions will include social media campaigns, printed content, an awareness video, t-shirts, and billboard advertising.
To help parents handle mental health crises, there will be a workshop for parents to learn about the mental health needs of youth.
More information about the program can be found on the VOiCEup Berks website at www.voiceupberks.org.
The Home Healthcare Foundation Fund supports:
- Organizations and programs that help residents recover from illness or disability at home to prevent them from needing in-patient medical care
- Programs and activities that support preventative healthcare for residents and overall community health to reduce the need for in-patient medical care
- Organizations that provide health-related charity care to residents.
Applications are now being accepted until March 15. For more information about the fund and to apply, please click here.
READING (January 19, 2024) — Reading, PA – Berks County Community Foundation is proud to announce the addition of a new team member, Molly McCullough Robbins. Molly will be joining the organization as the Vice President for Philanthropic Services.
In this new role as Vice President for Philanthropic Services, Molly will be responsible for creating new funds and delivering services to donors. Molly will serve as part of the Community Foundation’s senior leadership team, advising the president on corporate strategy and management issues. She will seek opportunities to expand the foundation’s impact and oversee the management and development of the Community Foundation brand.
Before her role at the Community Foundation, Molly spent five years as Executive Director of Wyomissing Area Education Foundation, where she led development initiatives, cultivated donor relationships, planned fundraising events, managed the content creation for all promotional materials, provided leadership and support to Board and committee members, and served as a liaison between the Education Foundation and the school district. Prior to WAEF, Molly spent 10 years as Director of Communications and Assistant to the Director of Advancement for an independent school in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Molly graduated from Wyomissing Area High School and then earned her Bachelor of Arts from Hobart & William Smith Colleges, with a major in psychology and a minor in Women’s Studies. She completed the Berks County Community Foundation’s Nonprofit Management Certificate program in 2020. After living in Colorado, Maui, and St. John for over 20 years, Molly returned to Berks County in 2017.
“We are excited to welcome Molly to our team,” said Kevin Murphy, President of Berks County Community Foundation. “Her background aligns seamlessly with our commitment to sparking positive change in our community.”
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About Berks County Community Foundation
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.
Media Contact: Erica Caceres, Communication Manager, Phone: 610-685-2231, Email address: ericac@bccf.org
We are shocked by the shameful comments made at a local school board meeting regarding students from the Antietam School District. These comments are a reminder of the need to value all students in our community and to recognize that potential is distributed evenly but opportunity is not.
The challenges facing the Antietam School District are unprecedented in the history of our Commonwealth. Rather than cast aspersions and make derogatory comments about our children, we as a community need to find a way to provide opportunity for these students whose school buildings have been made uninhabitable by previously unimaginable flooding.
We condemn in the sharpest language possible the comments made at the Oley Valley school board meeting and urge our entire community to condemn them as well.
Kevin Murphy
President
Berks County Community Foundation
Every year, Rutter’s organizes a Secret Santa event where they select 100 employees throughout the company to decide where to donate $1,000. This holiday season, Matthew Commons was one of the lucky individuals to donate to a charity of his choice.
Matthew decided the donation should go to a fund at Berks County Community Foundation. “What better way to give back to my community than choosing the foundation that goes above and beyond to support every aspect of the place I grew up in?”
The impact of Matthew’s choice reaches far beyond the monetary value of the donation.
Matthew decided the donation should go to a charitable fund that supports local businesses. The donation will be put into the Business Jump Start Incubator Fund. This fund supports startup businesses. Startup businesses pay a reduced rent and in return get a fully furnished office, Wi-Fi, and use of the conference facilities. By supporting local businesses, Matt is contributing to the economic impact of the community.
Matt’s story serves as an inspiration for us all. It reminds us that change starts with a spark. Your spark. And every act of generosity, when directed with purpose, can have a profound impact on the lives of those around us.
Want to make a positive difference in Berks County? We’re happy to answer your questions, discuss charitable options with you, and do everything we can to ensure your charitable objectives are fulfilled. We’d love to chat. Contact us today.
The Community Foundation manages several charitable funds that benefit cultural groups and organizations. In early 2023, the Kutztown Pipe Band, which is made up of students, faculty, and staff from Kutztown University, local students, and community members, requested a grant from the Juniper Fund to buy materials for its Learn About Bagpipes program. The band created this program to promote excitement and enthusiasm for Scottish music and culture.
The band first introduced the program at both Conrad Weiser East Elementary and Conrad Weiser West Elementary. Band members gave demonstrations during assemblies in which students heard songs played on various forms of bagpipes. Laura Sherrod, pipe major of the Kutztown Pipe Band, and Diana Cook, member of the Kutztown Pipe Band and an elementary music teacher, gave these demonstrations. If students had questions, they could get answers from the pipers directly during a special panel called “Ask the Piper.”
Kutztown Pipe Band hopes to expand its educational opportunities to include more adult programming. The first adult event took place at the Kutztown Public Library. Libraries pay a discounted fee to host the Kutztown Pipe Band for educational sessions, while demonstrations are free to schools thanks to the grant funding and the generosity of the members of the Kutztown Pipe Band who volunteer their time to educate students on Scottish history.
The Kutztown Pipe Band began with five piping students in 2017 and now has more than two dozen members.
In 2022, the band started the Learn About Bagpipes program to educate audiences about the instrument and to instill in them a deeper appreciation of Scottish Heritage. The musicians tailor each demonstration to the audience, and describe the history and functionality of the instruments, and play different tunes on different bagpipes.
The Juniper Fund of Berks County Community Foundation was established in 2010 by The Murray Clan Society of North America to support the education, promotion and preservation of the history, heritage and traditions of Scotland.
The fund provides financial support for the following purposes but is not limited to:
- Individuals to improve basic skills in Scottish music, dance, art, cuisine, etc.
- Activities to promote enrichment experiences in Scottish culture, traditions and history.
- Activities to benefit the Scottish community and the Murray Clan.
The $300 grant from the Juniper Fund to the Kutztown Pipe Band supported the cost of these educational programs, which allowed, and will continue to allow, the Kutztown Pipe Band to offer programs free for schools.
The presence of the Kutztown Pipe Band at local schools and community events carries a transformative power. It sparks curiosity, ignites passion, and inspires young minds to explore the world of music and culture. By funding the band, the Juniper Fund is growing young talent, and offering musicians a chance to engage with a unique form of art.
One of the ways we help to improve the quality of life for Berks County residents is by funding programs that help support education activities and the general health of the community which can include youth sports.
There are so many benefits to youth sports. Through sports, children learn a variety of skills that they can apply to life, such as leadership, teamwork, and discipline. Additionally, children are given the opportunity to practice a healthy activity while making friends at the same time.
Reading Youth Legion Baseball recognized the need for affordable sports in the Reading Area and created a summer baseball team for youths. To help cover operational costs, the 2022 Community General Hospital Healthcare Fund granted the program $6,000. The funding covered the costs of team registration and insurance, new uniforms, baseball equipment, and umpire salaries. The team played in the Senior Berks American Legion League for a total of eight weeks. These eight weeks provided Reading Youth with a baseball experience with a competitive atmosphere comparable to standard travel baseball.
The 2022 Community General Hospital Healthcare Fund supports a variety of causes, all of which benefit the general health of the Berks County community. To learn more about this fund, visit https://bccf.org/funds/community-general-hospital-healthcare-fund/
Teachers across Berks County are finding new ways to keep children engaged in learning by innovating the pre-existing curriculum. Teachers at Mifflin Park Elementary School wanted to help their students who struggle with reading, which may or may not be the result of the student learning English as a second language. By modifying the curriculum with their Stories and Steps Program, teachers were able to make literature more accessible and fun for students who needed extra help.
The Stories and Steps program was created in 2021 to help students get more comfortable with reading and understanding the English language. Students participating in the program were primarily struggling readers, and or in the process of learning the English language. The program had 101 students participate in total. These children walked together while listening to audiobooks of children’s literature.
According to Corinne Brumbach, librarian at Mifflin Park Elementary, and Diane Richards, chief financial officer, students were incredibly responsive to the program. It was reported that 100 percent of the participants wanted to take part in another audiobook club. When asked about the program’s impact on the students, Brumbach and Richards shared quotes from the students.
Has the audiobook helped you? How?
“Yes, I learned new things and I can hear it just like the author wanted it to be heard.”
Do you enjoy listening to audiobooks?
“Yes, I could hear how to say words.”
Because of the program, students developed deeper engagement with the reading material and a stronger interest in reading. In the future, Mifflin Park Elementary hopes to offer the program for the entire school year instead of a portion of the school year.
This project was funded by a mini-grant from the Berks County Association of School Retirees Scholarship and Grant Fund. This fund was created to provide a scholarship to a Berks County senior and mini-grants for classroom projects. To learn more about this fund, visit https://bccf.org/funds/berks-county-association-of-school-retirees-scholarship-and-mini-grant-fund/
