Give Now
Give Now

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.

###

“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:

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.

In 2023, the local government released the Study of the Delivery of Health and Public Health Services in Berks County, a comprehensive report that identified four health priorities that are specific to Berks and affect every school district in the county:

  1. The need to improve access to equitable care, particularly for marginalized populations
  2. The need to provide behavioral/mental healthcare to both adults and youth
  3. The need to focus on health education and health literacy, especially resources and information tied to wellness and disease prevention
  4. 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.”

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: 

  1. Programs and educational activities that promote the general health and wellness of Berks County residents or its contiguous counties
  2. Organizations and programs that help the residents of Berks County or its contiguous counties recover from illness or disability at home
  3. Organizations that provide health-related charity care for the residents of Berks County or its contiguous counties
  4. 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.

### 

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. 

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!

In Fiscal Year 2024, Berks County Community Foundation distributed $5.4 million in grants and scholarships to support the community. The year was filled with innovative projects, impactful programs and a strong commitment to our mission.  

Berks County Community Foundation helps donors fulfill their charitable desires. The Foundation was established in 1994 as a non-profit, public charity to provide a locally managed resource for establishing endowments. We have program officers on staff who are experts in their focus areas – energy & environment, lifelong learning, health & human services, the arts, and neighborhood & economic development. They steward these charitable funds to ensure that the grants and scholarships awarded from them are making an impact and fulfilling our donors’ wishes.  

“The work we do isn’t only about working with donors to establish funds. Nor is it just about awarding grants and scholarships. The team at the Community Foundation convenes local leaders, research national and local trends, and chooses initiatives on which to focus so community conversations get moving and big ideas are discussed”, Kevin Murphy, president says.  

The Annual Report highlights our mission of promoting philanthropy and improving the quality of life for the residents of Berks County. The team works hard to bring organizations and individuals together for collaboration to spark change in the community. This year’s Annual Report provides detailed stories and data behind these achievements, underscoring the powerful impact of donor support in the community.  

To read the full report, take a look below or click here.  

Imagine the daily challenges faced by a mother trying to provide the best for her child with disabilities. Accessibility issues can turn simple tasks into daunting obstacles. For one local mother, the dream of a reliable vehicle and a lift hoyer* seemed out of reach, but thanks to the Arthur O. and Clara M. Schlegel Memorial Fund of Berks County Community Foundation, this dream has become a reality.  

The purpose of the fund is to help to defray the costs of treating and correcting physical differences in children residing in Berks County who are either without parents or whose parents are unable financially to meet such expenses. Clara M. Schlegel originally established a trust fund in 1984 which required using an Advisory Board to award grants. The structure of the fund made it difficult to administer; at that time, prior to the creation of Berks County Community Foundation in 1994, there was no well-known charitable organization model in Berks County with an affiliated group to identify community needs.   

By August of 2000, an advisory board was created, including Kevin Murphy, president of Berks County Community Foundation, as a member. Kevin’s involvement on the advisory board included transferring the fund over to the foundation to start facilitating the distribution of grants. Since the time the Foundation has been managing the fund, the Arthur O. and Clara Schlegel Memorial Fund has distributed over 1.1 million dollars in grants in Berks County, overseen by the advisory group and Community Foundation staff members, myself included.   

Recently, a mother submitted an application to request an electric lift hoyer and assistance with purchasing a reliable vehicle. Jayvien, a 13-year-old male diagnosed with sickle cell anemia and Lowe syndrome, travels to Philadelphia every 3-6 months to see a specialist.  Due to recent car problems, appointments were missed and/or rescheduled. Jayvien also requires total assistance with transportation transfers and daily life activities. Jayvien’s mother and his grandmother have been helping, but using a manual lift is unsafe.   

After reviewing the request, I knew that this application should be presented to the advisory board for consideration. The Community Foundation has a solemn obligation to honor the donor’s intentions set forth when establishing their fund. I knew this fund could make an impact on this family.  

The committee approved the grant with the instructions to find a car through a dealership rather than a private owner and send the funds directly to the dealership towards the purchase of a reliable car, so that Jayvien can safely and reliably make his appointments in Philadelphia. The committee also approved the grant request for the electric lift hoyer.   

I met with Jayvien’s mother at the dealership, and she was grateful for the funding that was available to help her family. She said, “I truly appreciate all that you guys do. It has left a huge imprint in my heart, not so much the material things, but the root core of what the foundation stands for. The fact that this will help Jayvien as well as my family means the world to me, and I hope to be able to give back to the foundation to forward the help to families like mine. My family and I are forever grateful. Thank you so much!”   

The recent funding provided to the mother in need for her son with disabilities is a powerful testament to the ongoing impact of the Arthur O. and Clara M. Schlegel Memorial Fund. It’s a story of compassion and sparking change in the community.   

You can spark change in the community by creating a fund. Learn how you can do this by clicking here. To give to the Arthur O. and Clara M. Schlegel Memorial Fund, click here.   

  * A hoyer lift is a patient lift used by caregivers to safely transfer patients. It can be used for lifting patients from the floor or onto a healthcare bed. The lift also can assist in other surface-to-surface patient transfers, such as moving from a bed to a bath or chair.  

In March 2023, the Berks County Commissioners released a study about public health in our community. The report had four recommendations on how Berks County can support a healthier community. Leading the conversation are T.J. Huckleberry and Dr. Michael Baxter. I sat down with the two and had questions for them about the report’s recommendations. Get ready for insightful answers from experts in their field.

Dr. D. Michael Baxter practiced medicine for over 30 years in Berks County. He was the chair of the department of family and community medicine at Reading Hospital and a director of the Reading Hospital family medicine residency program.

T.J. Huckleberry is the Executive Director of Berks County Medical Society. Berks County Medical Society serves members and the residents of Berks County, PA, with physician, hospital, and health-related information

Q: The commissioners released a report that provided four recommendations on how to create a healthier Berks County. What were your initial reactions to the report?

 T.J.: This is the first tangible approach our county leadership has made towards addressing public health and wellness. It’s a great first step!

Dr. Baxter: The authors, Health Management Associates (HMA) of Philadelphia, did outstanding work reviewing the health problems and needs of Berks County.  Their review and comparison of major health issues confronting Berks and five neighboring counties as well as comparing Berks with Pennsylvania and U.S. data was particularly enlightening.

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

Q: Why do you think it is important to educate the community on the report and its recommendations?

T.J.: These four pillars provide a blueprint for how we as a community can address and take control of our public health issues.

Q: If you had a magic wand, what are the top three wishes you would fulfill for Berks County to make it healthier?

Dr. Baxter: If I had to only choose three, I would like to see:

T.J.: In addition to what Dr. Baxter mentioned, I’d also like to see increased avenues for mental health awareness and services.

Q: What initiatives can be implemented to improve healthcare access for individuals in Berks County?

Dr. Baxter: Access for all health services is a top priority.  Increase the number of primary care and mental health providers as previously noted, and implement approaches (involving our health care institutions, schools, and others) to make such access available and affordable.  Explore school-based clinics as a high priority for the physical and mental health challenges, especially facing children and youth.

Q: In what ways can we address healthcare disparities among different communities within Berks County?

Dr. Baxter: One way we can address the disparity is to use the data available through this study and the Hospital Community Health Needs Assessments to address identified problems throughout the county.  This would be a priority for a County Health Director and a County Health Data analyst.

Q: How can we promote preventive healthcare measures to ensure better health outcomes for all Berks County residents?

Dr. Baxter: Health disparities which include the Social Determinants of Health must be a priority for any successful efforts to improve the health/public health of all the people of Berks County. Resources need to be coordinated between health care institutions, educational and religious groups, and the media to shine light on issues, the people most in need and the resources to meet those needs.

Q: What collaborative efforts can be made to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure in Berks County?

Dr. Baxter: A top priority would be to see our major health care institutions truly work together to improve the health of our people, but I have been waiting over 30 years for that to happen.  I would hope a County Health Director, if not the full impact of a County Health Department, could help achieve that.  In addition, we have many excellent organizations including the United Way and the Berks Community Health Center that could join forces to address many of our health and social determinants issues.

Q: One of the county health report’s recommendations is to create a Berks County Health Director position. We were introduced to the functions and responsibilities of local health directors during the COVID-19 pandemic. When they aren’t addressing emergency public health issues, what are some of their day-to-day responsibilities?

Dr. Baxter: A County Health Director would collect and organize data (with the assistance of the Data Coordinator), set priorities based on needs, coordinate efforts, and energize support (including political advocacy) to get things done that make a true impact.

Q: How could the recommendations in the county’s report supplement the work of local hospitals and the community health center? How do they differ?

Dr. Baxter: Our local “not for profit” hospitals are required by law to conduct their Community Health Needs Assessments every 3 years.  They take this process seriously and perform a very valuable service. However, they are not government bodies with the resources to change policy, invest in public funding or change the dynamics of our community. While they are responsible for improving health, much of their effort is focused on the emergency and acute care needs readily addressed by a hospital.  They can assist in these public health efforts but that is generally not their primary function.

Q: About half of Pennsylvanians are served by a local or municipal health department. Why is it important for the county to have taken on the issue of public health in Berks County, when they commissioned this study?

T.J.: A public health structure in Berks County would place a magnifying glass towards the preventative health concerns facing our friends and neighbors while creating an advocate for state funding and support from Harrisburg and Washington to address these issues. Public health not only prevents and educates against the spread of diseases but promotes healthy living among our community.

Dr. Baxter: Although there are only 7 County and 4 Municipal Health Departments in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, these departments cover a large proportion of the residents of Pennsylvania and, I argue, represent, in general, the economic hubs in PA.  There is a direct link between health and economic success–healthy people in general are more economically successful and their communities are also more successful and vice versa.  It is a responsibility of government then not only to promote the economic well-being of their communities but also the health of the residents of those communities.  Government, with the support of the many resources that exist in their communities, is best poised to address the disparities and promote the policies that will build stronger healthier lives for all.

“Gaining insight into why it is important to have a County Health Department is the first step. Our goal is to educate the community on the benefits of a public health department. Fortunately, because of the Community General Hospital Healthcare Fund of Berks County Community Foundation, we were able to support a community conversation that our friends at Berks County Medical Society hosted. The conversation was held in September 2023 and gave residents a chance to ask questions about the four recommendations that resulted from the study. The study was released by Berks County Commissioners and conducted by Health Management Associates in March 2023.  You can access the report by clicking here.”

Cindy Milian, Health & Human Services Program Officer

READING, PA (May 25, 2022) – Five organizations have been awarded grants totaling $143,500 for programs that address health-related issues among residents of Berks and nearby counties.

The Home Health Care Foundation Fund of Berks County Community Foundation awarded the grants. This fund will again accept applications for another round of funding from June 1 until August 15, 2022

The Home Health Care Foundation Fund provides grants to organizations and programs that do one or more of the following:

Programs that serve Berks County and/or those counties that are contiguous to it are eligible to apply. Berks County organizations receive preference.

The maximum amount available per organization is $40,000.

To apply, visit bccf.org and click on “Apply for a grant” under “Scholarships + Grants” in the website menu or go to http://bccf.link/grants. You must create an account to access the application system.

The Home Health Care Foundation Fund has distributed $658,700 in grants since it was established at the Community Foundation in 2020.

The grants for this round of funding:

Below, a Berks Encore volunteer delivers “Meals on Wheels.” The Home Health Care Foundation Fund of Berks County Community Foundation has awarded a grant for Berks Encore’s pilot program that will deliver medically-tailored meals to those living with severe illness via referral from a medical professional. Two meal examples, lemon chicken and salmon, are pictured.

###

Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that serves as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing, and distributing charitable funds aimed at improving the quality of life in Berks County. More information is available at www.bccf.org.

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Jason Brudereck, Director of Communication, jasonb@bccf.org, 610.685.2223

READING, PA (December 22, 2021) – Nine organizations have been awarded grants totaling $227,300 for programs that address health-related issues among residents of Berks and nearby counties.

The Home Health Care Foundation Fund of Berks County Community Foundation awarded the grants. This fund will again accept applications for another round of funding from January 1 until March 15, 2022.

The Home Health Care Foundation Fund provides grants to organizations and programs that do one or more of the following:

Grants are awarded to organizations and programs that serve Berks County and/or those counties that are contiguous to it. Preference is given to Berks County organizations.

The maximum amount available per organization is $40,000.

To apply, visit bccf.org and click on “Apply for a grant” under “Scholarships + Grants” in the website menu or go to http://bccf.link/grants. You must create an account to access the application system.

The Home Health Care Foundation Fund has distributed more than $500,000 since it was established at the Community Foundation in 2020.

The grants for this round of funding:

Below, Alvernia University’s Physical Therapy Center at Oakbrook provides pro bono, high-quality service to hundreds of patients.

###

Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that serves as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing and distributing charitable funds aimed at improving the quality of life in Berks County. More information is available at www.bccf.org.

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Jason Brudereck, Director of Communication, jasonb@bccf.org, 610.685.2223

READING, PA (June 7, 2021) – Seven organizations have been awarded grants totaling $146,600 for programs that improve the health and well-being of residents in Berks and nearby counties.

The money was awarded from the Home Health Care Foundation Fund of Berks County Community Foundation.

The Home Health Care Foundation Fund has another round of funding available now for organizations and programs that benefit the health of residents of Berks County and the counties that are contiguous to it. Preference will be given to Berks County organizations.

Applications are due August 16. The maximum amount available per organization is $40,000.

To apply, visit bccf.org and click on “Apply for a grant” under “Scholarships + Grants” in the website menu or go to http://bccf.link/grants. You must create an account to access the application system.

This was the second round of grants that have been distributed from the Home Health Care Foundation Fund, which was established at the Community Foundation in 2020. The fund distributes money twice per year. The total amount distributed so far has been $287,900.

“This fund has two grant cycles per year, investing nearly $300,000 annually in local programs that will have a powerful impact on the health of residents in the region,” said Monica Reyes, Community Foundation Health and Human Services Program Officer.

The organizations, grant amounts, and programs that received funding in this round:

The Home Health Care Foundation Fund provides grants to organizations and programs that do one or more of the following:

A rendering of the proposed cold storage expansion at Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank.

###

Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that serves as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing and distributing charitable funds aimed at improving the quality of life in Berks County. More information is available at www.bccf.org.

NEWS RELEASE

READING, PA (May 25, 2021) – The St. John’s UCC Reading Fund of Berks County Community Foundation has awarded three grants totaling $12,700 to programs at three organizations in Reading that are helping individuals with access to basic needs.

St. John’s United Church of Christ, which was located at 149 S. Ninth St. in Reading, established the charitable fund with the Community Foundation in 2020 as part of the church’s process to cease operations.

This year’s grants were the first-ever awarded by the fund, which will annually award grants to support organizations, programs, or initiatives that do one or more of the following: reduce hunger; meet a pressing need for youth; offer shelter or improve housing; or create or maintain open space. Distributions from the fund are made with a preference for organizations, programs, or initiatives that are closer in proximity to the former church’s location.

This year’s recipients, grant amounts, and programs supported:

St. John’s was founded in 1871 as St. John’s Reformed Church of Reading.

In 2017, a majority of its remaining members voted to dissolve St. John’s United Church of Christ as a legal entity.

In 2019, the church filed with Berks County Court to transfer much of its assets to the Community Foundation and to give its building and some assets to Open Door Mennonite Church, Lancaster County, to establish the South 9th Street Mennonite Church in the building.

In 2020, the St. John’s UCC Reading Fund of Berks County Community Foundation was created to continue the church’s mission.

The former St. John’s United Church of Christ, 149 S. Ninth St., Reading, Pa.

###

Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that serves as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing, and distributing charitable funds aimed at improving the quality of life in Berks County. More information is available at www.bccf.org.