Jr. League of Reading

The Junior League of Reading has more than a 75-year history of successful partnerships and collaborations with community agencies that have positively affected the quality of life in Berks County.

Our focus is creating, improving, and expanding the resources available to all children to enhance opportunities available for their growth, development, and overall welfare. The League's main emphasis is to help impact the childcare crisis in Berks County.

This family oriented event is not only a fundraiser, it is also a community service event. While the general public pays to attend, 100 families from the at-risk community that the Junior League of Reading serves, attend for free. These families enjoy a carefree day of family fun at no cost to them. Children spend the day scrambling over vehicles of all sizes, participating in the sponsors’ derby race and enjoying a variety of foods. It is a priceless picture to watch the children dance with a team mascot, get their first balloon hat, or jump in the moon bounce. With your support, all families can continue to enjoy this Junior League of Reading event.

The Junior League of Reading aims to provide children with the tools they need to make nutritious eating choices with the belief that the education of our children is the key to making a lasting change in the reversal of current childhood obesity statistics and its subsequent health issues.

This Junior League of Reading project will include numerous community events including:

The Junior League of Reading volunteers its’ time throughout the year with Aaron's Acres Respite Program – A once a month program to afford parents of special needs children the chance to have an afternoon to themselves without the challenge of finding a sitter. In July, it hosted a carnival for the campers of Aaron's Acres and their families at the Jewish Community Center. In addition to hosting the carnival, League members donated prizes, food, games, a clown, and pony rides for the campers. The camp is for elementary aged children with developmental disabilities.

In addition to these projects listed above, the Junior League of Reading will take the lead in supplying books for an elementary school library, again read to elementary school children as part of Wood to Wonderful’s “Reading is Toyrific” reading program, and participate in “Angel Tree” the holiday gift project for children associated with CONCERN.

Youth Service Action Corp of the Berks County Chapter of the American Red Cross

Scott Leibowitz, on behalf of Brenntag Northeast, Inc.

Elizabeth Haggerty with her award

The Youth Volunteer Awards are awarded to Berks County youth who exemplify the spirit of voluntarism. This year the award for an individual was presented to Elizabeth Haggerty from Schuylkill Valley High School for her commitment to school environments. The award for a group was given to the Youth Service Action Corp of the Berks County Chapter of the American Red Cross students from multiple schools providing volunteer hours to County service organizations.

The Community Partner Award is presented to a business who demonstrates dedication and generosity to The Junior League of Reading, PA, Inc. and its mission. The Junior League was proud to give the award to Brenntag Northeast, Inc. for their many years of support. Past recipients of the award include White Star Travel, Signs & More in 24, and The Reading Neck & Spine Center.

Leadership Berks, originally co-founded by the Junior League of Reading, is a training program for new and emerging leaders in Berks County. The Leadership Berks Core Program requires a nine-month curriculum, a non-profit field project and placement on a committee or board of a community based organization. The Junior League of Reading is the only organization to have consistently supported Leadership Berks by sending representation yearly to its Core Program.

Judie Thompson, our most recent Leadership Berks graduate, served on the public relations committee for Leadership Berks and planned an event for five hundred area seniors for her non-profit field project. She was placed on the Board of BEACON House.

Christi Terefenko is this year's representative to Leadership Berks. By continuing to send members to Leadership Berks, the Junior League of Reading trains its volunteers at a quality, community leadership program while supporting one of its previous projects.

The Junior League of Reading, PA, Inc. approved funding towards the following community projects across Berks County:

$200 was given to support the Send a Kid to Camp program to fund two Berks County children for one week. This program will send 2 Berks County children to day camp for one week. Camp Adahi serves 3,000 youths per year from Berks and surrounding counties. The Send a Kid to Camp program was created to expand the Camp's opportunities to the at-risk youth in Berks County whose families cannot provide them with the opportunity to experience friendships, lessons and fun that a summer camp can provide.

$1,000 was provided to fully fund BEACON HOUSE's "Respectful and Effective Parenting" initiative. This program serves as a parenting class for BEACON HOUSE residents. The class is designed to teach respectful and effective ways of parenting children. It provides on-going support, the ability to track the progress of participants and is based on the natural and logical consequences rather than corporal punishment. It is an excellent model for families with a history of domestic violence.

$2,750 was given to Berks Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services' Preschool Hearing Program. The hearing screening provides free testing to preschoolers throughout Berks County, with an emphasis on inner city children of Reading.

$1,250 to fully fund the American Red Cross' Berks County Chapter's Babysitter Training Scholarships. Participants learn the skills and knowledge to become safe and responsible babysitters. Funding will be used to pay for registration fees and material costs for 30 course participants, and instructor training fees for 5 instructor aides.

$1,000 was given to The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County, PA COUL (Club of Unmatched Littles) Program. The program provides group mentoring services and supervised program activities, held weekly, for unmatched Little Brothers and Sisters, while they await a match in the One-to-One program. Funding will be used directly towards the mentoring activity expenses.

$1,000 was given to The Second Mile Berks County Chapter for the Summer Challenge Camp Program. The monies will support two scholarships for the camp program. The camp serves as an innovative early intervention program designed to help children who are at-risk succeed by building positive life skills and self-esteem.

$1,000 was given to the Reading-Berks Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program. Funds will be used to support the construction of affordable housing for low and very-low income families in Reading and Berks County.

$500 to Reading Symphony Orchestra to purchase tickets for underpriviledged children and their families or guardians who otherwise could not attend the Kinderkonzert.

Salvation Army

$1,200 to Salvation Army for their back to school clothing program.