Thun Award presented
for commitment to community
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In honor of their unwavering commitment to improving the quality of life for others, Berks County couple Julia Klein and Eric Jenkins were presented with the Thun Award at a private ceremony on Saturday, April 2.
Berks County Community Foundation, in partnership with Fulton Bank, held the Celebration of Giving at the Berkshire Country Club to thank Klein and Jenkins for their community contribution, engagement, and philanthropy.
"The Thun Award is presented to Berks County residents who generously give of themselves for the sake of making Berks County better," said Al Weber, Community Foundation board chair.
“The leadership from Julia and Eric in our community has been extraordinary,” said Jeffrey R. Rush, Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Commercial Sales at Fulton Bank. “Julia and Eric embody the leadership and love for this community that is found in all of the recipients of the Thun Award.”
Recipients of the Thun Award recommend a $5,000 grant to a nonprofit organization of their choice. The money comes from the Thun Award Fund, which was established by Berks County Community Foundation. Klein and Jenkins chose to give the grant to Berks Community Health Center.
“When I learned that Julia and Eric had chosen us to receive this grant, I was not surprised,” said Mary H. Kargbo, president and CEO of the Health Center, during the Celebration of Giving dinner. “Julia was one of the first people to tour our facilities and learn more about us and our services when we first opened in 2012. This grant helped to provide much-needed medication for patients being treated for opioid use disorder.”
Learn more about the Thun Award, Julia Klein, Eric Jenkins, and past recipients at our website.
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Julia Klein and Eric Jenkins, seated, were awarded the 2020 Thun Award, presented in 2022, by, standing from left, Jeffrey R. Rush, Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Commercial Sales at Fulton Bank; Al Weber, chair of the board of Berks County Community Foundation; and Kevin K. Murphy, Berks County Community Foundation President. |
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Apply for K-12 tax credit
scholarships May 15-31
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The online application for K-12 tax credit scholarships in Berks County will be available on our website from May 15 through May 31 for the 2022-2023 school year.
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Funding available for
youth swimming
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The Forest Crigler, Jr. Memorial Fund in Support of Youth Swimming awards grants to programs that develop, encourage, and promote youth swimming in Berks County. Organizations may apply for funding from Berks County Community Foundation until April 27. Learn more, including how to donate to this fund or how to apply for funding, here: https://bccf.org/funds/crigler/
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Reading Climate Corps
seeking applicants
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Young adults in the Reading community are encouraged to apply for paid AmeriCorps positions in the new Reading Climate Corps by April 18.
A crew member – who should be 18 to 24 years old – will receive a living stipend, an education award, on-the-job training, and professional development.
The Reading Climate Corps is designed to engage young adult residents of Reading who are facing significant barriers to education and employment through hands-on projects that are aimed at addressing local environmental concerns related to climate change.
Berks County Community Foundation and the City of Reading are supporting this program.
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Celebrating Women's
History Month
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March was National Women’s History Month, a time when we recognize women’s accomplishments and contributions to culture and society. The Berks Women’s History Alliance partnered with the Berks History Center to create a documentary about women who were and are the first in their fields in Berks County.
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Students return to
Goggleworks ASAP
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Hundreds of Berks County students have been enjoying the free After School Arts Program (ASAP) at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, thanks in part to a grant from the First United Church of Christ Mission Fund of Berks County Community Foundation.
Students participate in music production, theater, gardening, storytelling, glass fusing, virtual reality, and various forms of 2D art, with virtual and bilingual options available.
During the program, professional artists and teachers offer hands-on, collaborative, equitable art projects to youth ages 7-17 at no cost to their families.
Almost 200 students take part in each term, with the Fall 2022 term scheduled to start on October 10.
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To apply for a grant, use our online application system, which you can access here. You must create an account to access the system.
The following opportunities are available at this time:
Arthur O. & Clara M. Schlegel Memorial Fund
This fund provides grants that support the medical costs of physical differences in Berks County children whose guardians are unable to meet such expenses. Expenses that may be covered include direct and indirect medical expenses, such as travel costs associated with treatment. Learn more here.
Bridge Fund
This fund provides grants of less than $1,000 to address critical needs that place juveniles at increased risk of entering the foster care system or the juvenile detention center. Learn more here.
Cystic Fibrosis Fund of Berks County
This fund supports the needs of individuals with cystic fibrosis, including both direct and indirect medical expenses and necessary, but ancillary, expenses related to treatment. Learn more here.
Forest Crigler, Jr. Memorial Fund in Support of Youth Swimming
Deadline: April 27
This fund awards grants to programs that develop, encourage, and promote youth swimming in Berks County. Learn more here.
Friends of the Berks County Public Libraries Fund
This fund distributes grants for special projects and emergency needs at Berks County’s public libraries. Learn more here.
Ira M. Becker Fund
This fund provides grants to educate young men (up to age 30) in Berks County, one at a time. These funds can be used for educational purposes but not for tuition. An individual may apply for a grant, or a caseworker or court official may also apply on behalf of an individual. Learn more here.
Jess's Sunshine Fund
This fund provides grants to support families who are residents of the Boyertown Area School District with dependent adult or minor children who have special needs arising from a long-term catastrophic illness or injury. Learn more here.
Margaret B. Moeller Memorial Fund for Alzheimer's Home Care Companions
This fund provides grants for families in the Boyertown Area School District with individuals who suffer from Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia to obtain the services of in-home care companions, aides, or other providers of respite care. Learn more here.
Pets in Need Fund and the Darryl and Susanne Shoff Fund
These funds provide grants for veterinary care for animals in life-threatening situations. Applicants must be residents of Berks County and be referred to the funds by their veterinarian. Learn more here and here.
Susan E. Kraus/Robert W. Gill Fund
This fund provides grants for recently discharged adults who were once in foster care who either lived in a Berks County foster home and/or were Berks County residents at the time of their placement in foster care. These grants are to assist them with transitional housing costs in general and/or educational expenses. Learn more here.
To apply for a grant, use our online application system, which you can access here. You must create an account to access the system.
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Berks County Community Foundation was featured in several publications in March.
The Keystone Edge ran an excellent article not only about how the GoggleWorks fared during the pandemic but also about how it is looking to a future beyond its walls. "To that end, GoggleWorks pursued and won a $15,000 planning grant from the Berks County Community Foundation. They used the funds to knock on doors, conducting interviews with residents and business owners within a seven-block radius of the campus. Clear themes emerged: a desire for programming in outdoor spaces with food and music, and green space for family recreation."
Three online sources reported on a $230,000 grant from the Met-Ed / Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund – administered by Berks County Community Foundation and the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies – for a green building project at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford:
Naoise Irwin, CEO of Berks County-based Solarflux, appeared on the "Building Green" show on bctv.org to speak with host Bill Vitale about his company's FOCUS parabolic dish concentrator. We appreciated the shoutout that Naoise gave us for the Community Foundation's investment in this project. The $340,000 grant we awarded came from our Met-Ed Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund. You can watch the show - a fascinating primer on this technology - here, and you can read more about the project here.
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Four of our most popular recent posts...
Click on each to learn more!
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The mission of Berks County Community Foundation is to promote philanthropy and improve the quality of life for the residents of Berks County.
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Berks County Community Foundation
237 Court St., Reading PA 19601
610.685.2223
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This e-newsletter is issued monthly and is the only place where we comprehensively compile all current funding opportunities. |
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Berks County Community Foundation develops, manages and distributes funds for charitable purposes in the community. The official registration and financial information of Berks County Community Foundation may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1.800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. |
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