100 Years of Impact

United Way of Berks County celebrates 100 years of impact in 2025. For over a century, we’ve stayed true to our founding spirit, uniting people from all walks of life and various organizations to create help, hope, and opportunity for those in need.

While we’ve evolved over the years, our unwavering commitment to the community and our dedication to helping neighbors remain at the heart of everything we do. Explore our journey and see how we’ve made a difference together.

1920s
The Welfare Federation of Reading and Berks County

Twenty-five organizations form the Welfare Federation of Berks County on April 14, 1925. The Federation was focused on improving the health and welfare of citizens, caring for people in crisis and supporting area youth and the poor. One hundred years later, four of the original organizations – American Red Cross, Visiting Nurse Association (now Tower Health at Home), Boy Scouts, and Salvation Army – continue today as United Way agency partners.

The Community Chest Campaign

In its first “Community Chest” campaign, the Federation touts the benefits of coordinated fundraising: saving money, time and effort, ensuring justice, preventing duplication, protecting the public, providing year-round efficiency, and building community spirit. The campaign raised $257,049 from 25,000 donors.

Improved Access to Healthcare

Alarmed by an infant mortality rate of 22% and hospital costs that were out reach for many, the Federation provides funding for two critical programs:

Eleven Baby Welfare Stations were opened throughout the county, bringing maternal and infant care directly to patients in rural areas. In just a few short months, infant deaths declined nearly 90%.

All three local hospitals received funding to provide charity care to those who could not afford the $6 per day charge for in-patient care. One hospital – St. Joseph’s – provided 19,203 bed days and treated 4,434 patients at a free clinic in its first year of receiving funds.

1930s
The Great Depression

On the heels of the 1929 stock market crash, depression grips the country and Berks County. The Welfare Federation convenes city, county, poor board and state officials to adopt a plan to meet the crisis, making Berks the first county in Pennsylvania to develop a comprehensive approach. Crushing unemployment, food insecurity and housing are the most critical needs and an emergency fund drive is held to shore up reserves exhausted by the demands for help.

Community Chest

Fourteen years after its founding, the Welfare Federation changes its name to the Community Chest, adopting the moniker it used for its fundraising campaigns and a name recognized by those familiar with the game of Monopoly.

1940s
The Commuity and War Chests

Community leaders recognize the need to both support the war effort and to continue to aid local citizens in need. The result was the Community and War Chest, a collaborative campaign initiative that offered donors the ability to make one gift to support the needs of people at home and the fighting forces abroad. The Red Feather is chosen as a national symbol for Community Chests. It signifies good deeds and voluntary giving to meet human needs

1940s
Community and Mental Health Needs

A rising need for mental health care among service members returning from war and skyrocketing cases of diphtheria, measles and polio among children bring community health needs to the forefront in Berks County. The Community Chest partnered with the Visiting Nurse Association to inoculate children against diphtheria, which brought the disease’s death rate to nearly zero, while Community Chest funding to the Guidance Institute allowed the organization to expand mental health services to returning soldiers.

1950s
Merger with the United Fund

Community Chest and its agencies merge with the newly formed United Fund in 1956 creating an organization of local and locally focused national providers of social services. Founding leaders included Ferdinand Thun, Frank R. Palmer and Richard Caron. The first United Fund Campaign topped $1 million with 396 Berks firms conducting campaigns among their employees.

First Campaign Film

The United Fund hires local firm Studio Sixteen to produce the first campaign film, “Time Out for Jimmy,” highlighting how local resident “Jimmy” and others are helped by United Fund agencies. Today, the annual videos continue to be an important way to demonstrate how donors help Berks Countians.

Loaned Campaign Specialists

For the first time, the United Fund campaign benefits from the assistance of “Loaned Employee Campaign Counselors” – three employees loaned to the effort from local businesses. This initiative, after a number of years of trial and error, eventually became the Loaned Campaign Specialist (LCS) program in 1968.

1960s
Volunteer Bureau

The United Fund organizes a “Community Workcamp Project” for more than 100 Albright College students. Volunteers painted, plastered, cleaned and completed other tasks at various agencies and individual homes. One year later the Volunteer Bureau was established as a clearinghouse for community service.

School Readiness

As Reading School District reports 39 percent of its students drop out between seventh and twelfth grade, the United Fund studies the issue and targets school readiness as one factor. A pilot program is launched at Fellowship House to help “culturally deprived” children prepare for kindergarten and one year later Operation Head Start Kicks off. The program initially serves 270 pre-K children at 17 centers, making the Berks program among the largest in the state.

Community Outreach

In response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., a special fund is established to show support to the black community. Among the grants awarded is for a Community Action Training School to educate volunteers in community engagement work, helping residents in minority neighborhood connect to available services.

Help for Seniors

In the early 70s statistics show that 33 percent of area seniors live below the poverty level. United Way, which was instrumental in the formation of the Berks County Senior Citizens Council, supports the Council’s partnership with Red Cross to launch Meals on Wheels for homebound seniors. Managed today by Berks Encore, Meals on Wheels offers nutritious, daily meals along with a friendly visit and safety check by deliver volunteers.

Help for Spanish Speakers

A community survey is launched to explore the needs of Spanish-speaking community members, resulting in several new programs. An effort to help migrant workers – most of them from Puerto Rico – at area mushroom growing houses is funded for language training and assimilation support.  More than 250 Spanish-speaking girls benefit from an outreach program geared to their needs at the YMCA, and United Way begins producing its campaign materials in Spanish.

1980s
Year-Round Engagement

United Way launches its Rainbow Program in area workplaces to provide information, connections to agency services, and volunteer opportunities to employees throughout the year. It grows to dozens of participating companies over the years, changing its name to United Way at Work in 1990

Safety Net Services

Federal cuts to social welfare programs like food stamps and Medicaid in the early 80s, coupled with rising unemployment, prompts United Way to again focus on safety net services for residents. It creates a special fund for soup kitchens, pantries, and shelter space, and provides a grant to Consumer Credit Counseling to help the unemployed manage their finances.

Be a Champion - Join the Race to Care

“Be a Champion – Join the Race to Care” is the auto racing theme of the 1987 campaign and a new car, donated by Bayliss Oldsmobile, is offered as an incentive for the first time. Every campaign for the next 37 years includes a car, along with other incentives, thanks to the generosity of local dealerships and many other companies

The Tocqueville Society Is Formed

1988 United Way forms the Tocqueville Society, a leadership giving program for committed community leaders donating at an exceptional level. Begun with three founding couples – Carolyn and Jerry Holleran, Sam and Kay McCullough, and Paul and June Roedel – today’s Tocqueville members number more than 150 individuals and couples giving $10,000 or more.

1990s
Day of Caring Begins

On September 10, 1992, more than 150 volunteers participate in the first United Way Day of Caring, which will become the organization’s signature volunteer event. Participants assist with hearing screenings at Berks Deaf and Hard of Hearing, host a back-to-school party children at Easter Seals, and complete other projects at 25 agencies. Two years later, the first Youth Day of Caring attracts 462 student volunteers.

Key Concerns

Diversity and support to minority members of the community, family support, HIV/AIDS, housing, literacy, and substance abuse come to the forefront in the 1990s. In response, United Way provides new grants to meet growing needs, partners with Berks County Children and Youth Services to form Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), adds new affiliated agencies and helps expand child care offerings for parents working non-traditional hours.

2000s
Child Care Initiative

By 2000, 61percent of mothers are working outside the home and two out of every three infants and toddlers have parents who work. With funding from local foundations, a campaign challenge match and other grants, United Way embarks on a multi-year Child Care Initiative to help meet ever-growing needs and to improve quality, accessibility and affordability of care. In its first years, more than $500,000 is awarded to seven agencies, bringing the number of Initiative-funded slots to over 1,000 children.

Berks County Weed & Seed

The City of Reading is awarded federal and state Weed & Seed grants to revitalize the Sixth Ward neighborhood over a five-year period. As local police weed out crime and drug dealers, United Way assumes responsibility for providing the seeds to improve the neighborhood. Its efforts include hiring and training outreach workers, coordinating loans to small businesses, restoring city homes for low-income families, and providing mini-grants for street lights, community gardens, and summer camp programs for neighborhood kids.

Riverquest

In the largest volunteer effort in United Way’s history 2,000 Day of Caring volunteers descend on Reading’s riverfront in a project called Riverquest. People from local businesses, schools, and the community clean and beautify a two-mile stretch along the Schuylkill from the Bingaman Street Bridge to Baer Park, picking up trash, painting benches, planting flowers and restoring fishing docks.

Right from the Start

The Right from the Start initiative kicks off in 2005 aimed at providing children in low-income neighborhoods with early school success.  The multi-faceted effort includes prenatal care, parenting classes through a new Baby College program, childcare education for informal (non-center) providers, and an early literacy effort called Raising a Reader. In its first year, Baby College reaches 58 participants with 80 children and 100 percent of attendees report increased knowledge of development stages, the importance of routines, and how to maintain a safe home.

2010s
Community Needs Grow

Following The Great Recession of 2009, community needs grow exponentially. United Way launches a successful effort to bring 211 to eastern Pennsylvania and establishes programs to help individuals and families become more financially stable, to give kids the tools they need to thrive in school and to improve access to food. The Big Cheese, the largest United Way meal packaging event in the country, brings together volunteers to assemble nutritionally fortified, non-perishable macaroni and cheese meals. By 2024, more than 5,000 volunteers have packaged 2,550,000 meals

2010s
Ready.Set.READ! Initiative

In 2012, the Ready.Set.READ! initiative launched in response to declining PSSA scores among local third graders in nearly every school district. With the understanding that reading on grade level by the end of the third grade is a critical indicator of future success in school and life, Ready.Set.READ! established a range of programs supporting parents, students and educators in the areas of early childhood education, kindergarten readiness and third grade reading proficiency.

Leadership Development

Recognizing a need to increase diversity on community boards and committees, United Way launches its Blueprint for Leadership program to recruit, train, place and support development of minority leaders. Since its beginning in 2013, 139 members of the community have completed the training program.

Three years later, United Way establishes Emerging Leaders United to engage individuals ages 21-45 in volunteerism and philanthropy. Flesh this out

2020s
COVID-19

A new virus shuts down the country, and United Way rises to the challenge of meeting significant community needs during the crisis. Through the Berks COVID-19 Response Fund, United Way rapidly raises and distributes more than $1 million to ensure local nonprofits are able to continue their work. Thousands of donated PPE items are distributed regularly, and, as schools reopen, grants are awarded to local school districts to help mitigate learning loss.

MacKenzie Scott Grant

A $10 million unrestricted grant from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott provides new opportunities to impact Berks County. A volunteer advisory committee develops strategies to ensure maximum impact by seeding current programs and initiatives and by providing grants to expand support to vulnerable populations, address systemic issues and create sustainable change.