Amanda Funk is not only an active ELU member, she is also the Executive Director and co-founder of the Widoktadwen Center for Native Knowledge, a nonprofit headquartered in downtown Reading. She also volunteers with Koinos Community Church, Girl Scouts of Eastern PA, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Berks Regional Chapter.
Through her work with the Widoktadwen Center for Native Knowledge Amanda is breaking barriers and opening conversations about Native Americans in our community. She shares, “Growing up in Berks County as a Native kid, my identity was often diminished by my peers, and I lacked local opportunities to participate in our culture and connect with other Native folks outside of my immediate family.” This experience motivated her to co-found Widoktadwen Center for Native Knowledge, in 2020, as a response to the invisibility of Native Americans in our community. The Center’s mission is to promote the visibility of Native Americans in Berks County and beyond through community education, leadership, and activism.
Amanda enjoys being an ELU member because, “I’m an anxious introvert by nature, so ELU really helped me come out of my shell and connect with other local professionals.” She continued, “Getting to know the other servant leaders in our community showed me what was possible.” She believes that ELU members should continue being involved with ELU because, “We’re hard-wired for human connection, so community involvement fills us up and makes us whole because we are fulfilling our purpose. You’ll learn so much more about the problems and strengths in your community and how you can make an impact.”