9 in Gov. Mifflin School District area receive grants from Berks County Community Foundation

David Mowery, Reading Eagle, Pa.
·2 min read

Nov. 10—The Berks County Community Foundation's annual Governor Mifflin Area Charitable Program has awarded grants totaling $37,300 to nine organizations for educational and recreational activities for youth and seniors.

The following grants from The Russell L. Hiller Charitable Trust were awarded to these organizations:

—$5,000 to VOiCEup Berks for Governor Mifflin Voices, a program through the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading to engage seventh-graders at Gov. Mifflin Middle School in high-quality service-learning opportunities, community projects and leadership development activities.

—$4,700 to Olivet Boys & Girls Club to operate a satellite site at Grace Lutheran Church, where Gov. Mifflin middle and high school students can participate in educational, recreational, and guidance programs led by a site director, assistant site director and members of AmeriCorps.

—$4,700 to the S.P.A.R.K.S. Foundation to provide Gov. Mifflin Elementary School students with supplemental STEM programming.

—$4,700 to the YMCA of Reading & Berks County for Y on the Fly, which will provide access to physical activities, educational enrichment in STEAM and literacy, healthy snacks, games, and other organized activities to promote a healthy mind, body and spirit. The program will include 16 stops in the Mifflin area, including schools, pools and playgrounds.

—$4,700 to Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank to support the Mohnton Mobile Market, which brings healthy fresh and frozen items to families in need.

—$4,675 to Clay on Main to provide crafts activities to on-site and off-site participants of the Mifflin Encore Center.

—$4,026 to Immanuel United Church of Christ to support its NEXT DOOR program, which offers Gov. Mifflin Middle School students a free after-school, mentor-supervised space with recreation equipment, refreshments, supplies, guest speakers and teachers.

—$3,000 to the Jewish Federation of Reading-Berks to bring Violins of Hope to community events in the Mifflin area. Violins of Hope is a collection of instruments recovered from the Holocaust and restored to provide education about the negatives of antisemitism, racism and other divisions in our local community, and to turn the focus to unity and understanding.

—$799 to Skyline Community School Inc. for scholarships. Skyline Community School is a nature- and science-based enrichment program designed to reach students ages 4 to 13 who receive homeschool or hybrid education in Gov. Mifflin and surrounding school districts.

The fund was established from a bequest by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Russell L. Hiller in 2003 when the 60-year Shillington resident died at 97. He had spent 26 years as a federal bankruptcy judge in Reading. The pursuit of education was his lifelong passion.