Tag Archives: Spotlight
Posted on Thursday, June 06, 2019
By:
Julia VanTine
Categories:
Spotlights
Several years ago, their eyes locked across the garden area where our clients relax. Kevin had arrived at the shelter first; Monica, a month later. It was love at first sight, and their feelings were definitely not encouraged. “You’re not supposed to date here,” Monica says. But they had so much in common, it was tough not to open up to each other. Both married and...
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Tagged:Spotlight, Client Success
Posted on Thursday, June 06, 2019
By:
Julia VanTine
Categories:
Spotlights
“We live here, we give here.”
—Serge Szortyka, President, Quaker Maid MeatsHow and when did Quaker Maid get involved with Opportunity House?We’ve been donors since 1995, when your organization was still The Reading Berks Emergency Shelter. We wanted to help a local nonprofit that provided emergency shelter to those in need, especially in the winter months.Twenty-four years...
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Tagged:Spotlight
Posted on Monday, November 26, 2018
By:
Julia VanTine
Categories:
Spotlights
With her life in chaos, Tammica, a mother of three, didn’t know where to turn for help. But with your generous support, she’s built a stable home for herself and her children – and has rediscovered hope.
I was in a bad relationship, and it was 10 years of craziness. Some problems I brought on myself, but I didn’t want my kids to suffer for them. I did what was best...
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Tagged:Spotlight
Posted on Monday, November 26, 2018
By:
Julia VanTine
Categories:
Spotlights
When it comes to child care, too many Berks County families must choose between affordability and excellence. Because of your generosity, this family has both — and appreciates its emphasis on learning and fun! The teachers and aides who care for our children are like family. I know they’re in good hands when they’re here.
Our children are 12, 8, 4, and 2, and for us, the...
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Tagged:Spotlight
Posted on Monday, November 26, 2018
By:
Julia VanTine
Categories:
Spotlights
The world had seemingly given up on Scott, a Navy veteran. But with your help, Scott built a new life from scratch: a rewarding job, his own little place, and a meaningful, productive life. After a normal life and 20 years of full-time employment in warehouse work, I’d lost my job. It was only a matter of time before I was evicted from my place. So I made the trip from Hamburg to...
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Tagged:Spotlight
Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2018
By:
Julia VanTine
Categories:
Spotlights
This Stevens & Lee attorney joined our board last November, thanks to a colleague already active in a number of local charitable organizations. He knew Julie wanted to expand her community involvement. When Opportunity House board member Carol Miller called to ask him to recommend an attorney for a vacant board seat, he thought of Julie.
After touring the shelter, Learning Center, and...
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Tagged:Spotlight
Posted on Tuesday, December 05, 2017
By:
Julia VanTine
Categories:
Spotlights
The black
Chevy S-10 isn’t new, but it’s new to Marvin Sensenig, and it gets him where he
wants to go. During the week, that’s to work and back home, and on weekends, to
family outside the city. He bought the 1995 pickup just weeks ago, the day before his 50th
birthday. “It was my present to myself,” says the Navy veteran. The truck also is a symbol of...
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Tagged:Spotlight, Client Success
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2017
By:
Julia VanTine
Categories:
Spotlights
Her formal job title is “receptionist,” but no one here thinks of
Cynthia that way. Almost as soon as she arrived here in 2013, as an AARP
volunteer, she was ready to take on bigger things. “Just answering phones seemed boring--after a few weeks, I asked if
there was anything else I could help with,” says the Reading native.Oh yes. There was. And in 2014, she went from...
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Tagged:Spotlight, Employee
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2017
By:
Julia VanTine
Categories:
Spotlights
Drugs didn’t break her. Nor did a tumultuous relationship or a health
scare. Smart and articulate, Maria is a survivor. It just took her a minute to
find her stride. Maria, 43, grew up
in Reading with her mother and two sisters. When she was 26, her mother passed
away, “and that was the beginning of my drug spiral.” She started smoking marijuana
and progressed to harder...
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Tagged:Spotlight, Client Success
Posted on Tuesday, February 14, 2017
By:
Opportunity House
Categories:
Spotlights
By: Jami Gresh This year’s Souper Bowl was the most successful to date with a crowd of over 400 people. The annual event, which raises funds for the Opportunity House and raises awareness of homelessness and hunger in our area, allows local restaurants to feature their signature soup while guests test-taste the soups and vote for their favorites. The lucky restaurant that wins first...
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Tagged:Spotlight
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