Blog
Addiction Lead to Homelessness and Redemption–Opportunity House
“When is the bus stopping? I need a cigarette.” You'd expect to hear that from people who have an addiction to cigarettes. They don’t sound like life-saving words, but they were. When Terrance left Atlanta to return to Pennsylvania, he had no plans. His girlfriend...
A Fighting Spirit to Overcome Homelessness-Opportunity House
“My mom taught me how to keep fighting and not to give up. My dad taught me to dream.” Those traits are part of her DNA that has helped her survive abuse, homelessness, and despair. Today, as Crystal is rebuilding her life, her internal motivation drives her while her...
Stacy Celebrates 5 Years at Opportunity House
Name: Stacy Perlaki Title: Director of Development Family: Husband, Joel, and son, Zachary 5 Fun Facts about Stacy: Favorite Food: Pizza Your dream vacation spot: The Bahamas The App you can't live without: Apple Pay Least favorite household chore: All of...
Crystal Celebrates 5 Years at Opportunity House
Name: Crystal R. Department/Job Title: Assistant Director/Educational Specialist at The Second Street Learning Center Family: My fiance, Ryan, and my daughter, Abby. I also have a Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog named Luke and a cat named Ralph. Fun Facts about...
Opportunity House Expands Services To Pottstown
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Montgomery County Announces New Short-Term Housing Solution for Those Experiencing Homelessness in Pottstown NORRISTOWN, PA—The Montgomery County Commissioners voted to approve an emergency hoteling program in Pottstown for individuals...
Bianca Ruiz has been named Director of the S.M.I.L.E program at Opportunity House.
Bianca Ruiz has been named Director of the S.M.I.L.E program at Opportunity House. In this role, Ruiz is responsible for program development of the S.M.I.L.E program. This program is a key component of the Opportunity House Shelter Services. S.M.I.L.E. stands for...
Hosting A Clothing Drive For Opportunity House
Giving Back: My Experience with Opportunity House's Clothing Drive by Katy Taveras In 2020, while finishing my last semester for my associate's degree in business management at Reading Area Community College (RACC), I was nominated for membership in The National...
Jennifer Celebrates 20 Years at Opportunity House
Name: Jennifer Stepp Department: Lead Teacher at the Second Street Learning Center Years of Service: 20 years Family: My sons, Isaiah, 22, Makiai, 13, and my daughter, Shyanne, 19. My gerbils, Splinter and Horse, and my 3 goldfish, Larry, Moe, and Curly. 5 Fun...
Mary Celebrates 15 Years at Opportunity House
Name: Mary Leon Department: Preschool Assistant Teacher at the Second Street Learning Center Years of Service: 15 Family: My husband, Gregory, Sr., my daughter, Jayliannie, my son, Gregory, Jr., my mom and stepmom, brothers, sisters, nieces...
Addiction Lead to Homelessness and Redemption–Opportunity House
“When is the bus stopping? I need a cigarette.” You'd expect to hear that from people who have an addiction to cigarettes. They don’t sound like life-saving words, but they were. When Terrance left Atlanta to return to Pennsylvania, he had no plans. His girlfriend...
Bianca Ruiz has been named Director of the S.M.I.L.E program at Opportunity House.
Bianca Ruiz has been named Director of the S.M.I.L.E program at Opportunity House. In this role, Ruiz is responsible for program development of the S.M.I.L.E program. This program is a key component of the Opportunity House Shelter Services. S.M.I.L.E. stands for...
A Fighting Spirit to Overcome Homelessness-Opportunity House
“My mom taught me how to keep fighting and not to give up. My dad taught me to dream.” Those traits are part of her DNA that has helped her survive abuse, homelessness, and despair. Today, as Crystal is rebuilding her life, her internal motivation drives her while her...
Seeing Herself as a Homeless Woman–Opportunity House
When Amy* came to Opportunity House, she was looking for far more than shelter. She was looking to change her life. The biggest challenges she faced were her perceptions of homeless people. That’s what happened to addicts and lazy people—it wasn’t what she ever...
Meals Made with Love–Opportunity House
Making home-cooked meals is both her joy and her ministry. For Bernice Holmes Hopkins it started with Frances Powers, a fellow member at New Hope Baptist Church in Reading, PA asked her to help prepare a meal for Opportunity House. Mother Powers and other members of...
Kindness Coalition Works to Help End Homelessness–Opportunity House
John and Karen Arnold, Founders of Kindness Coalition share why they are passionate about helping others. They are dedicated to helping the homeless through their support of Opportunity House. Why did you start the Kindness Coalition and what is the purpose of the...
Reuse & Recycle at Opportunity House
One of the cornerstones of Opportunity House is its Reuse & Recycle Program. This program has helped to reuse, repurpose, and recycle over a million pounds of material including clothing, furniture, books, CDs, DVDs, shoes, belts, bedding, housewares, and small...
SUCCESS STORY
Ed’s Story Of Resilience and Renewal–Opportunity House
Ed’s Story: A Journey of Resilience and Renewal Ed worked at a cough drop factory, carefully monitoring the machinery that wrapped each drop. After his long 12-hour shifts, he returned to the mobile home he shared with his aging mother. “I moved in to help her as she was getting older,” Ed shared. In 2021, Ed’s […]