Blog
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...
Kevaughn Ferguson Internship at Opportunity House
Kevaughn shares his internship experience at Opportunity House. He previously was part of the O'Pake Scholar program helping non-profits in Berks County. In the summer of 2024, he accepted an internship with Opportunity House. Interning at Opportunity House has been...
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...
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...
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...
Souper Bowl
Come pick your pottery and sample all the soups with us on February 3, 2025 back at the Penn State Berks – Beaver Athletics & Wellness Center.
Alvin’s Story: From Despair to Gratitude –Opportunity House
Alvin was never afraid of hard work. After growing up in Douglassville, Alvin began his career at Gudebrod in Pottstown. When the plant closed, he began working at Stanley Flagg. Eventually, he got a job loading trucks at Boscov’s Department Store. Alvin always...
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...
SUCCESS STORY
Alvin’s Story: From Despair to Gratitude –Opportunity House
Alvin was never afraid of hard work. After growing up in Douglassville, Alvin began his career at Gudebrod in Pottstown. When the plant closed, he began working at Stanley Flagg. Eventually, he got a job loading trucks at Boscov’s Department Store. Alvin always lived in the home grew up in. When his mother died in […]