READING, Pa. – During its Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday night, Reading City Council was updated on two community projects for which local organizations are hoping to get funding grants from U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlihan.

The grant requests are for projects for Tec Centro and Centro Hispano.

Tec Centro Executive Director Violet Emory gave a presentation on what she described as a much-needed project for the development of a new Tec Centro property at 433 Pearl St.

The $1.150 million grant would pay for the development of a skilled trades workforce program, which would include construction, pre-apprenticeship, commercial and residential plumbing, facilities maintenance, welding and forklift certification programs.

Founded in 2019, Tec Cento is a nonprofit organization focused on workforce development.

The organization is currently housed at 450 S. Sixth St. in the former Saints Cyril and Methodius Parochial School building.

Emory said Tec Centro has outgrown that space and purchased three parcels on Pearl Street which made up the Standard Offset Printing business, which has since relocated.

The property, which is directly behind the South Sixth Street property, also includes a 45-space parking lot.

Emory said the new property will serve hundreds of people currently on a waiting list.

“We have students that are interested. We have employers that are waiting for our graduates, and this space is exactly what we need to be able to grow and be able to reach more of the residents of Berks County,” Emory said.

Emory said the new space will be dedicated to the trades, and the South Sixth Street property will be retained for health care training and culinary arts.

The new property will require some lighting and electrical upgrades, as well as cosmetic work.

Emory said the Wyomissing Foundation has given Tec Centro $200,000 and another unnamed source has given $75,000 to get the work started, which she said will be done in phases.

Home repair program

President and CEO of Centro Hispano, Michael Toledo, said the $1 million federal grant for his organization would support the Centro Hispano/Blueprint Communities initiative with a “Healthy Homes” repair program.

“Our mission is to revitalize affordable high-quality homes,” Toledo said. “We want to look to identify both public and private investment opportunities that may exist, engage and educate the residents that are most affected, and we want to develop local leadership so that transformation in the community is sustainable because we firmly believe that revitalization should not just happen to residents; it should happen with our residents.”

Toledo said the $1 million grant would be specifically used to fund an owner-occupied initiative where longtime owners can receive assistance with major repair costs.

“Through this initiative, we hope to provide $25,000 for repair assistance for up to 40 homeowners,” Toledo explained. “The goal is not only to repair homes, but to strengthen families and to strengthen those communities and those neighborhoods that we want to be doing work in. The target audience that we want to focus this work on is to benefit those facing the greatest barriers. The work that we do is about breaking down barriers of access.”

Toledo said the program will include low- to moderate-income families, seniors and residents with disabilities.

“Our ask is that tonight we continue to have your partnership and your continued collaboration with this initiative,” he added. 

Council approved the grant request submissions for both organizations about two months ago.