Six nonprofits will receive grants to support community engagement projects aimed at improving the lives of people in Reading.
The winning projects will receive a combined total of $25,000, the Wyomissing Foundation and Barrio Alegría announced Tuesday.
The foundation funded the awards, which are meant to bring people together and connect them with arts programs, community activities and important services.
Barrio, a Reading-based community organization focused on neighborhood engagement and the arts, coordinated the selection process.
The awards, called FARO grants, are named after the Spanish-language word for “lighthouse.” The name alludes to the search for traditionally undersupported community projects, Barrio’s director of operations, Anthony Orozco, said in a release.
Foundation President Pat Giles said the winners are selected each year by a committee of neighbors, rather than nonprofit executives and board members.
“This grant program is all about neighbors helping neighbors,” Giles said. “So, it just makes sense for a group of neighbors to also be the ones to evaluate the grant requests and make the tough choices about which ones they believe will make the most difference in the community.”
Orozco said he was happy to see so many different, innovative projects among the applications.
“It was important for us to attract not only small nonprofits, but also just everyday people with great ideas,” he said. “We received more than 20 amazing applications, and this year we have lots of awardees who are neighbors with that spirit of action and creativity we look for.”
Applicants without nonprofit status were paired with established nonprofits in the area, Orozco noted.
The following are the selected projects:
• Artist Development Series by Berks County rapper and producer GMS; sponsored by the Yocum Institute for Arts Education.
• Cypher at the Squares City Park hip-hop dance meetups by Maldonado Arts and Movement Foundation; sponsored by Barrio Alegría.
• “23” The Aftermath of Gunviolence, safe spaces for grieving neighbors by Shaykayarira Delrio-Gonzalez; sponsored by Centro Hispano Daniel Torres.
• Cultivating Connection: a monthly women’s gathering series by Flowers From Us, To Us; sponsored by Tec Centro Berks.
• Alive: Trauma-Informed Kickboxing and Therapeutic Services for Vulnerable Populations, by Alive Trauma Informed Kickboxing and Therapeutic Services; sponsored by Betterview Counseling and Trauma Recovery.
• Business English Cohort for Unfunded Small Businesses by Small For Small.
Projects aimed at getting neighbors involved over a long period of time rather than single, one-off events were prioritized, Giles said.
“One-day events can be fun, informative and bring people together in a variety of ways, but only for a very limited amount of time,” Giles said. “Community engagement initiatives can provide deeper interaction, learning and support over a longer period of time, which have a better chance for building relationships and developing skills or knowledge that benefit people more intensely.”
Orozco said he looks forward to seeing the projects take flight over the next year.
“This is a unique opportunity for these neighbors,” he said. “This is going to be a learning experience for many of them and for some of them this might even become a defining moment of their lives. We’re just honored to be a part of it in a small way.”