Berks Encore officials are asking Reading leaders and residents to help raise awareness about its wide range of services available to older adults, saying many people don’t learn about the nonprofit until they face a crisis.
“We are kind of like this best kept secret,” LuAnn Oatman, president and CEO of Berks Encore, told Reading City Council at a recent meeting. “You don’t know who we are until something emergent happens in the family, or you find out about us when it’s Medicare time.”
Oatman and Mindy McIntosh, the nonprofit’s director of development, provided council with an overview of the organization’s programs and services, many of which are headquartered at the group’s Reading Senior Center at Ninth and Court streets.
The center, established in 1974, was the first senior center built in Pennsylvania, Oatman said. It serves adults ages 60 and older, offering meals, wellness programs, Medicare counseling, fitness opportunities and social activities.
“There is no membership fee to be a part of it,” Oatman said. “We serve anyone and everyone, provided you’re over the age of 60.”
Oatman said the Reading Center has become the county’s most diverse senior center, and all staff who interact directly with the public are bilingual.
“We are very proud of how inclusive we are,” she said.
Beyond serving as a senior center, Berks Encore’s headquarters are the operations base for Berks County’s Meals on Wheels program. The nonprofit runs the program under a subcontract with the county Area Agency on Aging, delivering about 300 meals daily in Reading and between 650 and 700 meals countywide.
“Half of those meals come out of the Reading Center,” Oatman said.
Oatman also discussed upcoming changes to the Meals on Wheels program. Beginning July 1, meals will be supplied by Helping Harvest, which was awarded the county contract to provide the food. Berks Encore will continue delivering meals and providing care management services to participants.
One of the biggest changes, Oatman said, will be a shift from daily hot meals to frozen meals delivered twice weekly. The new system is intended to improve food safety and give recipients more flexibility in deciding when to eat.
Oatman said that while she initially worried that less-frequent deliveries would reduce contact with homebound seniors, conversations with Meals on Wheels program administrators across the country convinced her the change reflects evolving preferences among older adults.
To help address concerns about social isolation, Berks Encore hopes to expand its Friendly Visitor program, which connects volunteers with seniors through home visits or regular phone calls, she said.
The organization also provides care management services, grocery shopping assistance, health and wellness programs and free Medicare counseling through a team of trained staff and volunteers.
“We do free Medicare counseling, and we do not affiliate with any insurance company,” Oatman said.
She singled out Medicare counselor Rosa Velez and her volunteers for praise.
“Rosa Velez is amazing,” Oatman said. “She is a walking fount of knowledge.”
McIntosh noted that during last year’s Medicare open enrollment period, Velez and her volunteer team assisted 731 people and helped them save more than $146,000 on Medicare-related costs.
The nonprofit’s impact extends well beyond its paid staff. Oatman noted volunteers contributed the equivalent of about $1.2 million worth of service last year.
“We always need help,” she said when asked about volunteer recruitment.
Councilwoman Vanessa Campos and other council members praised the organization’s work, noting they were impressed by both the organization’s impact and its volunteer base.
Councilman Rafael Nunez said he was surprised to learn about the breadth of services available.
“I can’t believe you exist,” Nunez said. “I really didn’t know.”
The councilman noted his interest in learning more, helping to spread the word and possibly volunteering.
City Managing Director Jack Gombach said city officials are interested in exploring ways to collaborate with Berks Encore as Reading’s senior population continues to grow.
Oatman said planning for the needs of older adults will become increasingly important in the years ahead as growth in their numbers outpaces younger generations.
“I just think, as a nation, we need to be prepared,” she said. “The fastest growing population in this city over the age of 60 still continues.”