For information on submitting an obituary, please contact Reading Eagle by phone at 610-371-5018, or email at obituaries@readingeagle.com or fax at 610-371-5193.
Most obituaries published in the Reading Eagle are submitted through funeral homes and cremation services, but we will accept submissions from families. Obituaries can be emailed to obituaries@readingeagle.com.
In addition to the text of the obituary, any photographs that you wish to include can be attached to this email. Please put the text of the obituary in a Word document, a Google document or in the body of the email. The Reading Eagle also requires a way to verify the death, so please include either the phone number of the funeral home or cremation service that is in charge of the deceased’s care or a photo of his/her death certificate. We also request that your full name, phone number and address are all included in this email.
All payments by families must be made with a credit card. We will send a proof of the completed obituary before we require payment. The obituary cannot run, however, until we receive payment in full.
Obituaries can be submitted for any future date, but they must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. the day prior to its running for it to be published.
Please call the obituary desk, at 610-371-5018, for information on pricing.
The Literacy Council of Reading Berks has announced plans to relocate its main office in Spring Township to Tec Centro, 450 S. Sixth St., Reading.
The decision aims to better serve the community while ensuring long-term organizational sustainability and growth, said Ryan Breisch, executive director of the council.
“It is very proactive of our board to take this step to ensure that we have long-term sustainability for the organization,” Breisch said. “It’s going to allow us to continue to be independent and continue all of our current programming and just alleviate the burden of owning our own property.”
Calling the move a strategic partnership, not a merger, Breisch noted both organizations will retain their independent missions and identities while benefiting from shared resources.
“By co-locating with this established community partner, we can leverage complementary resources while strengthening our collective impact on education and economic development in Berks County,” Breisch said.
The council serves adults and businesses, offering free classes, workshops, private tutoring and off-site training with a focus on literacy, high school equivalency, workforce development and citizenship.
Programming held at locations throughout Berks County will continue unchanged, he stressed.
Breisch said the council has worked with Tec Centro since the 2018 founding of the nonprofit that offers bilingual workforce development and adult basic education to help individuals overcome barriers to employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency.
He sees opportunities for the council’s literacy and high school equivalency programs to serve as a feeder into Tec Centro’s workforce training tracks, such as culinary arts and apprenticeships, he said.
That division of focus, he noted, would allow each nonprofit to build on its strengths while ensuring community members have a pathway from education to employment.
Violet Emory, executive director of Tec Centro, said there is synergy between the two organizations and the services they offer.
“We work really well with the literacy council,” she said. “I think it’s a plus-plus on both ends. We’re excited to welcome them here.”
A move into the city will make the council’s main office more accessible to downtown residents, many of whom rely on public transportation or walk to get to the center, Emory said.
“Having the council in our building is going to offer more services to the community,” she said.
The decision to move demonstrates the council’s commitment to responsible stewardship of donor funds and community resources, positioning the nonprofit for continued impact and growth, Breisch said.
The move will reduce the overhead costs of building ownership and other operational costs, he said
Proceeds from the sale of the council’s current building at 35 S. Dwight Street in West Lawn will be used to further strengthen the organization’s mission and meet immediate needs.
The timing may prove fortunate, he noted, as federal budget debates have created uncertainty around adult education funding.
While the U.S. Senate has proposed maintaining current support, the House version of the budget would eliminate it, Breisch said. The council’s funding is secure through June, he said, but the longer-term outlook is unclear.
“It’s almost like the stars have aligned,” he said. “Even though we’ve been planning this long before the budget situation, this move is coming at a really great time.”
Tentative plans are to relocate in January, Breisch said, but the move could happen earlier depending on the sale of the property.