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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. Opportunity House has announced a new initiative aimed at addressing family homelessness in Berks County. The program, called Supporting Transitions through Empowerment and Progression, or STEP, combines transitional housing with rapid rehousing to help parents and children move from homelessness to permanent, stable housing. Funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, STEP is designed to provide short-term housing and intensive support services for families experiencing homelessness, Opportunity House officials said in a release. “STEP provides more than just shelter,” said Alyssa Bushkie, CEO of Opportunity House. “It offers families the time, space and support they need to rebuild their lives and work toward lasting housing stability.” The program is designed to serve parents with at least one child. Participants can stay for up to 24 months, though most are expected to transition to permanent housing much sooner, Bushkie said. Each family enrolled in STEP will work closely with a dedicated case manager to set and achieve personal goals related to housing, employment, education and overall well-being. The program also connects families with community resources such as health care services and job training and budget counseling. “Transitional housing allows families to take a breath, stabilize and begin preparing for long-term success,” Bushkie said. “Our goal is to empower each parent to make progress toward independence while ensuring their children have a safe, supportive environment.” Twenty-five individuals are enrolled in the program and seeking a path toward permanent housing, she said. The STEP facility’s location is kept confidential to protect the privacy of its residents. The program serves as an essential part of Opportunity House’s broader mission to reduce homelessness across the county.
