Berks Community Health Center (BCHC) will honor Donald F. Smith, Jr., Esq., founding member and former Board member, with the health center’s Civitas Award at the seventh annual Picture Berks Healthy on Monday, March 16, 2026. Also receiving recognition is United Way of Berks County, which will be presented with the Community Partner Civitas Award. Picture Berks Healthy is BCHC’s signature awareness and fundraising event and will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Reading. Light, healthy fare will be served.
Donald F. Smith, Jr. is a retired attorney who practiced personal injury law, concentrating in workers’ compensation cases, for more than twenty-eight years with the Reading firm Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C. He later served as executive director of the Berks County Bar Association and the Law Foundation of Berks County. In addition to helping establish BCHC and serving on its Board and committees, he has contributed his leadership to numerous local organizations, including the Central Berks Police Commission, Centro Hispano of Reading and Berks County, MidPenn Legal Services, Barrio Alegria, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, and the Pennsylvania Bar Association Political Action Committee. He earned his J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law and his B.S. from Shippensburg University, which recognized him with both its Distinguished Alumnus Award and Exceptional Service Award. He and his wife, JoAnn, have two children and four grandchildren.
United Way of Berks County works to bring individuals and organizations together to advance education, health, financial stability, and essential safety net services. As a founding partner of BCHC, United Way has played an important role in strengthening access to high-quality, comprehensive primary and preventive care for underserved children and families. Together, the organizations respond to immediate needs while building long-term pathways to resilience, independence, and opportunity, helping ensure a strong future for Berks County.
BCHC’s mission is to improve access and the health of our community through the delivery of coordinated, comprehensive services for all residents of Berks County, regardless of economic status. At Picture Berks Healthy, the organization will celebrate its impact while sharing its vision for 2026 and beyond, including plans to open a new site and expand access to care.
Returning this year is the BCHC Staff Table Contest, in which staff members design educational displays focused on health and wellness topics. Guests are invited to vote for their favorite table, with the winning team receiving a small prize. Attendees can view entries from the fourth annual Picturing a Healthy Community Art Contest, featuring students in grades 1–4 from 13th and Union Elementary, Cumru Elementary, the Mifflin Community Library, and the Reading Public Library. A silent auction and raffle benefiting BCHC will also take place. Tickets are available at berkschc.net/events/pbh/.
