Berks County Community Foundation has awarded $8,200 from the Albany Township Tomorrow Fund to four organizations for programs or projects that will benefit the entire Albany Township community.
The Albany Township Tomorrow Fund supports community organizations and initiatives that benefit the residents of Albany Township, Berks County. This fund was created in honor of Pauline Levan Hamm and Gloria Longenberger Hamm and their lifelong efforts to support and improve the Albany Township community.
The Grants
- $2,500 to the Albany Township Historical Society.
- $2,500 to the Kempton Community Center.
- $2,500 to Kempton Fire Company.
- $700 to New Bethel Church.
Adventures in Albany Bus Tour
The Albany Township Historical Society will conduct a bus tour in the spring of 2021 to provide an introduction to Albany Township history. The tour will be free to more than 100 participants – with at least half in kindergarten through eighth grade. Their itinerary will include living history demonstrations, architectural examples, hands-on activities, and historic sites in the township, including those where American Indians and settlers interacted.
Participants will have lunch in the Historical Society headquarters and receive a historically significant souvenir. Organizers of the Adventures in Albany Bus Tour hope to foster inter-generational communication and help participants gain a greater appreciation for the rich heritage of Albany Township.
Youth-Livestock Education Program
The Kempton Community Center will purchase 25 livestock panels to create new opportunities for Albany Township youth to develop and exhibit their livestock skills and achievements through clinics and competition.
For 53 years, the community center has fostered and promoted interest in agricultural activities through the annual Kempton Fair. For many years, livestock panels have been borrowed from organizations like the Kutztown Fair, with local volunteers donating time and expense for transportation. This allowed for limited youth livestock-related activities.
With its own panels, the community center will gain flexibility and self-sufficiency in managing Kempton Fair operations, and be able to expand its programming to other on-site educational events for local and regional 4-H and FFA students.
Audio-Visual Upgrade
The Kempton Fire Company will upgrade their audio-visual capabilities to provide their organization and the Albany Township Community with superior meeting and training facilities.
The upgrade will include new and integrated video projection and audio equipment. When the project is complete, the fire company will have a greatly enhanced ability to host training for first responders, conduct township-wide meetings, and accommodate other events for government agencies and community groups.
This project will give the Albany Township community the type of venue that larger communities take for granted.
2021 Kempton Community-Wide Easter Egg Hunt
New Bethel Church will host a 2021 egg hunt to bring together youth and adults from the entire community. The event will include eight separate egg hunts and a field day of family activities. This annual event attracts about 300 children. Organizers believe this community event “allows children and young people to gain a deeper sense of their home and community. Years from now, they may not remember the specific faces and names from the event, but they will remember what it felt like to belong to a loving place full of people who care about them…”
The Community Foundation manages about 400 charitable funds. Each year, those funds distribute scholarships and grants to support local students and assist a variety of nonprofit organizations and causes. Since 1994, the Community Foundation has awarded about $60 million in grants and scholarships.
