Are you familiar with the 60-year history of Berks Encore?
Celebrating 60 Years of Serving Berks County Seniors!
2025 marks a monumental milestone for Berks Encore—our 60th Birthday! For six decades, we have proudly supported the seniors of Berks County, helping them lead independent, fulfilling lives through our programs and services. From nutrition and education to wellness and social connection, our mission has always been about enriching the lives of those we serve.
We are deeply grateful to our community of supporters, volunteers, and staff who have made this journey possible. Your dedication and partnership have been the driving force behind our impact.
As we honor this incredible legacy, we’re thrilled to announce that plans are underway for a 60th birthday celebration! The event will showcase our history, celebrate our achievements, and look ahead to the future. Stay tuned in the coming months for announcements about this exciting celebration.
Thank you for being part of our story. Together, we look forward to continuing to make a difference in the lives of Berks County seniors for many years to come.
Our Beginning
Sixty years ago, the Berks County Senior Citizens Council was born out of a deep concern for the well-being of the county’s aging population. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by older adults, the Berks County Commissioners tasked the United Community Services with conducting a study to explore the creation of a Senior Citizens Activity Center. The result of their vision and dedication was the founding of the nonprofit in April 1965.
The journey began with a clear purpose and enthusiastic community support. Within weeks of the initial study, plans for a senior center came to life, supported by state and county funding. On June 1, 1965, incorporation papers were approved, and the Berks County Senior Citizens Council officially became a reality.
The first senior center found its home in the basement of the Berkshire Hotel, where it welcomed 22 members. Under the leadership of Frank Ruch, the center offered a variety of activities, including shuffleboard, card games, guitar lessons, and art and music programs. These modest beginnings marked the start of something transformative.
Early Activities Offered by Berks County Senior Citizens Council
In honor of our 60th birthday this year, we are continuing to share information about our history. The Senior Citizens Council began offering activities in the basement of the Berkshire Hotel in June 1965. As the group expanded its scope of activities, members grew accordingly. Crafts, food sales, hospital visitations and the introduction of the Meals on Wheels program soon became part of the daily operations and center programming. 1969 was a busy year when many special activities took place according to numerous newspaper articles published in the Reading Eagle. Hundreds of seniors participated in events including a St. Valentine’s Day dance, a hat show at the Reading Women’s Club, a National Geographic Film viewing about Africa, a Peace Corp. presentation with slides from Venezuela, performance by the glee club from St. Peter’s Parochial School, square dancing classes, bowling league championship, piano duet performance, excursion to the Internation Folk Festival in Philadelphia, an annual Senior Citizen Council picnic at Kutztown Park and much more. Many of these same activities are enjoyed by seniors today at our six senior centers in Berks County.
The Introduction of Meals on Wheels in Berks County
In 1969, Senior Citizens “Meals on Wheels” service began in Berks County. Balanced, nutritious meals were prepared at Berks Heim under the supervision of a dietician. The meals consisted of one hot and one cold meal and were the same meal served to guests of Berks Heim.
Meal recipients were homebound, handicapped elderly or chronically ill persons who were unable to prepare their own meals or go out to eat. Welfare agencies and hospitals referred prospective clients needing Meals on Wheels to the Berks County Senior Citizen Council.
Meals on Wheels were delivered Monday through Friday at noon by volunteers from the American Red Cross, Atonement Church of Wyomissing, Sacred Heart R.C. Church, Southwest Christian Ministry, Trinity Lutheran Church, civic groups and civic-minded individuals. Volunteers assisted with meal delivery one to five days per week for approximately two hours a day. Volunteers visited each of the 63 city residents who paid a maximum of 75 cents a day or $3.75 a week. Recipients who were unable to pay the maximum were charged according to their financial ability to pay. By 1971, Meals on Wheels expanded to 89 individuals needing meals. At that time, they were in desperate need of additional volunteers so that Meals on Wheels could continue to expand to provide meals to all who were eligible to receive them. An article in the May 13, 1971, edition of the Reading Eagle titled “Balanced, Nutritious MEALS…Delivered on WHEELS…BE A WHEEL – DELIVER A MEAL” advertised the need for volunteers.
More than 55 years later, Meals on Wheels Berks County continues to serve homebound seniors and clients with disabilities who reside in Berks County with nutritious meals each weekday delivered by volunteers. Today, Meals on Wheels operates in virtually every community in America through a network of more than 5,000 independently-run local programs. All committed to supporting their senior neighbors to live healthier and more nourished lives in their own homes.
Building a Legacy: The Spirit of the 60s Senior Center Fund Drive
By the end of the 1960’s, the Berks County Senior Citizens Council began to outgrow their space at the Berkshire Hotel. The Council formed a Building Fund Drive to raise money to build a Senior Citizens Center to house the variety of services necessary for the well-being of this rapidly increasing older generation.
In September 1969, the Berks County Senior Citizens Council on behalf of the 33,000 Berks County Seniors, held “The Spirit of the 60’s” Senior Citizens Center Building Fund Drive. The public was invited to a two-day shopping event held at the North, East and West Boscov’s department stores with free round trip bus service provided.
The event featured “Mom’s Kitchen Delights”, an old -fashioned food stand, a “Craft Boutique Shop”, a bazaar-type gift shop demonstrating and selling handcrafted gift items. An art auction with 81 pieces of original works by Dali, Goya, Miro, Renoir, Picasso, Buffet and other world-renowned artists were sold with proceeds toward the building fund. An employment center was centrally located in all stores to register part-time job opportunities available to senior citizens. Hobby displays, art class exhibits, and auditorium variety shows featuring local seniors, with nationally known celebrities. There was a “Crazy Fashion Show” featuring bathing suits from the 1900’s, and another show featuring a “Go-Go act” and great looks of 1969. The grand finale included a dance for senior citizens and guests with music performed by the Wes Fisher Trio. Honored guest representing local, state and national government were attendees.
Registration booths invited seniors to join the Berks Senior Citizens clubs and to register for prizes. Awards of an All-expenses paid 2nd honeymoon weekend in Niagara Falls, N.Y. was awarded to a couple attending who has been married the longest. A free portable television was given to the oldest man and oldest woman in attendance. The event raised $5,000 to start the building fund.
Never in their most optimistic dreams did the seniors image that in the short year that followed their first appeal for help, the building fund would reach the half-way mark and $200,000 of the needed $400,000 would be contributed by a concerned, generous public.
Two additional “Spirit of the 60’s” events were held on September 1970 and October 1971, with the goal of raising the balance of the funds necessary to make ground-breaking for the Senior Citizens Center sometime in that decade. Thanks to the attendees and sponsorships from hundreds of business and patrons, in 1974, the dream became reality.
Groundbreaking for the Horizon Center
The Berks County Senior Citizens Council (BCSCC) spearheaded the development of the Horizon Center to better serve the senior community in Reading, Pennsylvania. Strategically located for accessibility, the new senior center was placed near public transportation, elderly housing, churches, shopping areas, and markets.
By 1971, Reading’s senior citizens had raised more than $230,000 for construction and furnishings. The land for the center, located at the corner of 9th Street and Washington, was owned by Episcopal House (now Skyline View Apartments), a senior housing complex under construction at the time. Episcopal House generously deeded the vacant land for free to facilitate the project.
The remaining $400,000 needed to build the center was funded through a federal grant, making the Horizon Center the first federally subsidized senior citizens center in Pennsylvania and one of only three such centers funded nationwide at the time. The City of Reading assumed responsibility for ensuring the center operated effectively and served its designated purpose for the first 20 years. With 17,000 seniors aged 65 and older in Reading—representing one-fifth of the population—and 36,000 seniors living in Berks County, the center was a much-needed resource for senior services and community activities.
To support ongoing operations, the Berks County United Way admitted the Senior Citizens Council as a funded member agency in 1973, allocating $6,000—approximately 7% of BCSCC’s budget—toward operating expenses. Additional funding came from the City of Reading, the County, membership fees, and service fees.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Horizon Center took place on August 14, 1974, at the corner of 9th and Court Streets in downtown Reading. Many seniors gathered with shovels in hand, symbolizing the beginning of a new era of support and engagement for the region’s elderly population.
Horizon Center Opening Week: November 17–23, 1975
In Fall of 1975, the Senior Citizen Council finally had a new home to welcome Berks County seniors for activities and services. The Horizon Center was officially dedicated on November 17, 1975, marking the beginning of a weeklong celebration filled with events and activities to commemorate its grand opening.
Festivities began with a performance by the Governor Mifflin Band, followed by an opening ceremony featuring the national anthem, performed by Mrs. Francis Ellison and accompanied by the Reading High School Choral Group.
The Horizon Center was thoughtfully designed to serve the needs of the community. Its layout included private counseling rooms, a medical clinic, and designated areas for housing, health, legal, and financial assistance. Recreational and social features were also integrated, including a library, kitchen, craft and hobby rooms, men’s workshops, and a spacious multipurpose room—later named Erdman Hall—for gatherings, programs, meetings, and dances.
Throughout the week, guests enjoyed guided tours of the building, craft-making sessions, and games of bridge. The Altrusa Club of Reading donated a piano to the center, enhancing its musical offerings. Entertainment included performances by the Singing Seniors and groups from local high schools. Other highlights included a travel lecture on Southern Spain by Mrs. Edna Springer, dramatic excerpts from a stage play by the Genesius Theatre Group, and a lively evening dance.
The celebration concluded on Sunday, November 23, with an interfaith church service led by clergy from Reading churches and a synagogue. Local radio personalities served as honorary Toastmasters for the week’s events.
In recognition of her decade of service as a board member and her leadership in the building fund campaign, Mrs. Lee Erdman was honored with a plaque from the Berks County Senior Citizens Council. The Horizon Center’s multipurpose room was named Erdman Hall in her honor.
Additional Neighborhood Senior Centers Opened
In 1974, Berks County neighborhood senior centers opened in St. Paul’s, Hope and St. Mark’s churches in the city of Reading. Advent Lutheran Church in West Lawn, Kennedy Towers on 4th and Spruce streets, Moose Lodge in Hamburg and the Boyertown Multi-Service Center were also opened. By 1977, two more senior centers opened. One in Mifflin Area at St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church in Millmont and another at Calvary Lutheran Church in Laureldale. With a total of 10 senior center locations including the Horizon Center, the 50,000 Berks County seniors over the age of 60, had more opportunities for better nutrition, socialization, recreational activities and educational programs. All the neighborhood centers served low-cost meals at noon to senior citizens 60 years of age and older. In addition, personal counseling was offered for aged citizens who were lonely, in need of physical assistance or other types of aid. The Horizon Center, headquarters of the Berks County Senior Citizens Council, provided low-cost dinners at 4:00 p.m. on weekdays instead of lunch. In 1978, the 10 centers combined served approximately 115,000 meals annually to Berks County seniors. Activities at the neighborhood centers were limited to a few hours a day before and after lunches were served. Each of the neighborhood senior centers had a paid manager who was assisted by hundreds of volunteers.
Caring Retired Workers Receive Training to Help Fellow Seniors
Former school administrators, social workers, nurses, teachers, engineers, insurance agents, and lawyers who were retired, participated in a pilot program in June 1977, where senior citizens began helping fellow seniors. Thirteen volunteers received 72 hours of training through Reading Area Community College (RACC). They studied such topics as communication skills, customer protection, public housing, landlord-tenant laws, public assistance, medical assistance and social security. They learned about supplemental income, nursing homes, protective services, wills, domestic relations, pensions, property tax and rent rebates, and unemployment compensation and learned about the agencies that provided services for the elderly. The volunteers were available for office hours at the neighborhood senior centers, apartment complexes, nursing homes, churches and libraries to help fellow seniors with referral services and information.
Several of the more than 100 volunteers who assisted with the operations at the Horizon Center at 40 N. 9th Street were served at a service recognition tea for volunteers.
A Look Back at the History of Senior Clubs in Berks County
There is a long-standing tradition of senior clubs that formed in Berks County where retirees gathered on a regular basis for fellowship, fun, and trips. What started as small groups in church basements and fire halls has grown into a diverse and dynamic network of clubs serving older adults. The clubs were affiliated with the Berks County Senior Citizens Council.
One of the affiliate clubs was St. Luke’s Fifty Plus Group, of St. Luke’s Evangelical Congregational Church, Shillington. The club celebrated the 5th Anniversary of the group with a catered dinner in October 1977. Frank E. Ruch, director of field services for Berks County Senior Citizens Council, was the speaker and shared information about the programs available for seniors at the Horizon Center. Music was provided by Kit Breedy and her Singing Seniors. And Mrs. Helen S. Klopp, secretary of the group, discussed “Remember When?” The group began with 23 members in 1973 and by 1977 had grown to 142 members.
Senior clubs have played a central role in helping older adults live healthier, happier, and more connected lives. Today, more than 20 local clubs share upcoming meetings, entertainment and trips available for seniors in Berks Encore News. There are so many opportunities for seniors to stay active and engaged. We hope you will join the fun!
Sept. 20, 1977 – Locations of Seniors’ Clubs Shown
Viewing the locations of all the affiliated clubs of the Berks County Senior Citizens Council. (L to R) Mrs. Hyder M. Carim, Mrs. Barbara E. Morris, and Warren A. Schollenberger. Photo by James Cutler, Reading Eagle.
The Singing Seniors
In 1970, Catherine “Kit” Breedy, a well-known and active music director from Berks County, founded a unique choral group made up of members from the Horizon Center. They called themselves The Singing Seniors and shared their passion for music by performing concerts throughout the community.
The original group included 45 members—6 men and 39 women—with an average age of 70 years young. They practiced once a week, learning all their music by heart and incorporating hand movements into their performances. Their shows were lively and heartwarming, bringing joy to audiences in schools, churches, and a variety of community organizations.
After 16 memorable years, The Singing Seniors gave their final performance. By then, the group had gradually decreased to 21 members, some of whom faced challenges such as limited vision or the inability to drive. Though their time as a chorus came to an end, their legacy lives on. The Singing Seniors filled Berks County with music, laughter, and joy, leaving behind a beautiful chapter in the area’s cultural history.
Senior Expo Through the Years: 2000–2025
The first Berks County Senior Citizens Council Senior Expo was held in 2000 and was created to connect older adults with health screenings, educational resources, and community services. The inaugural event took place at the Sheraton Hotel in Wyomissing before moving in later years to venues such as the Body Zone Sports & Wellness Complex and the DoubleTree Hotel.
Over time, the Senior Expo has grown into a signature community event. The 17th annual Expo in 2017 welcomed more than 4,000 attendees and hosted over 140 vendors, offering a wide range of services and information tailored to seniors.
Like many events, the 20th Annual Senior Expo was canceled in October 2020 due to the pandemic. It returned in 2021 to a new outdoor format at FirstEnergy Stadium, where it remained until moving to the Berkshire Mall in 2024. In 2025, we are excited to bring the Expo back to the ballpark on Tuesday, September 30th.
Recognizing Leaders of the Past and Present
Honoring Frank E. Ruch
In May 1980, Frank E. Ruch retired as Director of Field Services at the Horizon Center in Reading, capping off 15 years of dedicated service to the seniors of Berks County. As the first Executive Director of the Berks County Senior Citizens Council, Frank devoted his time, talent, and energy to improving the lives of older adults across the region.
With vision and determination, he helped develop a wide array of programs and services tailored to meet the evolving needs of the senior community. His deep concern for both the social and nutritional well-being of older adults—and his dream of a space where all seniors could gather—led to the creation of the Horizon Center. The center became a model for similar facilities throughout Pennsylvania.
Frank’s tireless advocacy and leadership earned him the affectionate title of “Mr. Senior Citizen.” In recognition of his service, Senator Michael A. O’Pake presented him with a commendatory letter on May 27, 1980, honoring his outstanding contributions to the senior community.
Senator Michael A. O’Pake (left) presented Frank E. Ruch (right) with a commendatory letter on May 27, 1980, for his 15 years of service to the Berks County Senior Citizens Council as President.
A Legacy in the Making: LuAnn Oatman’s 19 Years of Leadership
Fast forward to December 2005, LuAnn Oatman joined Berks Encore as the President and CEO and is in her 19th year leading the organization. Under her leadership, the organization has continued to evolve and expand its mission of supporting older adults in Berks County. Berks Encore underwent a rebranding in 2008 to the current name, with the tagline “Applauding Life After 50,” reflecting a more vibrant approach to aging services.
A signature part of LuAnn’s tenure has been a consistent expansion of programs and services to meet emerging needs. For example:
- In November 2011, she launched a Grocery Shopping Program that served 48 clients in the first two months.
- A Friendly Visitor program began in 2011, with 26 volunteers spending 982 hours with homebound seniors.
- She led the creation of Care+, launched in 2020, a full-service caregiver support program intended to help families navigate services and allow older adults to remain in their homes for longer.
- Under her direction, Berks Encore has introduced “beNourished” — a medically tailored meals program for older adults with chronic conditions including diabetes and heart disease.
- She has championed wellness and health‐related programs, including securing grants to support evidence‐based health & wellness programming.
Beyond local leadership, LuAnn has taken on significant roles at state and national levels in senior‐services networks:
- She joined the board of Meals on Wheels America in 2020.
- In 2024 she was elected Chairman of the Board of Meals on Wheels America. Prior to that she served as Vice Chair.
- She also served as Chair of Meals on Wheels Pennsylvania for 7 years.
This year Berks Encore is celebrating its 60th birthday and LuAnn launched refreshed branding in January 2025 that more prominently incorporates Meals on Wheels Berks County into its identity. She emphasized that including this program in the branding reflects its central role in supporting older adults’ independence. LuAnn is a visionary leader in the aging services field in Berks County and at the National level through her leadership as the current Board Chair of Meals on Wheels America.
LuAnn Oatman, President & CEO of Berks Encore (center left) with Ellie Hollander, President & CEO of Meals on Wheels America (center right), joined the staff and board of Meals on Wheels America on Capitol Hill earlier this year to meet with legislators and advocate for the continuation and protection of vital senior nutrition programs.
