Events & Sponsorships

Meals on Wheels Benefit Concert

Berks Encore would like to thank the Miller Center for the Arts and Reading Area Community College for hosting the first ever Meals on Wheels benefit concert. All proceeds from the show will benefit Berks Encore and Meals on Wheels in Berks County. The event was a huge success. We would like to thank Tupelo Honey for a wonderful performance and our sponsors for making the event possible. 

2024 SPONSORS:

Reading Area Community College & Miller Center for the Arts
Be Social Sponsor

Age in Place Home Care
Be Social Sponsor

The Heritage of Green Hills
Be Informed Sponsor

Janney Montgomery Scott
Be Informed Sponsor

Penske
Be Informed Sponsor

Community Breakfast

Redner Impact Recognized at Breakfast

Our annual Community Breakfast fundraiser to honor a local individual or organization took place May 22. Sadly, Richard Redner passed away just weeks before the company that he helped to grow was to be recognized. Actually that’s part of the story because when we approached Redner’s about honoring them, we were asked to honor the organization and not an individual. Richard Redner was a humble man and didn’t do things for the accolades. He preferred to defer any praise to the team that surrounded him. After he passed, it seemed the right thing to do to honor his legacy. Richard’s parents Earl & Mary Redner used their savings and bought 2 small grocery stores in Berks County in 1970. When it came time for the business to grow, Redner’s became the first supermarket in the state to be employee owned. He wanted each employee to share in the growth & profitability of the company. Under the Employee Stock Ownership Plan every employee working more than 20 hours a week earns company stock after one year of employment.

Today there are 44 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. As I mentioned Richard was not one for the spotlight. But where he saw a need, he was there to help. The supermarket is known for supporting local communities. Scouting groups, school & church groups were invited to hold their fundraisers at Redner’s stores. The Save-a-Tape program started as a way to give back to the community. Non-profits earn 1% rebates of the grocery receipts collected and submitted to Redner’s. Our volunteer grocery shopping program is a partnership with Redner’s, where volunteers shop and deliver groceries for those unable to do it themselves. Eighty-five volunteers filled 1300 grocery orders last year. Redner’s has made an impact for Berks Encore as the sponsors of Senior EXPO. They worked with Abbott Nutrition, the company that makes Ensure & Glucerna to be our title sponsors. The samples they hand out at EXPO are always a big hit! When COVID hit, Redner’s stepped up and helped Berks Encore prepare and package 10,000 bonus meals for our homebound neighbors to make sure that they had enough food during the shutdown. For three generations and counting, the Redner family philosophy has shown that love and commitment can make a huge difference in the lives of everyone around them!

2024 SPONSORS:

Morning Game at the Reading Fightin' Phils