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Opportunity House
430 N. 2nd Street
Reading, PA 19601

610-374-4696

Facility changes name to reflect its mission
7/21/03
The Reading-Berks Emergency Shelter becomes Opportunity House to note its evolution into a place where families can get their lives in order.
©2003 Reading Eagle Company

By Yvonne M. Wenger 
 Reading Eagle 

Carolyn Nelson was unemployed and trying to raise two children on her own with no permanent place to live. But the Reading mother was given a chance to start a new life, get back on her feet and prove that she and her children could make it on their own.

Her story is one of opportunity — and it’s an example of the work being done at Opportunity House, a facility formerly known as the Reading-Berks Emergency Shelter. From its inception 20 years ago as a shelter for homeless men, the facility at 430 N. Second St. has evolved to become a place where families such as the Nel-sons can get their lives in order.

That’s why the name was recently changed to Opportunity House, said Modesto D. Fiume, executive director. “I found myself always speaking about the opportunities here,” Fiume said. “And it seems natural, but it took our marketing committee about a year to come up with it (the new name).” The term shelter was misleading, Fiume said, because it did not reflect the agency’s services geared at preventing homelessness.

Clients benefit from on-site counselors from the Berks Counseling Center. There’s also a health dispensary operated in cooperation with Reading Hospital, and a 24-hour child-care center funded by the United Way.

Through those and other partnerships, Opportunity House can break down barriers that prevent people from being self-sufficient, Fiume said. “Collaboration works well,” he said. “We are working to explore other issues that emerge in people’s lives and help them to do better than they already are.” Like other families aided by Opportunity House, Carolyn Nelson and her children Johnnie L., 15, and Ashley A., 14, came to the facility looking for a place to stay.

In November, they moved in-to the women’s dorm, and by January the Nelsons were offered rooms in the transitional-housing unit, which encourages independent living. Families in transitional housing cook meals, clean up after themselves and participate in various life-skills programs.

“Living here is a portrayal of how it will be when we move in-to our own home,” said Carolyn, who is planning to start a job-training program to become a nursing assistant. When the Nelsons move out in December, Carolyn said they will walk away with a new life — thanks to Opportunity House. “With them helping us, I don’t see anything holding us back,” she said.

Opportunity House is located in Reading, Pennsylvania and serves residents of Berks County. Our goal is to help families and adults become and remain independent members of our community.

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