Berks Community Health Center will honor community leader Pat Giles with the health center’s Civitas Award on March 20, 2023, at the fourth annual “Picture Berks Healthy,” its signature awareness and fundraising event. Picture Berks Healthy is Monday, March 20, 2023, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Reading. Light, healthy fare will be served.
Pat Giles has provided volunteer and professional leadership to community nonprofit organizations that improve the quality of life for Berks County residents for the past 45 years. Her involvement with Berks Community Health Center extends back to its founding as she was an original member of the community coalition that first identified the need for a Federally Qualified Health Center in Reading. She participated in the planning and implementation needed to officially establish BCHC in 2012 and served as an Advisory Council and Governance Committee member in its early years. In 2017 she was elected to the Board of Directors, served as Board Chair for four years (2018-2021), and a member of Finance, Governance, Strategic Planning committees and Chair of the Community Development committee. She rotated off the Board at the end of 2022 but continues as a member of the Governance and Strategic Planning committees. “Pat has been an incredible friend to Berks Community Health Center since its inception. We are incredibly proud to be honoring her after her many years of service”, says BCHC CEO Mary Kargbo.
Explaining the Picture Berks Healthy event, Kargbo said, “This event combines health and art. Art can contribute to good health, whether physical or mental, and we believe it is a compelling way to share Berks Community Health Center’s vision of a healthy Berks County.” Glass art creations made by participating sponsor organizations at the GoggleWorks will be on display at the event. Several organizations sponsored “You Create We Make” (YCWM) workshops for children or intellectually disabled adults from Berks County charities. Picture Berks Healthy attendees will be able to bid on replicas of some of these artworks during a silent auction at Monday’s event.
New to this year’s event, students from 13th and Union Elementary school are participating in an art contest as they illustrate what a healthy community looks like to them. These pieces will also be on display that evening and the contest winners will be announced.
For tickets to the event, please visit www.berkschc.net/events/picture-berks-healthy/
