Rozzi, state lawmakers announce grants totaling more than $40K for Berks County museum, history center

HARRISBURG, March 4 -- Berks County lawmakers Reps. Mark Rozzi and Tom Caltagirone and Sen. Judy Schwank announced today that a grant of $33,842 has been approved for the Foundation for the Reading Public Museum and a grant of $7,922 has been approved for the Berks History Center through the Cultural and Historical Support Grant Program.

“The grants announced today will help the Reading Public Museum, which is much more than just a museum,” Rozzi said. “It provides our community a place for learning, sparks interest in the arts and inspires individuals of all ages.”

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission administers the Cultural and Historical Support Grant Program to provide financial support to museums and official county historical societies otherwise not supported by other state programs.

“The Berks History Center has been an integral part of our community for more than 150 years,” Caltagirone said. “This grant will help the center to continue its mission statement of preserving our city’s distinct past, and it also allows the center to continue providing all the programs and events it organizes for our community.”

Schwank added: “These funds help our wonderful local organizations, like the Reading Museum and Berks History Center, preserve and present our cultural and historic resources for today’s generation and beyond.”

The Historical and Museum Commission received 153 applications for the grant program this year, with 58 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties receiving funding.