Reading Local Assistance Programs
This page lists local organizations in Reading, Pennsylvania that provide free legal help, food and social services. Statewide programs are described on the Pennsylvania page.
Legal aid
| MidPenn Legal Services | Free civil legal assistance |
|---|---|
| Website | midpenn.org |
| Phone | 610-376-8656 |
| Address | 501 Washington Street, Suite 401, Reading, PA 19601 |
MidPenn Legal Services provides free civil legal help to low-income residents of Berks County and survivors of domestic violence, covering housing, family, consumer, public benefits and elder law cases. Apply by phone at 800-326-9177.1
| Community Justice Project | Free legal help, with a Reading office focused on immigration cases2 |
|---|---|
| Website | communityjusticeproject.org |
| Phone | 610-370-7459 |
| Address | 501 Washington Street, Suite 308, Reading, PA 19601 |
The Community Justice Project is a nonprofit public interest law firm for low-income Pennsylvanians. Its Reading office helps with immigration cases, including VAWA petitions, U visas, T visas and naturalization, plus public benefits and housing matters. Callers must meet income limits for free help.2
Food
| Helping Harvest | Food bank for Berks and Schuylkill counties |
|---|---|
| Website | helpingharvest.org |
| Phone | 610-926-5802 |
| Address | 117 Morgan Drive, Reading, PA 19608 |
Helping Harvest collects and distributes food through partner pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and meal programs across Berks and Schuylkill counties. Call to find the pantry nearest you and to ask about mobile markets and help applying for SNAP.3
Social services
| Family Promise of Berks County | Emergency rent and utility help for families |
|---|---|
| Website | familypromiseofberks.org |
| Phone | 610-373-3323 |
| Address | 325 N. 5th Street, Reading, PA 19601 |
Family Promise of Berks County offers one-time emergency help with rent or utility bills to Berks County families facing eviction or shut-off. Applicants must have lived in Berks County for at least 90 days. Families can visit the Day Center for an assessment of their needs and eligibility.4
| Berks Community Action Program (BCAP) | Rent, housing and utility help |
|---|---|
| Website | bcapberks.org |
| Phone | 610-376-6571 |
| Address | 645 Penn Street, 3rd Floor, Reading, PA 19601 |
BCAP is the community action agency for Berks County. Its Housing Assistance Program pays rent, security deposits and first month rent directly to landlords for households facing homelessness through eviction. It offers mortgage and utility help and financial counseling as well.5
Sources & notes
Data and figures on this page come from the sources and notes below:
Footnotes
-
MidPenn Legal Services, Home page . The Reading office address and direct phone are per WomensLaw.org ; MidPenn lists the statewide intake line 800-326-9177 on its own site. ↩
-
Community Justice Project, Staff and Send Us A Message . The Suite 308 address is per directory listings for the Reading office, including the Justia lawyer directory . ↩ ↩2
-
Helping Harvest, Food Drive and Newsletter . ↩
-
Family Promise of Berks County, Rent & Utility Assistance . ↩
-
Berks Community Action Program, Homeless Assistance and Terms and Conditions . ↩
About this information
SingleMotherGuide.com is an independent state-by-state reference guide and is not affiliated with any government agency. Program amounts and income limits are compiled from official federal and state sources, which are cited on the page, and are reviewed periodically and updated as those sources change.
The information is provided for general guidance and is not legal or financial advice. The administering agency makes the final determination of eligibility and benefit amounts. To report an error, please contact us.
Data freshness
Figures on this page are compiled from the public sources cited above and may change; refer to the cited sources for the most current information.
- Last updated
- Updated by
- Ada Hu