Originally published in the Reading Eagle

As U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan made her way around Berks County on Friday, it wasn’t with a single focus.

The Chester County Democrat who represents part of Berks tackled an assortment of topics during her stops. They included early childhood education and housing needs at one and the operation of COVID-19 testing sites at another.

She even made time to learn about the challenges facing a small business owner.

Her first stop was at Opportunity House in Reading, where she took a tour of the facility and visited with the residents of the emergency shelter.

Officials with the nonprofit said the goal was to give Houlahan an opportunity to hear from those impacted by homelessness and poverty.

They said that while many of the Opportunity House shelter residents are employed, they are struggling to find jobs that provide a living wage and also to find housing that is affordable.

And though they see living in the shelter as a temporary step, many of the individuals will return at least once on their journey out of homelessness, officials said.

Houlahan also took time to meet the children at the neighboring Second Street Learning Center, an Opportunity House facility that offers subsidized child care to more than 150 families in Reading.

Opportunity House President Modesto Fiume explained that the Second Street Learning Center has operated with a deficit for seven of the last 10 years.

And he added that the only reason the center has been doing better these days is because of an influx of federal COVID relief money that was doled out to child care centers to help keep their doors open during the pandemic.

Following the tour, Houlahan spoke with administrators about the problems and challenges that they are facing.

Fiume said the organization provides the best quality of care for the people it serves but acknowledged he is concerned that without additional funding both programs will be unable to continue to support the growing needs of Reading residents.

“Thanks to the dedication of our staff, we are able to provide both programs with very little financial resources,” he said.

Houlahan said she was grateful for the chance to see the impact the organization is having on the community.

“For decades, Opportunity House has helped Berks County residents get on their feet by providing housing stability,” the Chester County Democrat said. “I heard from residents there about how low-paying jobs and rising rent prices have played a significant role in delaying their financial independence.”

Houlahan vowed to continue fighting for solutions in Washington to the challenges facing Opportunity House and other nonprofit organizations that have the same mission.

The visit to Opportunity House was the first of three stops the congresswoman made on Friday.

Her second stop was to the state Department of Health’s COVID testing site in Bern Township, which is being operated by a team from AMI Expeditionary Healthcare.

The team members, who come from as far away as Texas, spoke with Houlahan about how they are doing and what the federal government could be doing to help.

Houlahan thanked the team members for the work that they’re doing for the community and offered some suggestions about the sites they should visit during their stay in the Keystone State.

The congresswoman finished her day in Sinking Spring at Konopelski Kielbasa, a family-owned business with a long history in Berks County.