After the sale of the Berwick Hospital in 1999, the Berwick Hospital Auxiliary reorganized into a community group of life-long Berwick residents committed to philanthropy and investment in the local community they all cared so much about.
Through partnership with the Community Giving Foundation, the group reinvented themselves as the Volunteers in Philanthropy in 2010. Their mission—to improve the quality of life for Berwick residents—has led them to participate in a number of activities for community growth and annual grantmaking.
As past president of the [former] auxiliary and fundholder, I have seen firsthand the commitment of all Volunteers in Philanthropy members to provide a lasting legacy of community impact. Volunteers in Philanthropy has granted over $115,000 to Berwick area organizations providing direct impact and service to local residents.
Many members, including chairman, Bob Foster, have established their own individual and family funds to further community giving where they live. “My wife and I became very involved with Volunteers in Philanthropy. After experiencing firsthand all the good that could be done, we decided to start our own fund. Since we are both retired teachers, our fund primarily gives grants directed toward serving youth and education. It is a very rewarding endeavor.”
To this day, Volunteers in Philanthropy continues to be a voice of volunteerism and charitable giving in the greater Berwick area.