Jan. 9--Brian Lawrence grew up in Sinking Spring, but he has a soft spot for Reading.

So much so, he's thinking of volunteering with a nonprofi t group dedicated to revitalizing the city.

"I want to help bring Reading back to what it was before," said Lawrence, 26, a commercial-loan specialist with VIST Financial in Wyomissing.

Lawrence is among 27 midlevel managers destined to become Berks County's next generation of civic leaders.

They're enrolled in a Leadership Berks training program, a yearlong course in volunteer leadership of social-service agencies.

"Our goal is to have young business leaders get involved and make a difference in the community," said Tom Minick, an Alvernia University administrator who is chairman of the Leadership Berks board of directors.

On Thursday, the burgeoning leaders got an up-close look at about 50 agencies eager to recruit young blood.

Agencies ranging from Junior Achievement of Greater Reading to Reading-Berks Habitat for Humanity participated in Leadership Berks' annual Board and Committee Placement Fair at Alvernia.

J. Michael Pressimone, Alvernia's vice president of institutional advancement, opened the fair with a call to community service in hard times.

"The economy has had a real effect on our neighbors and friends," Pressimone said. "The work we do as volunteers is more important than ever."

Berks Talk Line, which has vacancies on its board and committees, has had 58 crisis calls involving suicide or child abuse in the last six months, said Sandra Eshelman, Talk Line director.

That's a roughly 60 percent increase over the same period last year, she said.

"People are more stressed from losing their jobs," Eshelman said. "It has a trickle-down effect on families and friends."

She said demand has grown for employment counseling, mental health services and assistance in fi nding housing.

Fundraising skills were among those most desired by agencies struggling to maintain their level of service.

"We need someone on our advisory committee to help with marketing and fundraising," said Risa Paskoff, director of Aaron's Acres, which runs programs for children with developmental disabilities at Schuylkill Valley Elementary School.

Easter Seals of Eastern Pennsylvania also needs help in developing a fundraising and marketing strategy.

Nancy Teichman, president, said Easter Seals is looking for about 20 executives to serve in its newly formed Berks Leadership Council. The agency serves about 1,000 children with autism and other disabilities in Berks County.

Co-County Wellness Services of Reading, formerly the Berks AIDS Network, needs volunteer leaders with experience in advertising, public relations and fundraising.

Jeffrey S. Schuchart, a Wellness Services volunteer, said the agency expanded its role to include testing for hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases.

"Our Berks STD Clinic has had a record-setting 1,627 visits, a 45 percent increase since its inception in 2002," said Schuchart, who is human resources director at VF Outlet.

Contact reporter Ron Devlin at 610-371-5030 or rdevlin@readingeagle.com

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