Chris Winters has always been passionate about community service, particularly serving youth, which he believes is his calling in life. He combines this passion with a love of community in his role at Olivet Boys and Girls Club.
Why did you take on this role at Olivet?
I was born and raised in Berks County, and I attended college here. I love this community. I took on this role at Olivet because I’ve spent my career working to improve the lives of youth. In my state legislative experience, I worked on legislation to improve their health and safety. I truly believe being able to serve youth when they need us the most is God’s work. I’m happy to do that here with an incredible team. I also played basketball at Olivet’s Mulberry Street club in high school.
You started working at Olivet in June 2019, less than a year before the pandemic. What was it like handling the pandemic when you were still relatively new on the job?
It’s been an interesting time at Olivet, and we’ve constantly been pivoting to meet the needs of local youth throughout the pandemic’s uncertainty. Olivet never stopped during the pandemic. We didn’t have youth at our sites, but we went to them. We provided them with the mental health assistance they needed. We gave them a sense of normalcy. My team members and I couldn’t have made it through the pandemic without each other.
What services does Olivet offer?
We provide a range of services including arts, sports, academic assistance and counseling. We also work with our community partners to provide food and clothing.
Tell me more about your community partners.
We can’t offer everything the 84,000 Berks County youths need, so we work with community partners through our Hubs of Hope program to connect youth with services we don’t offer. We also have a Hubs of Hope Care Closet program to help provide clothing and shoes. We work with school districts, local organizations like Centro Hispano, the Boy and Girl Scouts, BCIU, the LGTBQ Center, and with local businesses like Fleet Feet to make these services possible. We also work with local school districts to provide support for students who lose a loved one via our Luci’s Light program.
Are these services available to any youth in Berks County?
Yes, Olivet services are available for all Berks County youth ages 6-18. It doesn’t matter where they’re from or what their background is. Youth can come to Olivet to be themselves and learn and grow.
Your work at Olivet keeps you busy, but what do you do to relax and have fun?
My absolute favorite activity, after spending time with my wife, children and grandchildren, is fishing. I also enjoy hunting and going to the beach.
Serving the Community.
Olivet has been operating in Berks County for more than 120 years. It serves 3,000+ youth annually throughout the county at multiple sites.
Lasting Impact.
Olivet programs make an impact on alumni. Many come back to volunteer and give back to the organization, and some are employees.
