Did you know in Montgomery County, PA, the largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 75+? Most of these women rely on local food pantries for food. Purchasing food for themselves and possibly children as the primary caregiver often competes with other basic needs such as rent, utilities, and medication.
Based out of Pottstown, the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities has a service reach throughout the greater Pottstown area and Montgomery County, PA . In 2024, we provided services to 2,476 women-led households. This means 2,476 women and their children had access to a reliable and sufficient amount of nutritious food to prevent tough questions. Do I feed my children or pay my rent? Should I feed myself or purchase my medication?
The Pottstown Cluster embraces everyone and excludes no one in our common quest for freedom and opportunity. We are committed to inclusion an equity within our organization, community, and in our approaches to ending food insecurity and housing instability.
Women’s History Month is a meaningful reminder of the important contributions women have made to society, culture, and history. This observance highlights the celebration of women’s accomplishments while promoting the vision of a world where gender equality truly exists.
For 2025, the theme is “Moving Forward Together,” spotlighting “women educating and inspiring generations.” This theme is meant to highlight and support women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership.
Recently, The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University conducted a Q&A with our Executive Director Jacqui Good. Read to learn more about her work, the Pottstown Cluster’s mission, and the importance of giving.
Q. What does “giving” mean to Pottstown Cluster, and how does it shape your mission and daily work?
A. Giving to Pottstown Cluster means partnering with donors and volunteers to serve our community. Our mission is to help meet basic needs like food security and housing stability. We serve as stewards of resources in order to help as many people as possible. In 2023, we served more than 17,000 people from the food pantry alone. We benefit from a wide variety of resources to meet those needs that includes funding and gifts-in-kind, from individuals, organizations, and funders.
Q. What roles does community support play in your organization’s ability to provide for those in need?
A. Community support is imperative to our work. We draw-on support from large nonprofits like Philabundance and Share, foundations, individual donors, other community groups, and volunteers. The absence of any of these sources could result in reduced services. It takes support from all of these sources to meet the needs of those depending on us.
Q. How do you express gratitude to the volunteers and donors who make your work possible?
A. We show our appreciation to donors through various forms of communication, including acknowledgment letters, handwritten notes, phone calls, and email messages. We also keep them informed and engaged through annual appeal letters with program updates, social media posts, participation in community groups, and speaking engagements.
Q. What are some ways people can give back to Pottstown Cluster during the holiday season, even if they aren’t able to make a financial decision?
A. Even if individuals and organizations are not able to make a financial donation, it helps our work to send people to our website and talk about our work.
Q. How has the generosity of the community helped shape your organization’s future plans or upcoming initiatives?
A. In nearly every case when we have reached-out on social media and the website and asked for donations, there has been a response, and we are grateful.
