Fulfilling ‘needs and dreams’

This article was originally published in The Mercury, Feb. 15, 2004.

Foundation is preparing to give millions to promote health in area

POTTSTOWN – One of the major components in the sale of the Pottstown Memorial Medical Center was the creation of a non-profit organization dedicated to improve the health and wellness of area residents.

That organization is the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, and while it’s still in its infancy, the group plans to contribute millions of dollars in grants to community entities that need the help. It has an endowment of about $65 million.

Right now, the foundation is analyzing the data from a needs assessment before it begins making key grant decisions.

“A key word is listening,” said Dave Kraybill, the recently appointed executive director of the foundation. “That will help define what the mission of the foundation will be.”

Because the foundation – and its top administrator – are new, there aren’t many concrete plans Kraybill can discuss.

The needs assessment involved interviewing 1,000 people by phone and conducting 70 in-depth interviews with area businesses and non-profit organizations. Kraybill has only been on the job two weeks when he spoke to The Mercury, but he said he had already begun to get a feel for the community.

“A lot of people care about the region and one another,” Kraybill said. “We’re very delighted to be in a community that takes the time to care.”

Kraybill comes to the Health and Wellness Foundation after leading non-profit campaigns in western Pennsylvania and for Penn State University. He was the founding president and executive director of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, which gave out more than $1 million in grants by 2000. Most recently, he served as the director of development for Penn State’s Commonwealth College.

He said he found out about the position from a friend and realized he was a good fit after meeting members of the foundation’s board.

“When they’re interviewing you, you’re interviewing them,” Kraybill said.

He said he was impressed with area residents’ sense of identity and noticed that locals “will stick to their guns” if they feel strongly about something.