Community Collaboratives

Working Together for a Healthier, More Resilient Region

Pottstown Regional Community Foundation (PRCF) connects nonprofit leaders, local governments, schools, health systems, and grassroots advocates to address regional challenges. From food access and early childhood development to school wellness and public planning, PRCF supports partnerships that drive long-term, measurable results across western Montgomery, northern Chester, and eastern Berks Counties.

Through community collaboratives, organizations and residents work side by side to turn shared priorities into action. In the TriCounty region, these efforts strengthen health and human services, education, recreation, and economic development, helping communities grow and thrive.

What Are Community Collaboratives?

Community Collaboratives are cross-sector partnerships that PRCF supports or convenes to tackle interconnected issues. These groups:

Align priorities across organizations and municipalities
Combine resources to increase impact
Strengthen communication, planning, and accountability
Advance equity through inclusive design and implementation

Explore our equity-driven strategy in What We Do.

Why Collaboratives Matter

Collective Leadership: Brings diverse voices together around a shared purpose
Strategic Coordination: Streamlines efforts and reduces overlap
Sustained Results: Builds lasting change through stronger systems
Equity Centered: Ensures solutions reflect and serve historically marginalized communities

Active Collaboratives

Pottstown Area Food Collaborative (PAFC)

Formed in 2019, PAFC brings together cross-sector leaders with a vision for a localized food system that is healthy, affordable, culturally relevant, and sustainable. The collaborative champions food as both a human right and an economic driver, supporting local food production, equitable distribution, and education around food access and preparation.

Goals:

Increase access to healthy food in underserved neighborhoods
Support food literacy and cooking education
Reduce food waste through coordination
Regenerate local economic activity through food systems

Key Strategies:

Community gardens and urban farming initiatives
Mobile markets and food pantries
Nutrition education and cooking workshops
Collaboration with schools for healthy meals

Pottstown Area Regional Recreation Committee (PARRC)

PARRC is a regional planning and coordination group that includes eight municipalities committed to improving parks, trails, and recreational access. With technical assistance and funding from PRCF and DCNR, the committee coordinates more than 50 projects and meets monthly to share updates, co-author grants, and ensure regional connectivity.

Key Achievements:

Design and implementation of regional trail signage
Recreation master plans tailored to each township
Expansion of park amenities to support multi-generational use

Focus Areas:

ADA accessibility and inclusive design
Trail expansion and greenway connectivity
Open space preservation and ecological planning
Safe, engaging, and well-maintained recreation areas

Pottstown Early Action for Kindergarten Readiness (PEAK)

PEAK is a community-wide initiative that helps children in the greater Pottstown area enter kindergarten ready to learn. It strengthens early learning experiences, supports families, and connects children to the health and wellness services they need to thrive in school and beyond.

Program Highlights

Community-wide partnership with early learning providers across Pottstown
State and national model for improving early childhood outcomes
Supported through public and private funding, including United Way, the Foundation, philanthropy, and government partners
Focus on improving early learning quality and access for young children

Why It Matters

Addresses gaps in community awareness about the importance of high-quality early learning
Helps families understand and access local resources available for young children
Emphasizes the role of parents as a child’s first teacher and key partner in education
Prioritizes child health, nutrition, physical activity, and safety as part of school readiness

Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Commission (PMRPC)

This commission unites eight municipalities around shared goals for smart growth, economic revitalization, and infrastructure planning. PRCF supports the commission’s recreation committee, which oversees capital improvements funded by DCNR and other agencies.

Regional Goals:

Smart growth and mixed-use development
Historic and environmental preservation
Walkability and multimodal transit
Inclusive housing and economic revitalization

Initiatives:

Trail connections to commercial and residential zones
Green infrastructure and stormwater management plans
Joint grant applications for capital improvements

Pottstown Play Streets

Led by the Borough of Pottstown with support from PRCF and community partners, Play Streets closes local roads for one-day block parties that encourage outdoor activity, social connection, and public health. Each pop-up event features games, fitness activities, wellness vendors, and healthy food.

Program Features:

Mobile sports equipment and activity stations
Community resource tables and wellness outreach
Partnerships with schools and nonprofits for staffing and promotion

Impact Highlights:

Reduced barriers to recreation access
Strengthened neighborhood networks
Increased visibility for youth development programs

Regional Home Garden Contest

The Regional Home Garden Contest (RHGC) is a free, community-wide competition that celebrates the creativity, sustainability, and pride of gardeners throughout the greater Pottstown region. Open to residents of Pottstown, Boyertown, and neighboring townships, the contest invites people of all ages and experience levels to transform porches, plots, and patios into thriving symbols of neighborhood spirit.

Who Can Participate

Residents of the following communities are eligible to enter:

Pottstown Borough
Boyertown Borough
Colebrookdale Township
Douglass Township (Montgomery and Berks)
New Hanover Township
Upper Pottsgrove Township
Lower Pottsgrove Township
West Pottsgrove Township
North Coventry Township
East Coventry Township

Registration is typically open from late April through June, with judging in July and an awards luncheon each September.

Contest Categories

Gardeners can enter one or more categories designed to recognize a wide spectrum of creativity, style, and skill:

General Garden Small
General Garden Large
Pleasant Porch
Outdoor Oasis
Pocket Garden
Curb Appeal
Edible Garden
Youth Gardener

Past categories have included Pizza Garden, Bees and Butterflies, Junior Youth, Grocery Garden, A Lot with a Little, and more.

School Collaborative

This informal professional learning community connects school faculty and administrators around shared wellness goals. Meetings center on physical education, mental health, nutrition, and policy strategies to create supportive learning environments.

Sample Topics:

Building relationships for healthy, equitable, and engaging school experiences
Charting the course for educator wellness and student engagement
Holistic wellness in schools and whole child success

The Initiative

Partners and Implementation Structure
The School Wellness Initiative is a partnership-driven effort coordinated by PRCF in collaboration with:

Medical University of South Carolina
District Wellness Coordinators
Building Wellness Champions
Community Organizations and Sponsors

Tri-County Community Network (TCN)

TCN convenes more than 85 partners for training, working groups, and community action on regional issues.

Key Programs

Youth development
Caregiver and elder support
Homelessness and housing access
Environmental safety
Workforce and economic mobility

Services Provided:

Monthly networking meetings and knowledge exchanges
Advocacy campaigns on social determinants of health
Annual resource guides and community service directories