Tag: Berks County

Ken Borkey, Jr. Appointed New CEO of the YMCA of Reading & Berks County

Posted on by Chrissy Faller

YMCA of Reading & Berks County Appoints Ken Borkey, Jr. as President and CEO

Reading, Pa., March 13, 2026 – YMCA of Reading & Berks County announced the appointment of Ken Borkey, Jr. as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), promoting the longtime YMCA leader who has served the organization for nearly 15 years. Borkey will succeed Phillip Borup, who has served the Y for more than three years leading the organization.

With nearly 15 years of service to the YMCA of Reading & Berks County, Borkey has held several leadership roles during his tenure, most recently overseeing operations as chief operating officer (COO). His long-standing commitment to the YMCA’s mission and deep knowledge of its programs, staff, and community partnerships position him well to guide the organization forward.

“Ken’s dedication to the YMCA and the people we serve has been evident throughout his career,” said James Michalak, Chair of the YMCA of Reading & Berks County Board of Directors. “His leadership, institutional knowledge, and unwavering passion for strengthening our community make him the right person to lead the Y into its next chapter.”

“The Board of Directors is grateful for Phillip’s leadership and service during his tenure,” said Michalak. “We appreciate his contributions in developing leadership for Y staff to advance the mission of the YMCA.” Borup joined the YMCA of Reading & Berks County in 2022 and helped guide the organization through a period of operational growth and strategic initiatives, including unifying multiple locations under one brand, to strengthen programs, accessibility, and membership.  

“It is truly an honor to step into the role of CEO for the YMCA of Reading & Berks County,” said Borkey. “The Y has always been more than an organization to me; it’s a community that builds confidence, connection, and opportunity for people across Berks County. I’m excited to continue working alongside our incredible staff, volunteers, and members to grow programs that positively impact lives every day.”

About the YMCA of Reading & Berks County

For 167 years, the YMCA of Reading & Berks County has strengthened our local community through putting Judeo-Christian principles into practice with programs that builds healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. 

The YMCA of Reading & Berks County operates five branches in Adamstown, Mifflin, Reading, Sinking Spring and Tri Valley; two Early Learning Centers in Reading and Richmond; and seven transitional housing programs for residential care at the Reading Y and Camp Joy locations.

Driven by its founding mission, the Y is a nonprofit committed to strengthening the community and empowering individuals by ensuring access to resources, relationships and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y strives to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment, and demonstrate the importance of connections among 2,700 Ys in 10,000 communities across the United States. 

Ken Borkey, Jr., President & CEO, YMCA of Reading & Berks County
Ken Borkey, Jr., President & CEO, YMCA of Reading & Berks County

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Mission Moments: Roy’s Y

Posted on Updated on by Amber Fox

Roy’s Second Chance: Finding Home, Family, and Purpose at the Y

Roy, a YMCA Men’s Bridge program graduate, smiling at the YMCA of Reading and Berks County after rebuilding his life through recovery and community support.

Like so many others, Roy’s addiction began with what seemed harmless at the time, social drinking in high school and college that gradually hardened into something he could no longer control. It spiraled into years of dependence, loss and instability.

Roy built a life working as a chef, then co‑owning a successful autobody shop, and starting a family. After a workplace injury in 2010 led to back surgeries and prescriptions that eased the severe chronic pain, he was introduced to a new kind of dependence. Over the years addiction took more than his health. It cost him his business, his home, his marriage, his relationships with his children – and eventually hope. 

Achieving sobriety was only half of the battle for regaining security. Roy needed a stable job and place to live. He thought he had finally landed, but stability slipped through his grasp before he was fully back on his feet. When the paid position was replaced with a volunteer, his job and housing also vanished. 

That’s when Roy spent five weeks living alone in a tent. “All I had were the clothes on my back. Nothing. Nothing else,” he remembers.  

He wanted to rebuild his life but had cycled through treatment programs and stops and starts of sober living and the resulting life changes. A turning point for Roy was being arrested for public intoxication and related charges. With a choice between prison or a treatment court program, Roy applied to the YMCA Men’s Bridge program. 

One phone call changed everything. 

The YMCA accepted his application for the Men’s Bridge program and introduced him to his case manager, Gary. The Y didn’t just offer shelter; it offered structure, practical help, and a community that refused to give up on him. Roy moved into the Bridge House and began rebuilding one day at a time. He showed up for recovery meetings, did the step work, and leaned on recovery coaches and Y staff who helped him get an ID, Social Security, and disability benefits. Those concrete milestones, paired with daily encouragement, replaced chaos with structure and dignity.

The transformation rippled outward. Roy reconnected with his daughter. He stayed sober through his son’s deployment. He completed the Men’s Bridge program and transitioned into a Single Room Occupancy unit, paying rent and living among neighbors who practice mutual accountability in sober housing. For the first time in years, Roy had something he hadn’t felt for years: belonging. He calls the YMCA his forever home. 

The Y made me feel safe and secure, every single person here, to me, is family. Someone is giving me a second chance. The Y is letting me have a second chance.

-Roy

Roy’s story is not just about one man’s recovery. It’s a portrait of how community care, hospitals, recovery coaches, shelters, and the YMCA, can come together to rescue lives. He credits the unique network of resources across Berks County with gratitude made possible by supporters. “I’ve never seen any county that does this.” His advice to others is simple and honest: take responsibility, keep showing up, and accept help when it’s offered. Today Roy is sober, employed, connected to services, and committed to paying it forward.

This transformation is possible because donors and supporters of the Y fund the programs, staff, and housing that make second chances real. Your support gives people like Roy the tools to rebuild with the life skills, safe place to sleep, and a community that believes in their worth. When you give to the Y, you give more than services. You give a lifeline, a family, and a future.