The Berks County Association of School Retirees has selected Bessie
Reese Crenshaw as the BCASR 2007 Volunteer of the Year.
In 1950, Bessie was the first black graduate of Kutztown State Teachers
College, now Kutztown University. Bessie’s journey as an educator
took her to an all black school in the suburbs of Raleigh, North
Carolina during the turbulent period of busing desegregation that
took place in the sixties. Seventeen years later, she returned to
her hometown to teach third grade in the Reading School District
at the Tenth and Green Elementary School.
Since retiring from teaching in 1989, Bessie has been a volunteer
extraordinaire, being almost as busy as she was going to the classroom
every day.
For nearly a decade, she served as the archivist and curator at
the Black Heritage Center, compiling information on African American
culture and history and she remains a tireless member and supporter
of the Zion Baptist Church, the institution that founded the Black
Heritage Center.
For thirty-eight years, Bessie has been a member and volunteer of
the Youth of Yesterday, an organization that raises money to provide
college scholarships and textbooks to needy students. Bessie provided
leadership to the organization by giving service as president, vice
president and secretary.
The Charles Butler Friends of the Reading Hospital have been lucky
to have Bessie Crenshaw as a volunteer. This organization supports
the hospital in a myriad of ways, from doing important paperwork
to participating in fundraising activities.
Ms. Crenshaw gave service as a member of the Kutztown University
Alumni Board, helping to ensure that all students seeking to enter
to the doors of the university would receive a fair chance, no matter
their color or economic status. She also was a member of the board
of Family First, formerly known as the 55 Plus Club, an organization
dedicated to keeping seniors active and informed.
Always committed to education, Bessie has served as a tutor on
the Literacy Council, exposing adults to the wonderful world of
books and reading. She also was a member of the Berks County Chapter
NAACP’s Education Committee for four years, contributing to
a number of educational forums and events.
Bessie Reese Crenshaw is an exceptional woman who during this
past year has volunteered her time, talent and energy for a total
of 752 hours. In every respect, Bessie embodies the ideal upon which
the Berks County Association of School Retirees is founded-------
that being a member of a community requires a commitment to making
that community a better place in which to live, work and grow. Bessie
Reese Crenshaw has worked to enhance the lives of countless Berks
County citizens, and through her volunteer service, she has earned
the respect and admiration of her colleagues and the appreciation
of all those whose lives she has touched.
