HARRISBURG, Sept. 29 – To ensure the safety of students and staff in schools across Pennsylvania, the state House has passed legislation introduced by state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, that would require schools to consider installing panic alarms to quickly respond to emergencies. House Bill 634 would require schools to consider implementing a panic alarm system within their classrooms during annual safety and security reviews. These silent alarms would connect a specific classroom to law enforcement responders and signal a life-threatening emergency. “Feeling safe in the classroom where they spend most of the year should be the bare minimum expectation that students, teachers and school staff have,” said Cepeda-Freytiz. “This legislation will take practical steps to ensure that in the case of a shooting or another emergency, law enforcement can act faster in these moments where every second used or wasted can mean the difference between life and death.” The legislation, also known as Alyssa’s Law, has been backed by Make Our Schools Safe , which was founded by Lori and Ilan Alhadeff following the death of their 14-year-old daughter Alyssa in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. “As Alyssa’s mother, I know firsthand that in an emergency, every second matters,” said Lori Alhadeff , co-founder and CEO of Make Our Schools Safe. Read more
Sign up for my Children's Health Day, Stay up to Date on Harrisburg, and more! Read more
The Salvation Army of Eastern Pennsylvania has been awarded a state grant of $250,000 to expand an effective program that helps victims of human trafficking. Read more
“We are here to listen and learn what is working and what isn’t working, but more importantly, we are here to better understand what state lawmakers can do about it,” said Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, who represents portions of Berks County and serves as the chairwoman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus. “The contributions of the Latino population to Pennsylvania are undeniable, but listening without action is just a conversation. We traveled here to learn more ideas and solutions, because our desire is to act.” Read more
96 @media only screen and (min-width: 660px) { .u-row { width: 640px !important; } .u-row .u-col { vertical-align: top; } .u-row .u-col-33p33 { width: 213.31199999999998px !important; } .u-row .u-col-66p67 { width: 426.68800000000005px !important; } .u-row .u-col-100 { width: 640px !important; } } @media (max-width: 660px) { .u-row-container { max-width: 100% !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; } .u-row .u-col { min-width: 320px !important; max-width: 100% !important; display: block !important; } .u-row { width: 100% !important; } .u-col { width: 100% !important; } .u-col > div { margin: 0 auto; } } body { margin: 0; padding: 0; } table, tr, td { vertical-align: top; border-collapse: collapse; } p { margin: 0; } .ie-container table, .mso-container table { table-layout: fixed; } * { line-height: inherit; } a[x-apple-data-detectors='true'] { color: inherit !important; text-decoration: none !important; } table, td { color: #000000; } #u_row_78 a { color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline; } Queridos vecinos, Bienvenidos to the inaugural edition of the Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus newsletter, the first of its kind in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. As Chair of the Pennsylvania Read more
READING, Sept. 15 – State Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, has announced over $1.4 million in grant funding through the Local Share Account program that will benefit five projects in the 129th Legislative District. “This funding will provide long-needed support for projects across our community, from helping our municipal governments and first responders to improving our greenways,” said Cepeda-Freytiz. “I look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition, and I will keep working to ensure that our community continues to get the state funding it deserves.” The projects supported with this funding include: $688,709 for the Schuylkill River Greenways Association to develop a trailhead at Buttonhead Road in Reading to connect with the River Trail. $250,000 to Spring Township to add storage space in its Public Works building along Windmill Road. $250,000 to renovate the Wyomissing Borough Fire Department Station, including the creation of individual sleeping quarters and bathrooms, exterior façade repairs and upgrades to plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems. $160,000 to help construction in Sinking Spring through the purchase of a new wheel loader. $104,328 for Opportunity House to replace the deteriorating roof of its main campus. The Local Share Account program is funded through revenue generated by gaming and is administered by the Commonwealth Financing Read more
Marking Labor Day, Welcoming New Local Resources, and more! Read more
Celebrating our local Romanian community, Read my latest print newsletter, and more! Read more
Our Back-to-School Event - a Major Success! Read more
NEW LOCATION for my Back-to-School Event Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Department of Community and Economic Development: Main Street Matters (MSM) Who May Apply: Units of local government, redevelopment and/or housing authorities, nonprofits, economic development organizations, housing corporations, community development corporations, business improvement districts, neighborhood improvement districts, downtown improvement districts, and similar organizations incorporated as authorities. Use: A flexible tool for use in community and economic development for a variety of uses including planning activities, façade grant programs, business improvement grant programs, accessible housing programs, and district development grants. Funds: Individual grant awards vary depending on the type of grant. Application Deadline: August 31, 2026 More information: DCED Website Department of Transportation: Rail Freight Grant Program Who May Apply: Railroad company, transportation organization, municipality, municipal authority, or user of rail freight infrastructure Use: Capital maintenance of freight or intermodal rail infrastructure and capital construction of freight or intermodal rail infrastructure Application Deadline: August 28, 2026 More information: PennDOT Website Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Motorized Trails and Recreation Program (formerly known as the All-Terrain Vehicle and Snowmobile Read more
NEXT WEEK: My Community Town Hall and Back-to-School Event Read more
Read my Summer 2026 print newsletter here! Read more
READING, Aug. 3 – State Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, will hold a community town hall to hear from her constituents on the issues that matter most to them from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the Centre Park Historic District Headquarters, Artifact Bank (705-707 N. Fifth St., Reading). The event will serve as an open community meeting to discuss the issues that matter most to residents of the 129th Legislative District and provide Cepeda-Freytiz the opportunity to give updates on her work in Harrisburg. “Hearing from my neighbors helps to inform my policymaking duties in Harrisburg and directly shapes the legislation I introduce,” Cepeda-Freytiz said. “I look forward to connecting with our local residents and hearing about the issues that are the most important to them.” The event is open to the public. The 129th Legislative District, which Cepeda-Freytiz represents, includes northwest Reading, parts of Spring Township, and the boroughs of Sinking Spring, West Reading and Wyomissing. Read more
WYOMISSING, Aug. 3 – State Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, will host a kick-off to the back-to-school season from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16 at her district office (1111 Penn Ave.). The event will include free backpacks with school supplies, free haircuts, school supplies for teachers, and an easy, accessible opportunity for members of the community to access state resources. “Access to a good education is crucial for our children to succeed, but the prospect of having to buy supplies can be daunting for many families,” Cepeda-Freytiz said. “This event will provide a great opportunity for children across our community to get the school supplies they need without the risk of financial burden.” The event is open to all families with school-aged children. The 129th Legislative District, which Cepeda-Freytiz represents, includes northwest Reading, parts of Spring Township, and the boroughs of Sinking Spring, West Reading and Wyomissing. Read more
My Upcoming Back to School Event, Advancing Art Therapy, and more! Read more
Learning More About Pennsylvania's Urban Farming! Read more
Passing a Budget for ALL Pennsylvanians! Read more
WYOMISSING, July 17 – State Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, today announced that Wyomissing Borough will receive a $2 million grant from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to support the construction of a new, standalone building for the borough’s police department. “This will be an exciting development for both the government and residents of Wyomissing,” said Cepeda-Freytiz. “This will provide our local law enforcement with new opportunities to continue serving our community, while also expanding opportunities for the borough to support our neighbors. “I am proud to support our local police officers and ensure they have the resources they need. I look forward to seeing this new headquarters come to fruition and the new opportunities it will provide for Wyomissing.” In addition to the new police department building, there will also be renovations to house reception, offices and council chambers in the current borough hall. The building’s current parking lot will also be revised to support administrative parking, while the new police department will have a covered, police-only parking lot. The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, also known as RACP, serves to support the design, acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects and is administered by the Office of the Budget. Read more
HARRISBURG, July 14 – State Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, chair of the PA Legislative Latino Caucus, celebrated the impact that the 2026-27 state budget will have on the district she represents in Berks County, all without raising taxes . “We have achieved major wins that will help our neighbors here in Berks County and every community across Pennsylvania,” said Cepeda-Freytiz. “From education funding increases and requiring transparency around AI data centers to increasing affordable housing and putting money back in Pennsylvanians’ wallets, House Democrats delivered for all Pennsylvanians in this budget.” This year’s budget will see $565 million invested into schools across the state, with districts in Cepeda-Freytiz’s community seeing the following budget increases compared to last year: Reading School District: $28.5 million (9.7% increase) Wilson School District: $2.2 million (9.7% increase) Wyomissing Area School District: $171,000 (3.6% increase) Other key highlights from the budget include: Further investments in public education, school safety, special education, career training, higher education, career and technical education, STEM programs, and after school programs. Putting $200 million back in the pockets of working Pennsylvanians through the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit. Making sure everyone can afford to see a doctor when they get Read more
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1111 Penn AvenueWyomissing, PA 19610-2033
P*: (484) 577-2756
Hours of Operation - Monday through Fridays 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
We also host D.A.V Services (Disabled American Veterans) in my office every other Monday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
2850 Windmill Rd.Sinking Spring, PA 19608-1668
Hours of Operation - 1st and 3rd Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
880 Avenue AReading, PA 19601
Hours of Operation - 2nd and 4th Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
25 N. 2nd St.Reading, PA 19601-4037
Hours of Operation - every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
104A East WingMain CapitolHarrisburg, PA 17120
P*: (717) 772-1858