WOOD TO WONDERFUL

1044 N. 8th Street
Reading, PA 19604
Phone: 610-488-7924

Agency Information: Wood-To-Wonderful is a grass roots, 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1987 by doug and Louise Brown in the Washington, DC, suburbs and relocated to inner-city Reading, PA, in 1997. Wood-To-Wonderful's original grass roots mission was to make wooden toys for children-in-need. Over the years, Wood-to-wonderful's mission has evolved into helping to improve the quality of life for children-in-need, and , in addition to making wooden toys, now included varied community outreach activities.

Programs: The Yo-Yo Project: handicapped adults from Prospectus-Berco North assemble and package yo-yo's stamped with corporate logos, which corporations, in exchange for donations, use to promote their companies. The handicapped individuals also drill and finish golf tee game boards which, in exchange for donations, are given to restaurants; these too, are stamped with company logos. Participating handicapped individuals receive a stipend for their efforts.

"Reading is Toyrific" : wooden toys are used as incentives to get Reading's elementary school children to read and use the library.

Toy making for needy children; wooden toys include helicopters, race cars, VW's, tractors, rabbits, delivery vans, baby carriages, etc.

Eligibility Criteria: No special skills needed.

Accessibility: Complete accessibility

Languages Spoken: English

Key Personnel
Name Position
Doug Brown Director
Louise Brown Assistant

Mission: To improve the quality of life for deserving children.

Agency Affiliations: Prospectus-Berco North

Special Projects and Fundraisers:

  • Implementing "Reading is Toyrific ®" --Wood-to-Wonderful's literacy outreach program that provides monthly books and toys to 700 pre-K, K, 1st, and 2nd grade children at three inner city Reading Schools where 85-95% of the children are from poverty-level families;
  • Providing an opportunity for 15-20 adults with mental and physical disabilities from prospectus-Berco North (Reading) to help others through their making of yoyos, game boards, and rattles; planting flowers in the community; delivering recycling bins in Reading;
  • Purchasing and renovating a run-down Reading building for Wood-to-Wonderful programs;
  • Launching CAN IT, a litter abatement program for school children, in Reading;
  • Starting a bicycle repair shop where donated bicycles are refurbished by neighborhood children;
  • organizing the site preparation and installation of playground equipment at thomas ford ES and 10th & Penn Elementary Schools (2004 and 2005)
  • Organizing more than 100 children and adults to clean up their neighborhoods during the Great American Cleanup and providing planters for all participants (May 2004);
  • Helping over 200 inner city children build 64 wooden, ride-on racecars (low-cost soap box derby type cars) and organizing 3 race days (Winter and Spring 2003);
  • Providing volunteer opportunities for neighborhood children, church groups, corporations, service organizations, Boy scouts, senior citizens, and disabled veterans.

Other Locations: Mailing Address:
159 Wolf creek Road
Bernville, PA 19506
Phone: 610-488-7924