On a recent afternoon in West Reading, a group of businesswomen met for a lunchtime discussion on the second floor of Tina’s Salon and Day Spa.
The topic at hand? Their love for West Reading and the many businesses that have set up shop on and around the Penn Avenue corridor.
They didn’t have to say how they felt, though: Their name gives it all away.
Known as the L.O.V.E. West Reading team, the nonprofit group made up of business leaders is working hard to promote the borough and give a little back to their Berks County community along the way.
“L.O.V.E. stands for leaders outpouring vitality every day,” said Tina Shenk, owner of the salon and spa in the 400 block of Penn Avenue. “We’re an organized group of successful business owners that have a passion not only for what we do, but for what our community does.”
Since forming in early 2013, L.O.V.E. West Reading has held numerous community events, most recently its second annual Giving Goes Glam Fashion Show, which last fall raised $3,500 for Breast Cancer Support Services of Berks County.
Last month, members of the L.O.V.E. team met with newly elected West Reading Mayor Valentin Rodriguez Jr. and Police Chief Steven Powell during a morning meet and greet at Chef Alan’s American Bistro on Penn Avenue.
“I think we all have the same idea and passion,” said Denise Speicher, co-owner of She, a West Reading boutique. “It’s to give back to the community. It’s an energy that we all have that we want to do.”
“We don’t just want to succeed as a business,” Shenk added. “We want the community to succeed. And all of us really feel that we need to keep West Reading vibrant and on the move.”
L.O.V.E. West Reading functions as a cheerleader for borough businesses, Shenk said.
They welcome new businesses that move in and keep the lines of communication open so that existing businesses are on the same page in working together to make their community a better place to live, work and visit.
“We want to make our business community bigger and better, meaning that we want to encourage all business owners to really get involved,” Shenk said. “We want everybody to feel the love, spread the love.”
“It’s a great place to have a business,” Speicher added.
“We believe in West Reading,” said Susan Pollack Esposito, chief financial officer of Pollack Fashion Outerwear. “We know this is the place to be.”
For more information on the L.O.V.E. West Reading team and upcoming events in the borough, visit www.gotowestreading.com.
Contact Becca Y. Gregg: 610-371-5032 or bgregg@readingeagle.com.
