ATHENA® Award

Crystal Gilmore-Harris demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative throughout her professional career. As an inspirational leader, Crystal infuses energy, passion, commitment, and connection to achieve the organization’s mission of her involvement.

In her role as Social Services Administrator, working closely with the Director of Social Services, she took the initiative to streamline the placement of Alternative Education students by serving as the Coordinator. Strategically, she implemented and coordinated collaborative meeting between the Director, Principal, parents and students that lead better outcomes of intervention for the students. Recognizing the social needs of the population of the school district, she has inspired and guided countless number of parents and student to seek behavioral counseling services and family counseling.

Through her Social Services Administrator position, she recognized that there was a need to mentor many of the boys and girls from the community through school extracurricular activities. As a result, she works as Health Coach for the Reading High School Cheerleaders. 

Understanding the needs of girls on the team, realizing that many of them lacked confidence and self-esteem, she established Sashes and POMS Girl Scout Troop 1353, the only Cheerleading Girl Scout Troup in Berks County. This gave them the opportunity to focus on important life skills and leadership skills, team building, education and fun. “Every Wednesday is Girl Scout study day. The cheerleaders are expected to come to their troop meeting and then go home and study. There is no practice”. –Crystal Gilmore Harris, Reading Eagle, December 31, 2017. (Girls practice or have games 4 days a week.) This has had a tremendous impact on the character and development of all the cheerleaders. It has given them the sense of responsibility and inspiration they need to continue their life’s journey.

Crystal also invests time in Reading High School Basketball Team by encouraging activities that foster physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth & well-being. As a result of her commitment, last year she was named Program Director of the Lonnie Walker IV Foundation. To date, she has successfully spearheaded the first annual LWIV Basketball camp that was made available free of charge to approximately 250 kids from Reading, PA, organized a Turkey drive for families in the community and collected thousands of toys and stuff animals for the toy drive which were given to the children of The Children’s Home of Reading and SafeBerks. She has developed a network of volunteers that she works alongside with to make things happen. They are dedicated to helping the foundation achieve its mission.  Her two most inspiring words are “we” and “together.”

As a community advocate, Crystal Gilmore-Harris provides valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in the community. A life- long resident of Reading and a proud graduate of Reading High School, her mission to guide young adults to a better path for the future through mentoring, leadership, teamwork, and self-care. She has been instrumental in building positive relationships with other community leaders which enables her to assist vulnerable families through community services.