This article originally appeared in Good Day, Berks — Spotlight PA’s free daily newsletter for Berks County and your daily dose of Berks County essentials. Sign up here.
This week’s Community Spotlight honoree is Richard Durina, 75, a volunteer who assisted Connections Work (formerly Berks Connections/Pretrial Services) in developing a class to help individuals who have been involved with the justice system find employment.
This conversation, which took place through email, has been edited for length and style.
Good Day, Berks: Where do you live?
Rich Durina: Temple
Tell us a little bit about your family.
I take great pride in my daughter, Bonnie, and my son-in-law, Stan. I am also blessed with a wonderful granddaughter, Maddie, who has three amazing children: Lilly, Oliver, and Violet.
Tell us about your volunteer work and what you like about it.
I was working as the human resource manager at Cougle’s Recycling in Hamburg when two representatives from Connections Work visited my office to inquire about our company’s hiring practices regarding individuals who have been involved with the justice system. I confirmed that we did consider such candidates for hire. That … marked the start of a productive partnership.
I began attending job fairs sponsored by Connections Work and got to know a lot of their staff. Later, they asked if I could develop a course for the R3 program (Rebuilding Reentrants and Reading) they were initiating. I designed a class called “Insights into HR,” and my boss at the time, Matt Cougle, agreed to let me leave work to teach the R3 classes and do mock interviews with students.
After retiring in 2018, I continued teaching the R3 classes and created several other classes for Climate Corps, an organization that partners with Connections Work. I also taught the “Insights into HR” class at Adult & Teen Challenge in Rehrersburg.
I’m pleased to support people working to improve their lives, and I’m glad to contribute to organizations that help them do that. I offer the classes that I’ve designed and teach at no cost and would be happy to talk with any organization that’s interested in using them.
Tell us about a challenge you faced.
Many small business owners tend not to value human relations because they believe it doesn’t directly contribute to revenue. At two of my previous jobs, this attitude made the work environment very challenging.
Favorite place to eat in Berks County?
Texas Roadhouse in Wyomissing.
Where would you take a visitor in Berks County, and why?
During summer, it would be a ballgame at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Reading Fightin Phils, where the lively atmosphere makes for an enjoyable outing. During winter, we could visit Koziar’s Christmas Village, which offers festive fun for kids and adults.
What book, poem, or artwork is meaningful to you?
I developed an interest during high school in writing poetry and was particularly fond of a book called Poems of the American People. In the early 1980s, I often watched Bill Alexander, a painter who was featured on television. Inspired by his artwork, I decided to try painting myself. I’ve continued to paint and have even taught others. Some of you might recognize Bob Ross as one of Bill Alexander’s students.
Who in your life has had a great influence on you, and how did they influence you?
My dad, Joseph Durina. My work ethic was shaped by my father. He worked swing shifts at Reading Tube, enduring severe migraine headaches yet never missing a day on the job. Even when suffering, he would head to work, return home without eating, and go straight to — sometimes waking up the next morning still in pain, but making it to his work shift.
He also was a fast-pitch pitcher in the Reading Tube softball league and often took me to games when I was young. If the umpire didn’t show up, they would choose someone from the crowd, and I had the opportunity to umpire many times. Later in life, I joined a softball team myself and played for fifteen years.
My dad was an extraordinary individual, and everyone who knew him loved him dearly.
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