Tillman Sims co-founded the organization TLC Fore Reading PA with Lenny Pan and Chama Carwll ten years ago. TLC stands for Teaching, Learning and Community. TLC evolved into a community development organization, the organization introduces the values of TEACHING – LEARNING AND COMMUNITY through their unique adventures and events. They speak positivity into existence and believe that all have the ability to MAKE YOUR PRESENCE IMPACTFUL, one of Tillman phrases that he uses often and is the organization’s slogan.
Through inherent values that TLC instill to our great City of Reading Pa and surrounding areas, they offer many specialized programs – Education Series, Caddie Mentor Program, Family Series, Find Your Why?,Adventure Series, Inspire Curiosity, Impactmas, TLC Photo/Video Production Team, DJ Do 2 Much/Events, In-school and After-school programs, golf outings, along with events that all surround giving back to our community.
The drive to establish the organization is based deep in his past as a young man, blessed to have adult mentors who provided support and encouragement at a critically formative point in his life. Everyone has the potential to be Impactful. As a Reading kid, Tillman thanks those who took the time to pour into him, took a chance on him, and made sure that a seat was provided for him at their table. Losing his mother at the young age of 14 when he was in 8th grade at Northwest Middle School, it could have been very easy for him to head in the wrong direction during those years. But thanks to the many who supported him in different ways to uplift and encourage him.
Tillman, although he stopped playing football and baseball as that was his mothers favorite sports to watch him play, he just could not play those sports without her in his life anymore. So he switched his focus to basketball and volleyball all four years at Reading High School and was then encouraged to pursue a post secondary education through sports after high school. To his surprise, he was eventually elected into the Alvernia University Athletic Hall of Fame. Tillman has been employed right here in the city of Reading at G.L. Financial Group Inc for 22 years.
The idea for TLC Fore Reading PA was born while Tillman, Lenny & Chama would spend ample time out enjoying playing golf together. “Honestly, it all started on the golf course. We enjoy getting together and playing for fellowship and fun. One of our mentors and friends, Frank Brown suggested that it would be a great idea to start our own caddy mentor program, taking kids from the inner city and showing them a bit more than what they see in the city. It would be a unique way for me to give back to the community where I grew up. And then when Covid hit, I took it further by starting an Education Series to explore Berks County local history as a whole; from the architecture to the landmarks, so kids and adults could experience our city and county and have pride in it. The age old saying.. You dont know .. what you dont know.. I wanted to introduce them to new places and new things right here in their own backyards and outside of their normal environment. We did most things outdoors, explored and learned a lot on these trips.”
After Covid, the trips became more adventurous as we ventured outside of Berks County. “I encouraged them to ‘find your why’; to understand what you were doing and why you do this or why someone would do this or that. We called this our Adventure Series as we partnered up with Stephan Fains and BCAP. We would get a chartered bus and go anywhere outside of Berks County. On one particular trip, this one to Lake Tobias in mid PA, the kids all knew that it was a zoo, but we asked the kids why was there a zoo in the middle of PA of all places, and why would one man open up a zoo against all odds when everyone told him he was crazy for it, and how did it affect this man, his wife and his children. The question-and-answer meeting with the owner’s daughter was so raw and so emotional, bringing to it a purity of the world that you may not see in school.”
Tillman reflects back on himself as a young child. “I was labeled as a kid that might not make it. I can’t control the color of my skin, but I can control the character of the man. Your presence is impactful. This mindset led to the next series which was titled “IMPACTMAS”. This is our season to be impactful, a unique way of giving back. During fall and winter we have programs where kids and community have an opportunity to have an impact on others and each other. Each program is unique and is 100% community driven. We have a holiday toy drive. This is not just throwing a toy in a box and forgetting about it, it is so much more than that, it’s so personal, it’s so engaging.. It connects our hearts with our community. It starts with the kids individually wrapping the boxes with decorative holiday theme paper to be distributed at local businesses and locations. Then once all the toys are collected we host an IMPACTMAS wrap party where we all welcome to come, including those who put the toys in the boxes to come and have fun wrapping the presents. We also conduct a teen drive for the Reading High School Night Keep, with items that teens would like or need.”
“During IMPACTMAS we also do our Winter Education Series to Koziar Christmas Village to Learn about a Berks County Holiday Tradition. We host a holiday IMPACTMAS Brunch & Peace where we have a sit down educational fun seminar where we feed up to 150 kids in our city and county. To end the IMPACTMAS season we do a Santa Train Ride which always gets the hearts and minds inspired for the holiday spirit. As we continue on our mission, our work focuses on giving back, and pouring into our community from the ground up, our unique structure also includes after-school and in-school programs, as well as continuing to build on existing programs we already have in place. Our goal is to help shape the lives of young people from all walks of life and enhance their world through education, mentoring and programming. The organization has touched the lives of countless city youth during its ten-year existence.”
Along the way, Tillman has recruited like-minded people to join the effort. “Through the efforts of our many devoted staff, volunteers, and community partners, we encourage the development of people of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels. Our focus is to reinforce the values of integrity, respect and perseverance through exploring and adventuring within the very community we reside in, and share the beauty within it.”
With a full calendar of events throughout the year, Tillman garners the help from staff, volunteers and partners with organizations and local businesses to ensure each event is special. “It is exhausting! The events that I do are like a production and I make sure that each event is presented like a movie or a mental escape. It is about bringing people together. I want to see people for who they are and being kind to one another. We all have the power to give love and meet these kids where they are. The rewards are their smiles.”
Tillman wears many hats, his fitting nickname.. DJ Do 2 Much .. is cause he is literally doing just that, too much. His schedule is always full with visits throughout the county supporting youth, or other organizations or finding ways to give back. Along with running this extremely busy TLC Fore Reading Pa organization, have a full time job, and being a father.. Tillman also sits on the Wilson Education Foundation Board of Directors, Reading Berks Basketball Association Board of Directors, Van Reed Athletic Association Board of Directors, Head coach for Van Reed Youth Football and Head Coach Van Reed Youth Basketball and is commissioner and sits as chair on a few others that Tillman says he won’t bore the public with his joking personality.
To learn more about TLC Fore Reading Pa please visit www.tlcforereadingpa.org and also visit Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@tlcforereadingpa6903
