Paving a path to prosperity

The median household income for Berkshire County residents increased from $49,956 to $52,253* in 2016.  Furthermore, the percentage of households in Berkshire County with income under $75,000 declined from 68% in 2015 to 65.8%* in 2016.  

While that’s certainly good news for those of us who call Berkshire County home, we still lag behind the rest of the state, where the median household income in 2016 was $70,954. 

There is still work to be done. Here in the Berkshires, a single mother may be working multiple jobs, yet struggling to meet her daily living expenses. She may have to make the difficult decision to repair her used car, so she doesn’t have to rely on friends and family for transportation OR pay her electric bill to keep her home warm on nights when the mercury dips below freezing. Her income doesn’t allow her to do both.

The Economic Prosperity Impact Council (EPIC), which launched in September 2017, is comprised of community volunteers who are committed to getting more people to work and creating a pathway to sustainable income. EPIC’s vision is for Berkshire County to have a diverse, thriving, and sustainable economy where everyone has equitable access to economic prosperity. EPIC recently agreed on four goals to measure progress countywide:

·        Reducing the number and percentage of households with incomes under $75,000

·        Increasing industry distribution, creating a greater diversity of local industries

·        Increasing occupation distribution, therefore expanding employment opportunities

·        Increasing average household net worth

Berkshire United Way is investing $105,000 in the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board to hire a Berkshire recruiter who will serve as an employment match maker, and $75,000 in Lever, Inc. to offer college internships to local youth in support of these goals.

Next steps for EPIC are to continue mapping existing community assets and activities aligned with increasing economic prosperity and to identify specific strategies that will lead more people to work.

I invite you to email me at jsingley@berkshireunitedway.org or give me a call at 413.442.6948 x32, if you are interested in giving your time and talent to this EPIC work.  Together, we can build a stronger community here in the Berkshires.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Julie
Program Manager, Community Impact  

*American Community Survey US Census 5-year estimates