FREE tax prep is available!

Here at Berkshire United Way, we are entering our second year of coordinating the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in Great Barrington and Lee. VITA is a free tax preparation program for individuals and families making $55,000 or less. Together with our funded VITA partners at Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity and the Hilltown Community Development Corporation, we returned $1 million out of the total $2.2 million VITA dollars returned to Berkshire County residents last year.

VITA volunteers Alan Thiel and Jennifer Moriarty help a client with her tax return.

Our VITA sites opened on Monday, February 4^th at the Berkshire Community College South County Center in Great Barrington. We’re currently scheduling appointments for free tax prep at the following five locations: Berkshire South Regional Community Center, Construct, Berkshire Community College South County Center, Community Health Programs in Great Barrington and October Mountain Financial Advisors in Lee - simply call 413.442.6948.

We could not do this work without our funded partners who are available to help residents in other parts of the county. If a central county or hill town location is more convenient for you, we encourage you to contact Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity at 413.442.0002 or the Hilltown Community Development Center at 413.296.4536 x100.

In addition, MCLA has partnered with Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity and Berkshire United Way to offer free tax prep on campus for students and members of the community.

Regardless of where you are in Berkshire County - free tax prep for qualifying individuals and families is just a call away.

James Swinchoski
VISTA Volunteer and VITA site coordinator

Connecting activities for a brighter future

Every young person deserves a chance to explore opportunities relating to both college and career, this was the theme that rang clearly throughout the 20^th annual Connecting Activities Conference hosted by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on May 15^th. Emphasis is placed on attending college after high school, however, the reality is pursuing a 4-year degree is not an option for some teens, and in fact, may not even be what they need to be successful. A recent NPR article captures this sentiment perfectly, as it addresses high-paying vacancies in the trades that are left empty, as increasingly more young people line up for universities - only to find themselves faced with the challenge of finding employment once they’ve graduated college.  

Attending this conference made me realize we’re on the right path with our Positive Youth Development Impact Council (PYDIC), which is centered around successful youth transitions to work, education, or training after high school.

While PYDIC’s initial goal was to increase high school graduation rates throughout the county (it is currently at 87%), we also understand the need to focus on ensuring our young people graduate from high school with a college or career plan.

On April 18^th, community members, non-profit organizations, and local businesses put their heads together to develop a plan to support college and career readiness for all Berkshire County Teens.

The result is a commitment to:

1) Support and increase existing mentorships for Grades K-12

2) Formalize and strengthen partnerships between business, non-profit, and  other sectors

3) Increase education and access to information for parents on college and career readiness for their children

Regardless of which option a young person chooses to pursue, work-based experiences and internships are the foundation our young people need to successfully transition into life beyond high school and when our youth succeed, we all succeed.

Katie Hickey of Berkshire Community College leads a workshop for south county teens at Berkshire Community College on Wednesday, May 23, 2018.  The workshop was one of twenty workshops offered as part of a Career Conference.  (Photo courtesy of Berkshire Community College.)

For more information and/or to join PYDIC, please contact me at ktoomey@berkshireunitedway.org or 413.442.6948 x15.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Kat Toomey, Coordinator of Positive Youth Development