Creating a world of wonder

Yesterday, a child came out to wonder.  He caught a dragonfly inside a jar.

Fearful when the sky was full of thunder, and tearful at the falling of a star.

So begins The Circle Game, a song by Joni Mitchell about growing up. 

For some families, the early years are full of this sort of curiosity and wonder; filled with summer days with skinned knees, berry stained fingers, buckets of minnows, jars of fireflies, campfires with sing-alongs, or hot dogs at the ball park. Chapter One, a Berkshire United Way-led coalition, is working with community partners to ensure that all families, no matter how stormy the skies may be in the struggle for stability, have access to experiences that build connection and curiosity.

We invite families to join us on the journey to kindergarten at our upcoming Get Ready for K Day, on Saturday, April 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Berkshire South Regional Community Center in Great Barrington. Hosted in partnership with CHP Family Services and South Berkshire Kids, we’ll launch the Word Project’s 1^st Annual Kinder Art Show, featuring art work by students in Sunshine Preschool, Head Start and CHP’s Play and Learn group.

Families who attend will have an opportunity to practice carrying their lunch trays as part of the lunch tray relays with South Berkshire Kids.  They’ll also be able to obtain information about kindergarten registration from local schools, play and learn with the Parent Child Home Program, and learn how to tell stories and watch them come to life with The Word Project’s Live Actors!

Michelle Hayden, playgroup leader for South Berkshire Kids at the 1^st annual Get Ready for K Day on April 8, 2017.  Interactive activities build social, emotional, cognitive and physical connections.

Together, we can ensure each kindergarten class arrives at school ready to learn, and begin their wonder-filled journey. As The Circle Game says, the years quickly spin by, and yes, some dreams may lose grandeur coming true. But we can ensure our community is one where all children have learned how to use their sense of wonder to overcome their fears amidst the thunder storms of life, so that together, we make new dreams, and plenty of them.

 

Amy Taylor
South County Community Liaison

Put money back in your pocket!

Maria* is the divorced mother of a nine-year old son who tried to do her taxes herself and discovered she owed money to the IRS. She made an appointment to have her taxes done through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program at Berkshire United Way and almost didn't show up, because she couldn't afford to pay what she thought she owed. 

VITA volunteer, Pat Callahan, prepared Maria's return, looking for every credit she might be eligible for. Maria wound up with a refund of $4,160, and $3,362 of that was the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Maria was overwhelmed with emotion upon learning about her return. Her car is currently in disrepair. This refund will enable her to get her car back on the road, with money left over to pay some bills! 

“I can't thank the VITA volunteers enough for helping me prepare my taxes! They were so knowledgeable, thorough, patient and kind. I can honestly say they changed my life that afternoon from thinking I owed taxes to looking at a substantial, much appreciated refund. It was amazing and I am really grateful.”    - Maria

To make an appointment for free tax preparation** through Berkshire United Way’s VITA sites in Lee or Great Barrington, please call 413.442.6948.  Appointments are also available through our community partners at additional sites throughout the county.

Berkshire United Way is hosting a Taxathon on Saturday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Berkshire South Regional Community Center, where free tax prep will be available by IRS certified volunteers. Appointments are highly recommended, however, walk-ins are welcome, provided they arrive by 3 p.m. and volunteer preparers are available. All clients MUST bring photo IDs, social security cards (either originals or photocopies), and tax forms for every member of their household.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Julie
Program Manager, Community Impact

*At the service recipient’s request we are not using her real name
**Household income must be $54,000 or less