A rewarding volunteer opportunity!

Do you want to make lasting changes in our community? As we begin a new year, it’s rewarding to look back and see the impact we made together.

Thanks to the support of our generous donors, we were able to invest more than $2 million in a broad range of local programs last year. Our commitment to donors is to do the research and invest your money where it is needed most.

Every two years, local nonprofit organizations, whose work aligns with our community goals, are invited to apply for funding. A team of more than 30 trained community volunteers work with experienced Berkshire United Way staff members to review each proposal, then deliberates to make funding recommendations to our board of directors.

According to one of our experienced proposal reviewers, Judith Douville, “Reviewing funding requests has afforded me the opportunity to become more knowledgeable regarding the programs that are being offered to individuals and families.  It has been an awesome and informative experience for me knowing that I am part of this process.” 

Together, with our donors, volunteers and funded programs, we helped more than 17,000 neighbors here in the Berkshires last year. Most of you probably know someone whose life has been touched, in some way, by one of the programs supported by Berkshire United Way.

If you are interested in reviewing funding proposals this spring, please email me at jsingley@berkshireunitedway.org or give me a call at 413.442.6948 x32.

This is a great opportunity to help build a stronger community here in the Berkshires - I look forward to hearing from you!

Julie Singley

Program Manager, Community Impact

Give back to your community through VITA!

Six years ago, the Internal Revenue Service asked us to partner with them and our local community to expand the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, together. VITA is free tax preparation and filing for individuals or families making less than $55k a year. The goal is to maximize tax credits and refunds, to put more money back in the pockets of low-income working families. 

This is truly life changing for some residents, like Maria. Maria, the divorced mother of a nine-year old child, tried to do her taxes herself and discovered she owed money to the IRS. She had made an appointment to have her taxes done in South County through the VITA program and almost didn't show up, because she couldn't afford to pay what she thought she owed.

With the help of a VITA volunteer, Maria actually wound up with a refund of $4,160. Maria was overwhelmed with emotion upon receiving this life-changing news. Her car was in disrepair and this refund enabled her to get her car back on the road, with money left over to pay some bills! 

Berkshire United Way will be offering VITA services at three locations this coming tax season—Berkshire South Regional Community Center and Berkshire Community College, South Campus in Great Barrington, and October Mountain Financial Advisors in Lee. We are currently looking for volunteers to fill several roles, so we can serve as many people as possible.

If you do not know much about taxes, don’t fret! Berkshire United Way offers training for tax preparers and reviewers; there are also other positions, which don’t require tax certification, such as greeting clients and serving as an interpreter. The hours are flexible, the training is free, and the time commitment is entirely up to you.

I invite you to email me at jswinchoski@berkshireunitedway.org or give me a call at 413.442.6948 x36 if you are interested in giving back to your community as a VITA volunteer. If you are interested in helping, but don’t live or work in south county, we can connect you with our VITA partners at additional sites throughout the county, including the Hilltown Community Development Corporation, Berkshire Community Action Council, Williams College, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (in conjunction with their Business Department), and Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity.

I look forward to hearing from you!

James Swinchoski

Economic Prosperity VISTA

Investing in innovation

One of our core values at Berkshire United Way is innovation - the act or process of introducing new ideas, or methods. As our community needs evolve, we are committed to partnering with new local agencies to implement cutting-edge solutions together and have established an Innovation Fund to help support this important work.

We are currently looking for new community partners who have started new programs and are looking for some support. In addition to funding, our team is available to assist with capacity building for these programs, or the process by which programs develop and maintain the knowledge, tools, and other resources needed to operate at a greater capacity (larger scale, larger audience, larger impact).

Detailed information, including the application for Innovation Funding is available on our website. Applications will be reviewed and grants will be awarded on a rolling basis, pending available funding.

These small grants will help us determine what works well, and if successful, replicate to provide early education opportunities, so more children enter school ready to learn; give more young people the tools they need to make healthy decisions and develop a plan for college or a career; and help more working families increase their income and assets.

To learn more about our Innovation Funding, please email me at jsingley@berkshireunitedway.org or give me a call at 413.442.6948 x32.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Julie
Program Manager, Community Impact

Progress on the path to economic prosperity

Emerson works two jobs but is still not earning enough to put food on the table at every meal for herself and her two school-age children. She often has to make difficult decisions between paying for car repairs or purchasing an A/C unit for her asthmatic children. This is an all too common reality here in the Berkshires.

While progress is being made in moving working families out of poverty, there is still much work to be done. More families are low-income families and they are struggling to move into the middle class. In 2016, 28.2% of families in Berkshire County were low-income, up from 22.4% in 2015. The median household income also increased to $52,253 from $49,956 in 2015 – but that is still far below the median household income of $70,954 across the rest of our state. (Source: Berkshire Benchmarks)

This is where our Economic Prosperity Impact Council comes in. EPIC is a cross sector coalition of over 35 members representing 30 organizations. The coalition’s goal is to reduce the number of households with incomes under $75,000. Our dedicated EPIC volunteers are committed to getting more people to work. Our strategies are focused on refining hiring practices of employers, building the skills and talents of job seekers, improving college completion rates, and aligning social services to promote employment. In order to address these strategies, Berkshire United Way invests $105,000 in Berkshire County Regional Employment Board Berkshire recruiter program, and $75,000 in Lever, Inc’s Berkshire Business Interns.

Next steps for EPIC are to build on the opportunities for success, including working with local employers to refine their hiring practices to support employees and promote retention and aligning our existing training/certificate programs with the current job openings. We also need to keep an eye on areas where there are job growth opportunities, like manufacturing and health care.

We would love your input on what is and is not working related to your employment needs – whether you’re an employer with positions to fill or a job seeker who’s looking to add to their resume.

Please contact me via email at jsingley@berkshireunitedway.org or give me a call at
413-442-6948 x32, if you are interested in helping to build our community through this important work.

Julie
Program Manager, Community Impact

Emergency food and shelter – it matters

Since November 2015, more than 9,000 community members have been touched by the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) administered by Berkshire United Way.

How are EFSP funds used here in the Berkshires?

• Meals or groceries were provided to 7,000 of our people
• They covered the cost of 2,800 shelter nights for residents
• They paid 109 utility bills (for one month)
• They helped with 10 rent/mortgage payments

When you are facing a non-disaster-related emergency, assistance with basic needs like food and shelter really matters. 

Berkshire County has been awarded $49,311 in Federal EFSP funds. Qualifying agencies may complete an application before Wednesday, June 13th and submit it as requested. A local board will then determine how the funds will be distributed.

For further information, please feel free to contact me via email or give me a call at 413.442.6948.

Together, we can make a difference.

Julie Singley
Program Manager, Community Impact

Improving financial futures all year long

Each April, the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) encourages people to take action to improve their financial futures. Here at Berkshire United Way, we work year-round to help families along the path to sustainable incomes. We support programs that match individuals seeking employment with open jobs, and provide college students with paid internship opportunities. 

Click for resources on how to unlock your financial future.

Free tax preparation through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is another way we are helping build economic prosperity for all. On March 24, 2018, Berkshire United Way hosted a taxathon at Berkshire South Regional Community Center. In addition to free tax prep, our community partners at Berkshire Community Action Council - Fuel Assistance, Community Health Programs – Women, Infants, and Children, Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires, and Greylock Federal Credit Union, were on hand to provide information on financial literacy programs.

Thank you to everyone who played a role in making this VITA season a success – clients, volunteer tax preparers, greeters, host sites and other community partners. Preliminary reports indicate 109 tax returns were filed by Berkshire United Way, resulting in over $101,000 in additional funds circulating in south county communities.  In addition, 593 returns were filed by our VITA partners in Pittsfield (Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity) and the hilltowns (Hilltown Community Development Corp.) which resulted in an additional $861,000. I’d also like to give a special shout out to our VITA hosts – Berkshire South Regional Community Center, Community Health Programs, and October Mountain Financial Advisors in Lee. We could not have done it without you!

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 using your time and talent to help others improve their financial future.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Julie
Program Manager, Community Impact

FIESTA the Berkshire United Way!

We are the Cormiers, lovers of everything that Berkshire County has to offer, due in large part to the good work Berkshire United Way does for the community. My wife Leslie and I started our journey together almost 14 years ago, meeting in Boston; me, fresh out of college, and Leslie recently moving from Guatemala. In our time together in Boston, we had our first child, saw the Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years, watched the Patriots win a few Super Bowls and the Celtics an NBA title. Hopefully that timeline leads you to mid-March 2008, when we decided that moving back to the Berkshires to raise our young family was the right thing to do for our future.

Matt and Leslie Cormier, co-chairs of FIESTA, 3rd Annual Berkshire United Way Dance Party.

Flash forward to present day. We now have three daughters, and both of us work for Guardian Life Insurance Company and are active contributors to the Berkshire United Way – both monetary donations through Guardian’s workplace campaign and through various volunteer opportunities. Most recently, we were given the opportunity and honor of co-chairing the most exciting party of 2018; the 3^rd Annual Berkshire United Way Dance Party (FIESTA) on Friday, May 4, at the Stationery Factory in Dalton. Having attended the previous two mega-successful “Movers and Shakers” parties, we jumped at the chance to assist in making this year’s party the best yet. Whether you are already a contributor or volunteer for Berkshire United Way or you have never given to the organization, please block your calendars for the evening of Friday, May 4, to come together as a community and celebrate the great work Berkshire United Way does, and at the same time contribute to their efforts to Build a Stronger Community!  You can learn more about this fun-filled event and purchase your tickets here. I look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you, in advance, for your support.

Matt and Leslie Cormier

Co-chairs, FIESTA, the 3^rd Annual Berkshire United Way Dance Party

Paid internship opportunities – it’s EPIC!

Do you know a college student coming home for the summer? If so, please encourage them to apply for an internship through Berkshire Business Interns (BBI). BBI is offering more than 30 paid summer internship opportunities at leading Berkshire County Businesses. BBI is a program of Lever, a Berkshire United Way Community Partner and active member of our Economic Prosperity Impact Council (EPIC). Paid internships for young adults is just one of the strategies employed by EPIC to build a pathway to sustainable income for Berkshire County residents.

By providing lucrative and meaningful employment opportunities for young people here in the Berkshires, we increase Berkshire businesses’ access to the best talent, and create opportunities for college students to be exposed to cutting-edge businesses and careers.  The ultimate goal is for these interns to choose to live and work in the Berkshires once they graduate. This is an economic win for our community as well as for our young people.

Karen Vogel, director of community impact at Berkshire United Way, is pictured with Jackie Kays, positive youth development intern.

If you are interested in learning more about the EPIC work that is taking place here in the Berkshires, I invite you to email me at jsingley@berkshireunitedway.org or give me a call at 413.442.6948 x32. 

Oh, and about those internships...make sure you tell the college students in your life to apply soon!  Positions are currently being filled.

Julie
Program Manager, Community Impact

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

Beating the winter blues!

Is winter getting your down? Are your children begging for some fun? We’ve got the “cure” for you!

Berkshire United Way is joining members of the Pittsfield Promise Coalition and the Zion Lutheran Church for 10x the Fun on Saturday, February 24th, from 4-6 p.m. at the First Street Common and Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield.  Part of Cultural Pittsfield’s 10X10 Upstreet Winter Arts Festival, 10x the Fun is an Olympic-themed, family-friendly event offering FREE entertainment, indoor and outdoor activities, and light fare.

A mother and her child complete an arts and crafts activity at a Berkshire United Way event held at the Zion Lutheran Church.

Indoor activities include dance and music performances, corn hole, arts and crafts, and face painting, while revelers will have an opportunity to participate in an obstacle course and javelin throw outside. Bring the whole family - you may just win one of our giveaways; and be sure to bring a camera for photo opportunities with Belle - Beauty of the Berkshires.

Immediately following the event, there will be a 10-minute fireworks display at The Common, so dress warm and plan to have some good, old-fashioned family fun!

To beat the winter blues beyond this weekend’s event, be sure to follow Berkshire United Way’s Facebook page for future events and ideas.

I hope to see you soon!

Stephanie
Coordinator of Early Childhood Development

Call 211 in times of need

Have you or someone you know ever been laid off from a job or experienced a reduction in hours that also resulted in a reduction in pay? Have you ever wondered what you would do if you found yourself in that situation; how you would feed your family and continue to pay your bills?  Who would help you in your time of need?

On Sunday, February 11, United Ways in Massachusetts joined United Ways across the country to celebrate National 2-1-1 Day, calling attention to this free information and referral service that has been in operation here in Massachusetts since 2006.

Mass 2-1-1 is a hotline that is staffed by information and referral specialists 24 hours a day, seven days a week, who connect residents to the resources they need.  Last year, 1,147 calls were made to Mass 2-1-1 by Berkshire County residents.  Top needs included assistance with child care and parenting, utilities, mental health and addictions, and housing and shelter.  In addition to this referral hotline, Mass 2-1-1 also maintains a searchable, online database at mass211.org, which is also supported by an online chat feature.

For the resident who finds him or herself in the situation above, a specialist may provide information about unemployment benefits, job search options, SNAP benefits, food pantries, mortgage or rent help, utility assistance, and employment counseling.

Berkshire United Way provides funding support to Mass 2-1-1 to ensure sufficient coverage and access here in the Berkshires. I invite you to share this column on your personal Facebook page to raise awareness of this free, user-friendly phone and online database system. By promoting Mass 2-1-1 we can make sure that all Berkshire residents are aware of the resources available to them.

If you are a service provider in MA, we encourage you to promote the wonderful programs and services your organization provides to our county’s residents by enrolling in or updating your information on the MA 2-1-1- website.  This will ensure that help and support is available to those in need.

Julie
Program Manager, Community Impact

Your Gift Makes a Difference

Donors to Berkshire United Way often ask the question, “Where does my donation actually go?”

When you support Berkshire United Way you help more than 15,000 people from Clarksburg to Sheffield and everyplace in between. One gift funds multiple strategies that build a stronger community.  Your donation is combined with those from over 5,000 donors to support 35 programs with 27 partners, and countywide coalitions that bring the community together to solve problems that no single program, organization or sector can do alone. 

Here is just a small sample of what your gift makes possible:

      Over 6,000 home visits are made each year by Child Care of the Berkshires and Community Health Programs.

300 young people will be mentored by caring adults for an average of 14 months at the Railroad Street Youth Project, Dalton CRA, Pittsfield Community Connection and Barrington Stage Company.

Over 1,000 Berkshire residents will get help from MA 211 this year -- free information and referrals for quality child care options and vouchers, community shelter, assistance with utility payments, and food pantries.

To learn more about the impact of your gift to Berkshire United Way, please visit us at berkshireunitedway.org. 

Thank you for making Berkshire County a dynamic, engaged community with opportunities for all.  Together, we can make a difference!

Duffy Judge

Development Manager

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

Crossing the bridge from poverty to self-sufficiency

Cathie moved into The Redfield House and soon began making full use of the services offered.  She met with staff on a regular basis and learned about EMPath, which, “transforms people’s lives by helping them move out of poverty*.”  As part of our economic prosperity work, Berkshire United Way partners with Berkshire Children and Families to help people like Cathie succeed through EMPath. To achieve this goal, EMPath uses the Bridge to Self-Sufficiency^®. This bridge from poverty to self-sufficiency is supported by five pillars—family stability, well-being, education and training, financial management, and employment and career management—to cross the bridge, participants must attain key objectives in each of those areas. 

As a resident at The Redfield House, Cathie’s housing needs were stable, however, she had other challenges to deal with, most concerning was her daughter’s health.    Although Cathie was motivated to earn her GED, her daughter was often sick.  Tending to her medical needs took up most of Cathie’s time and energy, affecting her attendance at work and school – she found, then lost, three jobs and withdrew from school to care for her daughter.  

With support from Redfield staff members, EMPath helped Cathie see her life in a series of steps that allowed her to focus on needs, achieve goals and measure progress.  She continued to use the Bridge to Self-Sufficiency^®, focusing on family stability and well-being.  She connected with a pediatrician who helped her better understand her daughter’s medical issues.  She realized the need for her own self-care and began to see a therapist and participate in self-help groups. 

In addition, Cathie found a job that she enjoys and has a schedule that complements her family’s needs.  She paid off her back rent and developed credit that reflects her good standing as a tenant.  She is working on healthy relationships and is a great role model and mother for her young daughter.

Cathie, pictured here with her daughter, is creating life changing habits that will lead to her success. 

Cathie is learning that she can evoke changes in her life and is using the resources available to her to do so.  Despite the trauma she faced as a child and in her adolescence, she is creating opportunities for life changing habits that will lead to her success.  

To learn more about our investments in the community, please visit berkshireunitedway.org.

Julie
Program Manager, Community Impact

*https://www.empathways.org/

Real stories from real people

Do you ever find yourself looking for inspiration in a world that sometimes seems filled with doom and gloom?  If so, I encourage you to check out Berkshire United Way’s social media campaign, Humans of the Berkshires. Featured on both Facebook and Instagram, Humans of the Berkshires is comprised of inspiring, real life stories from young people right here in our community.

Inspired by the famous “Humans of New York,” Humans of the Berkshires is a community of celebration and support for the aspirations, challenges, and achievements of the young people in our community. Data collected from our students indicates that they do not feel recognized for their positive community engagement, leadership, and goals. Humans of the Berkshires was founded specifically to counteract these perceptions and to nurture an environment that celebrates our amazing youth.

To date, Berkshire United Way has interviewed over 150 young people and featured their stories on Humans of the Berkshires.  I’d like to take this opportunity to share a couple of those stories with you.

Carlos Pascual-Polanco from the Pittsfield Community Connection (PCC) program says, “I want to open my own landscaping business, that’s my main thing. In the future, I see myself having my own car and business. I’ve been a volunteer at the soup kitchen, like cooking and serving food there on the last Saturday of every month, that was cool. My mentor at PCC, Mark takes me out to new places, places I’ve never been before, places I’ve never seen. We went to the mountain in Pittsfield State Forest and went hiking in the field with the flowers, and it was cool. I also used to work at the farmer’s market downtown with some people from PCC and my friends, we had to get there early to set up and then later take the tents down, it was fun. I would say PCC has helped me with job skills, and we have dinners together. It has helped me out a lot. ”

Mary Howe from the Roots Rising program says, "As cliche as it might sound, just try new things, get involved with your community, and meet new people. For instance, I wasn’t too sure about Roots Rising, but when I got here and met everyone I was really happy. I met a bunch of people I would have never met. These people are all from different backgrounds, different cultures, and I definitely get to know more about them and especially more about my environment. Roots Rising teaches me about farms and how you eat, and knowledge that you should just know. I am learning things that school doesn’t necessarily teach me."

Carlos and Mary talk about things that have helped them succeed—the support of a mentor and positive activities in the community—things that have made a real difference in their lives. Berkshire United Way mobilizes individuals and organizations as well as volunteers in 32 communities from Savoy to Sandisfield to make sure opportunities like these are available to all teens here in the Berkshires.  When the young people in our community succeed, we all succeed. 

To nominate a young person in your life, between the ages of 14-25, for Humans of the Berkshires, please email humansoftheberkshires@gmail.com.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Kat Toomey

Coordinator of Positive Youth Development

VITA volunteers make a difference!

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people with individual/household incomes of less than $54,000 a year, who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns.  

Through this free service, volunteers help qualified individuals obtain refunds up to $6,044.  In 2017, the VITA program in Berkshire County resulted in over $1.7 million of additional funds circulating in our community!

Berkshire United Way will offer VITA services at two new South County locations this coming tax season - Berkshire South Regional Community Center and Community Health Programs (CHP) in Great Barrington.  We are currently seeking volunteers for a number of roles, so that we can serve as many people in South County as possible through this program.

Volunteering for the VITA program can be a rewarding experience. Don’t know that much about taxes? Don’t worry — you’ll receive specialized training if you’d like to be a tax preparer or reviewer OR you can choose a volunteer role that doesn’t require tax certification. There are many opportunities to help, ranging from greeting everyone who visits the site, to providing language interpreter services.  The hours are flexible, the training is free and the time commitment is up to you.

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 sharing your time and talent to build a stronger community here in the Berkshires by helping hard working families.

If you’re interested in helping, but don’t live or work in South County, our community partners are coordinating additional VITA sites throughout the county and are looking for volunteers: Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, Hilltown CDC, Northern Berkshire United Way, Berkshire Community Action Council, and Williams College.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Julie

Program Manager, Community Impact

When Giving is Receiving

When I was asked to join Berkshire United Way as a Workplace Campaign Executive I was both excited and honored.  I have always believed in the work that Berkshire United Way does through their funded programs, but I was blown away by the changes that have taken place since I was an Employee Campaign Coordinator at my former job many years ago.

Berkshire United Way now has a very clear purpose and non-profits who apply for grants need to show measurable results and have a positive impact in the community in one of three areas of focus. I was immediately moved to tell this story to all the workplace volunteers I work with.

Amy Chin heads out the door of Berkshire United Way to deliver campaign supplies 

for a workplace campaign. 

When I talk to people out and about in the community, so much of the focus is on the children and youth of this county and on helping them succeed in school and preparing them to be productive citizens. That’s why it is so important to me to speak face-to-face with employees in workplace campaigns, giving specific examples of the programs funded and initiatives led by Berkshire United Way and letting them know that we are partners with the same goal - helping children and families thrive. There is nothing more gratifying when speaking to an audience than to see heads nodding in agreement when I talk about a preschooler who has come to kindergarten ready to learn thanks to Childcare of the Berkshires’ Parent Child Home Program or a girl who is empowered after participating in the Flying Cloud Young Women in Science program.

My career has centered around helping people and my position as a Workplace Campaign Executive has been enriching and inspiring. It has been easy to give a presentation to large groups because I speak from the heart and I have a deep desire to assist in strengthening my community and the people who live in it. It is why I’ve made a gift of my time, talent and treasure to the Berkshire United Way.  I am fortunate that Greylock Federal Credit Union is sponsoring my position, as yet another way of giving back to our community.

To find out how you can help build a stronger community, I encourage you to contact Berkshire United Way and learn about the volunteer opportunities that are available.  You can reach them at info@berkshireunitedway.org or give them a call at 442-6948. 

I hope to see you there!

Amy Chin

Workplace Campaign Executive

It’s EPIC!

If you attended BerkshireWork’s recent Job Fair, you may have noticed the Berkshire United Way table and wondered what we were doing there. My colleagues, members of our Economic Prosperity Impact Council (EPIC) and I were surveying employers and job seekers to gather data that will inform our Economic Prosperity work.

One young woman spoke with us about the barriers she is facing in finding a job, because she doesn’t have a college degree.  We know there are many people in our community just like her.

Julie Singley, Program Manager of Community Impact at Berkshire United Way attends BerkshireWorks’ annual job fair on Wednesday, October 18, 2017.  

That’s one of the reasons Berkshire United Way held its first EPIC meeting on September 22, 2017. There were 20 individuals in attendance, representing for-profit businesses, health, government, education, and non-profit organizations.

EPIC is a countywide, coalition led by Greylock Federal Credit Union, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and Berkshire United way, which aims to build pathways to sustainable incomes for individuals and families in the community. Over the next six months, consultant Brittany DeBarros, will work with EPIC to identify shared goals and clear action steps as coalition members work together to:

• Develop and implement strategies to get more people to work and fill vacant jobs
• Create strategic work groups as needed based on additional data collection and mapping/identifying existing resources
• Develop collaborations and partnerships to change the way we work to successfully reach our goals
• Identify additional resources
• Assist in developing investment recommendations for final approval by Berkshire United Way Board of Directors
• Develop and monitor performance measures with reports from community partners on:
• Employment Match Maker (Family Sustaining Employment/Pathways)
• Adult Work-Based Experiences

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 sharing your time and talent to create economic prosperity for all.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Julie
Program Manager, Community Impact