What is 411 in the 413?

What is the 411 in the 413?  Ask Miss Hall’s student and Berkshire United Way intern, Meredith Hall, and she’ll say, “It’s a whole day dedicated to youth that gives us access to new opportunities and tools for after high school. Most teens don’t have the opportunity to miss a day of school to learn about such interesting things like pet first aid, or yoga with therapy balls.”

A collaboration between Berkshire United Way, Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, and Railroad Street Youth Project as part of the Berkshire Youth Development Project, the 13th annual 411 in the 413 Youth Conference will take place at the Berkshire Museum on Thursday, April 11.

The countywide conference, organized by and created for local teens, offers a unique opportunity for students from 14 high schools across Berkshire County to meet new people, delve into their passions, and discuss useful tools for navigating today’s world through a variety of workshops. The theme of this year’s conference is “Staying Afloat in the Modern World.”

A unique feature of this year’s event is keynote speaker, Regi Wingo, a Berkshire native and staff member at the Elizabeth Freeman Center, an organization which provides life renewing help to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

The conference aligns with Berkshire United Way’s efforts to provide young people with opportunities that will help them develop a plan for college or a career. For a look at what happens behind the scenes of the 411 in the 413, stay tuned for photos and updates on our Facebook page.

Talk with you soon!

Kat Toomey

Coordinator of Positive Youth Development

berkshireunitedway.org

Engaging in advocacy - local youth visit Beacon Hill!

January was National Mentoring Month, and young people from the Berkshires had a chance to make their voices heard in support of mentoring far outside the county - on Beacon Hill! Berkshire United Way supported a field trip for youth and adults involved in two of our funded programs, Railroad Street Youth Project’s RSYP Mentoring Program and Berkshire Children and Families’ Pittsfield Community Connection (PCC), to tell their stories about the positive impact of mentoring at the Massachusetts State House. 

Mentoring plays an important role in our work with young people – increasing high school graduation rates, reducing teenage pregnancy, and ensuring young people have the support they need to graduate high school with a college or career plan. We currently invest in four local mentoring programs; last year, those programs connected 281 young people with a caring adult.

Youth Mentoring Day is an annual advocacy day at the State House, sponsored by Mass Mentoring Partnership. A total of 15 mentees met with their respective Representatives, Tricia Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield and Smitty Pignetelli of south county as well as Adam Hinds’ team to advocate for the mentoring line item in the state budget. This funding helps support mentoring programs across the state.  

Deonte, a mentee in the PCC program, told Tricia Farley-Bouvier, “I’ve been with the program for a few years. It really helped me because in the beginning, I was not on the best path, I wasn’t hanging out with the best crowd. But PCC and my mentors helped me with school and applying to college. I just found out I got accepted – I’m not sure where I’m going yet. But I’m really happy to be on that path now.”

So why mentor? Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people. Ultimately, mentoring connects a young person to personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunity. Yet one in three young people will grow up without this critical asset (source: mentoring.org).

To view a list of mentor opportunities in the Berkshires, visit this link and simply type in your zip code to view programs in your area.  You may also reach out to me to learn more about mentoring opportunities at ktoomey@berkshireunitedway.org ; 413-442-6948 x 15. I hope to hear from you!

Kat Toomey

Coordinator of Positive Youth Development

Through the eyes of an intern

Hello, my name is Mere - I live in Adams, Massachusetts and I’m a junior at Miss Hall’s School. As a Miss Hall’s student, I’ve been given the opportunity to intern at Berkshire United Way through the Horizons program. Horizons is a unique program that gives students an opportunity for career exploration through experiential learning at a variety of off-campus organizations.

Outside of classes, I am really interested in snowboarding and managing behind the scenes aspects of my school’s drama club productions, where I’ve learned about the amount of work that goes into making a show come to life!  Here at Berkshire United Way, I’m learning about the work that’s required to make lasting changes in our community.

For nearly 95 years, Berkshire United Way has been making lasting, positive changes, right here in Berkshire County—by strengthening families and promoting education as the path to children’s success. This includes giving young people the tools they need to make healthy decisions and graduate high school with a college or career plan.

Recently, I’ve been helping to coordinate the 411 in the 413 Youth Development Conference.  The “411 in the 413” is a collaboration between youth interns and staff from Berkshire United Way, Northern Berkshire Community Coalition and Railroad Street Youth Project, as part of the Berkshire Youth Development Project. The objective of this annual conference is to give local high school students an opportunity to connect with their peers throughout the county, and attend workshops designed to help young people navigate life.

Local students participate in a workshop titled "Ophelia Rising - Exploring the Power of Spoken Word” at a past 411 in the 413 Conference held at Hancock Shaker Village. 2019 marks the 13^th year of this annual Conference.

This year’s conference will take place at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield on Thursday, April 11^th, 2019. If you are passionate about helping young people and are willing to share your expertise and experience with local teens, please consider facilitating a workshop. Sharing your knowledge and passion with young people helps them develop new skills that are critical for life in high school and beyond!

I'm so excited to be working at Berkshire United Way this year and can’t wait to see the results of our hard work. To learn more about facilitating a workshop at the 411 in the 413 Youth Conference, please contact Kat Toomey, Coordinator of Positive Youth Development at 413.442.6948 x15 or ktoomey@berkshireunitedway.org.

I look forward to seeing some of you there!

Mere
Horizons Intern at Berkshire United Way

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

Building a stronger community together

The holiday season is a time for giving and appreciating what you have in your life, and as I wrap up my first workplace campaign season as Development Manager for Berkshire United Way, I can’t remember a time in my life when I’ve ever been more thankful.  To have the opportunity to visit so many different businesses, and witness first-hand the incredible support Berkshire United Way receives from thousands of Berkshire County residents who are building a stronger community by making a pledge through their campaign, is truly one of the best gifts I’ve ever received.

Amy Chin and Duffy Judge of Berkshire United Way pose with representatives of Flying Cloud Institute, Railroad Street Youth Project and Boyd Technologies for their campaign kickoff.

Berkshire United Way’s mission of igniting the collective power of individuals and organizations to build a stronger community together cannot be accomplished without the support of the people who live here. 

Your gift provides people with the tools and resources they need, so their children enter school ready to learn; our teens graduate high school and begin college or their career; and working families get help finding and keeping jobs that pay a livable wage.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each person who has supported our campaign—either through their workplace or by making a direct gift to Berkshire United Way. You truly are the core of our organization.  Your generous support enables us to invest more than $2 million dollars in our community, impacting more than 16,000 lives in 32 local communities, as we work towards making Berkshire County a dynamic, engaged community with opportunities for all.

If you would like to be part of building a stronger community here in the Berkshires, I invite you to consider making a year-end gift to Berkshire United Way.  Your opportunity to do so is just a click away.

Happy New Year –

Duffy

Development Manager