Inside the March Issue
Housing/Homelessness Q&A Session..........................2
The Mystery of Kimchi!.............................................3
UNITY/nBn News...................................................4
The Family Place/Mass in Motion.............................5
Thanks, Friends!.......................................................6
Coalition Calendar/NBIAI Update...........................7
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition
Coalition
news
An update from
March 2017, Volume XXXI, Number 7
nbCC Holds Q&A Session about Housing/Homelessness
p Brad Gordon presents a housing quiz at the February forum.
When the February forum planning committee initially met to determine the focus of the Housing/Homelessness forum, they quickly realized that they all had more questions than answers and felt that this
forum would be a great time for everyone to get the facts about the
state of housing and homelessness in Northern Berkshire. The forum
began with a quiz for the 75 community members who gathered for
the Q&A session. The quiz revealed some surprising data (sample of
questions at right).What do the answers to these questions tell us?
North Adams includes the most renters in north county. One
reason for this is because it also has the highest number of subsidized
units. Ironically though, there is still not enough, and there is currently a potential 3 to 5 year wait time. Also, there can be a perception that too much money is spent on subsidized or low income
housing, when in fact, more money is spent to higher income homeowners through mortgage and real estate tax deductions. Housing
policies and laws favor people homeowners with higher incomes.
With 56% of renters in Berkshire County rent burdened and
29% of renters severely rent burdened, a great number of Berkshire
County residents are in dire straits and are at risk of housing insecurity and homelessness. There are also many families who are just one
negative life event away from facing homelessness.
Homeowners can also be at risk. 35% of home owners are mortgage burdened and this number is rising as a significant number of
older residents on fixed incomes who have remortgaged their homes.
There is also the extreme challenge that homeowners face when they
lose their homes: mortgages are often lower than current market
rents.
It was heard during the forum, that most local housing services
give priority to families, causing a gap in services for single homeless
men. The Louison House has some drop-in beds, but there is a need
for more money to expand. Brad Gordon of Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority urged us to call our state representatives to
request more funding for local services, which rely on state funding.
Local non-housing organizations often do not know how to help
people who are homeless and need a plan to deal with people who
are homeless. Al Nelson from the Friendship Center Food Pantry
expressed a need for an action group that comes up with a pathway
to help those who are homeless. Following the forum, nbCC sent
out a survey to see if people were interested in getting involved. Results showed that several people are ready to form an action group.
Christa Collier of the Northern Berkshire United Way has taken
the lead to organize this group with the first meeting on March 13 at
12:15 at nbCC.
To learn more, nbCC has prepared a fact sheet that you can view
at http://bit.ly/nbcchousingfacts. You will find ways that you can
get more involved, find housing/homelessness resources, answers to
additional housing questions, and other information that might be
helpful.
Northern Berkshire Housing/Homelessness Quiz
1) What is the % of renters in Berkshire County? North Adams? Adams?
Williamstown?
Berk. County: 33% N. Adams: 48% Adams: 41% Williamstown:33%
2) What is the % of renters that are rent burdened in Berkshire County?
56% of renters have rents that are more than 30% of their monthly income
3) What is the % of homeowners that are mortgage burdened in Berkshire
County?
35% of homeowners have mortgages that are more than 30% of their
monthly income
4) What is the number of subsidized units and percentage of subsidized
units in North Adams? Adams? Williamstown?
NA has 873 units or 13.1% Adams has 324 units or 7.5%
Williamstown has 167 units or 5.5%
5) What is the largest housing subsidy in the United States?
$90 billion dollars for mortgage interest and real estate tax deductions
[90% of which goes to households making over $100,000) vs. $50
billion dollars for rental assistance programs
6) In 2016, how many foreclosure petitions were filed in Berkshire County?
North Adams? Adams? Williamstown?
Berk.County: 290 North Adams: 44 Adams: 21 Williamstown: 4
7) How many individuals and families did Louison House provide shelter for
in 2016?
88 individuals and families were supported in 2016
Coalition News
March 2017
Improving the quality of life for people in Northern Berkshire by organizing, supporting, and empowering the community.
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition
Our Mission
“Dedicated to improving the
quality of life for people in Northern
Berkshire by organizing, supporting,
and empowering the community.”
In pursuit of this mission, we place
particular emphasis on the following:
• Strengthening neighborhoods and community life
• Preventing alcohol/substance abuse
• Fostering economic development
• Mitigating poverty
• Supporting positive youth development
• Building bridges between residents and
service agencies
Coalition Supporters
Public Sources
• MA Dept. of Children & Families/EOHHS
• MA Cultural Council
• MA Department of Public Health
• MA Department of Public Health,
Bureau of Substance Abuse Services
• Mass Service Alliance
Topic for March’s Teen-Led Forum: Stress,
Anxiety and School
It is that time of year again when teenagers of the UNITY Youth Leadership Program
(YLP) are offered the reins of the monthly forum to present a topic they find pertinent to
their lives in the Northern Berkshires. These young leaders truly value the opportunity to
have their voice heard and to be able to explore a topic of their choice with a room full of
adults. In order to accommodate school staff schedules, we’ve re-scheduled this forum to
Friday, March 24th, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. at the MCLA Science Center, room 121. The
youth of YLP, which includes teenagers ages 14 to 19 from 4 different area high schools,
will lead a discussion on the stress and anxiety experienced by youth in high schools, and
potential ways to alleviate these experiences.
Here’s what to expect:
•Hear description of the day-to-day expectations of young people in high school, and the
stress and anxiety inherent in their experiences.
•Join a conversation about the stressors experienced in high school and potential ways to
alleviate these stressors.
•Learn about pre-existing methods of stress reduction for similar populations in schools
world-wide, and ideas on how to adapt these methods to meet the specific needs of
Northern Berkshire Youth, from their
perspective.
We look to community members from
all walks of life for this important
Coalition meeting. The first half of
the forum will be devoted to introductions and announcements and please
bring your flyers for distribution. For
more info about this forum, contact
Tim Shiebler at nbCC, (413) 6637588.
Please note: The organizers of the
Friendship Center Food Pantry ask
friends who attend the nbCC
forums throughout the
year to please bring a
healthy non-perishable
food item for donation.
Foundation Supporters
•Fund for North Adams
Local Support
•Contributions from our many
individual supporters
The Coalition is a
member agency of the
Northern Berkshire
United Way and the
Williamstown Community Chest.
To submit announcements
to the Coalition E-zine:
The Coalition E-zine is a weekly e-blast
published every Thursday and contains
announcements from Northern Berkshire
agencies and organizations. Submissions
must be received by 9:00 a.m. Tuesday
morning to be considered for inclusion
in that week’s issue. All submissions are
subject to editing and should be 50 words
or less. All events related to Northern
Berkshire community public health will be
considered for publication. Banner ads are
available for your fundraising events. For
more information, please call 663-7588, or
to submit an announcement, please email
[email protected].
2
NBYC Seeks Youth to Take Social Media Use Survey
The Northern Berkshire Youth Collaborative
(NBYC) has been working diligently to get as
many students and young adults as possible
to take our social media survey. The survey
will close on March 8th.
Once we have all of our surveys together,
we plan on sitting down and analyzing the
data. From there, we are going to begin to
brainstorm how to use our findings to make
comprehensive materials and workshops to
start helping to educate the community on
safe social media use!
Teens, please visit http://bit.ly/nbycsurvey
to take the short survey. Parents, please share
this with teens you know.
The collaborative will meet again on
March 8th at noon in the nbCC conference
room. Any and all individuals involved in
youth development work, child care, education, or anyone who has a vested interest in
the youth of our community are invited to
attend our next meeting and to get involved
with the collaborative. Please contact Tim
Shiebler at 413-662-7588, ext. 15 or e-mail at
[email protected].
-Carrisa Sacherski
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, 61 Main Street Suite 218, North Adams MA 01247 • (413) 663-7588 • www.nbccoalition.org
Coalition News
March 2017
Improving the quality of life for people in Northern Berkshire by organizing, supporting, and empowering the community.
411 in the 413 Youth Conference is Approaching!
The conference is less than six weeks away!
On April 6th, the annual 411 in the 413
Youth Conference is taking place at Hancock
Shaker Village. With over thirty individual
workshops available, students from Berkshire
County high schools will be able to experience a wide variety of exciting opportunities.
From discovering your inner artist, to stress
and anxiety reduction, to building chemical
rockets, there is truly a workshop for everybody! The attendees will have the chance to
experience three distinct workshops throughout the day.
The conference will feature Ty Allen
Jackson as a keynote speaker, an empowering
local author who has rapidly gained critical
acclaim for his children’s books featuring
children of color. When Jackson’s son asked
him why there were so few children’s books
featuring characters who looked like he did,
Jackson sought to fill that void by creating a
line of children’s stories featuring prominent
characters of color. Years later, he has received praise from the Obamas, been awarded
the Martin Luther King Jr. Character of Content Award, and has made a living sharing his
inspirational story across the country. Ty will
be offering a workshop entitled “You are Your
KRIS MALONEY, President
Human Resources, Williams College
COURTNEY SHAPIRO-VAN DUSEN,
Vice President
Adams Community Bank
p Last year, students discover their
inner artist at Hancock Shaker Village.
Greatest Asset”.
This year’s conference may likely feature
the largest group of attending students that
have ever been at the 411 in the 413. This
is an exciting opportunity for high school
students in Berkshire County to network,
learn, and grow with students they may not
otherwise come in contact with. If you are
a youth interested in attending this year’s
conference, please talk to your teachers and
administrators and let them know you would
like to be one of the 10 students in attendance from your school.
-Tim Shiebler
What is Kimchi? And Why is it a Mystery?
Kimchi is a fermented blend of cabbage,
chili peppers, garlic, scallions, and other
spices that can take on salty, sour, and/
or spicy flavors, depending on the recipe
used. What are the health benefits of eating
kimchi? “Kimchi is rich in vitamins A and C,
and due to its fermentation process is also
rich in beneficial gut-boosting lactobacilli
bacteria. Many are not aware that your gut
houses about 85 percent of your immune
system. This is in large part due to the 100
trillion bacteria that live in your gut. Over
the past several years, research has revealed
that microbes of all kinds — bacteria, fungi,
and even viruses — play instrumental roles in
the functioning of your body. For example,
beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods
have been shown to:
•Counteract inflammation and control the
growth of disease-causing bacteria
•Produce vitamins, amino acids, absorb
minerals, and eliminate toxins
•Control asthma and reduce risk of allergies
Northern Berkshire
Community Coalition
Board of Directors
2016-2017
•Benefit your mood and mental health
•Impact your weight
If you are interested in kimchi, here is a
great way learn how to make it in a fun social
setting and walk away with a free jar for
you to sample at home! Join us for a FREE
Fermented Foods Workshop at the UNO
Community Center 5-6 pm March 14th. Registration is required.
-Bret Beattie
Unlock the
Mystery of
KIMCHI!
E
Join us for a FRE
Fermented Foods
Workshop
DEB KUSHNET, Treasurer
Greylock Federal Credit Union
SUZY HELME, Clerk
Business Owner, Shima
North Adams Office of Tourism
CRAIG BARD, Executive Committee
Community Resident
STEVE GREEN, Executive Committee
Community Resident
AL NELSON, Executive Committee
Community Resident
SARA LaLUMIA, Finance Committee
Professor of Economics, Williams College
JEN CIVELLO
Marketing Director, BFAIR
LYNDA FIELD
Community Resident
ERICA GIRGENTI
Adams Council on Aging
LAURIE LAMARRE
VP of the Revenue Cycle
Berkshire Health Systems
BEN LAMB
Asst. Director for Student Organizations
and Involvement, Williams College
CHRISTINE NAUGHTON
Director of Alumni Relations and
Development, MCLA
Tuesday
March 14th
5-6 pm
UNO Community Center
157 River Street
North Adams
No need to bring anything! All ingredients, kitchen supplies,
and mason jars will be provided. Leave with your own jar!
GAIL OBERST
Social Worker, BFAIR
DAN RANDALL
Pastor, New Hope United Methodist Church
RICH TASKIN
Attorney at Law
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, 61 Main Street, Suite 218, North Adams MA 01247 • (413) 663-7588 • www.nbccoalition.org
BONUS! Learn the origin, culture, and health benefits of Kimchi, find out why
Koreans say “Kimchi” instead of “cheese” when they get their picture taken, and
why Koreans on average consume 40 lbs. each year of this favorite condiment!
3
Fun for All at the UNO
Valentine’s Day Party
On February 11th, UNO hosted a Valentine’s Day Party for the
community. The event was well attended and complete with
enough sweets to keep the kids energized for a week. Participants
made cards for families and friends, hats to wear throughout the
day, decorated cookies, and ate ice cream sundaes. Kids even had
the opportunity to pin the lips on Mrs. Valentine! Everyone was a
winner at UNO and all left with a fun prize and goodie bag.
Don’t miss out on these fun events and programs at UNO.
Stop in or visit our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/
UNOCommCenter) for information on our current programs
like 4-H Wacky STEM Club, Crafternoon Friday’s, or the AfterSchool Program. Stay tuned for more fun things to come.
p UNITY’s Teen Writing Workshop held their mid-season
performance and gave our teen writers a chance to share
their creativity and hard work with the community. It was an
awe-inspiring evening and we are very proud of our teens. See
more photos at http://bit.ly/tww2017mid.
TWW Mid-Season Showcase
Teen Writing Workshop has been plagued in recent weeks, by a
spate of Tuesday evening snowstorms. Missing three out of four
workshop sessions put a damper on our spirits, but made it that
much better to get together and write when the snow finally cleared!
We had to move our mid-year showcase to the 28th of February, at
Gallery 51. Lots of friends and family joined us that evening!
On top of working on performance pieces for the showcase,
the group has also been hard at work creating written pieces to be
included in the end of year publication, Somewhere Between. The
collection is a collaborative effort, combining works of fiction and
poetry from all of the participants in the program. The journal
is a point of pride for the Teen Writing Workshop. It is a unique
opportunity to have work published alongside the works of peers.
Be on the lookout this spring for the 2016-17 version of Somewhere
Between, and get a copy for your coffee table!
It’s not too late to join the Teen Writing Workshop! We still have
lots planned for this year, including a visit to MASS MoCA for a
workshop session in the Nick Cave UNTIL exhibit, the end of year
celebration and performance, and the chance to have work put into
Somewhere Between. Teen Writing Workshop is also an excellent
opportunity to expand your creative prowess amongst a supportive
group of peers and mentors. Please contact Tim Shiebler at 413-6637588 ext. 15, or email him at [email protected].
4
Friday’s @ UNO
157 River St., North Adams
12-4pm (Drop In)
Come hang out with us for “Crafternoon” Fridays at the UNO
FREE
Community Center. Simply drop
in on Fridays from 12pm-4pm to
Light snacks and refreshments provided.
work on your own projects
alongside other creative individuals. If
A great opportunity to socialize and network among other creative individuals while
you don’t currently
have a project that you are working on, come
you work on your craft projects. Bring everything you will need.
participate in ongoing arts and crafts projects at UNO, or just stop
If you don’t currently have a project that you are working on, there will be monthly
projects facilitated
by a UNO Steering
Member.
in for good conversation,
coffee/tea
andCommittee
snacks.
All skill levels are
Some materials will be provided.
encouraged to attend, from beginners to those more experienced.
Contact Geoff at (413) 663-7588 Ext-22, with any questions.
Those who are experienced
are encouraged to help teach others a
new craft. Call or email Geoff Pawlowski at (413) 663-7588 ext. 22
or [email protected] for more information.
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, 61 Main Street Suite 218, North Adams MA 01247 • (413) 663-7588 • www.nbccoalition.org
North Berkshire
Mass in Motion
Family Place Working on Fun
Summer Events for Families!
For the first time in a long time, the Berkshires were able to enjoy
a white winter. We hope that everyone stayed safe and was able to
get out with your family and take advantage of fun winter activities.
Heading into March, The Family Place is planning a lot of great
events for families to enjoy this summer.
Within the past year, The Family Place has seen an increasing interest in one-on-one parent education classes. Although The Family
Place staff enjoys working very hard on meeting the needs of parents,
individually, it is also very important that parents in our community
communicate with one another and support each other. Starting in
March, our parent education classes will be offered as groups. Parents
will now have an opportunity to meet one another, as well as build
supportive relationships, share challenges and successes.
Upcoming programs:
•The Family Connection is a parent support group that gives
parents a place to come, grab a cup of coffee and talk with other
parents who share similar experiences of parenting. This group is
held every 4th Wednesday of each month from 6:30-8pm at the
UNO Community Center. For more info, call 413-663-7588.
•Grandparents Raising Grandchildren group continues to meet
every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7:30pm at
The Family Place. If you are a grandparent who is actively raising
your grandchildren and would like to meet other grandparents
raising their grandchildren in a safe and confidential place this is
the group for you. Dinner is provided, child care provided upon
request. Call Donna Senecal at The Family Place for more info.
•24/7 Dad group is back!!!! Collaborating with the Berkshire
County Sheriff’s Department, Frank Busener will be facilitating
this group every Thursday starting February 23rd from 1-2pm at
the UNO Community Center and will run for 12 weeks.
Make a Shamrock Card!!
Here is a simple but fun activity to do with your children as
the rainy days begin to give us a lot of beautiful spring flowers!
What you will need:
• Green construction paper
• White paper
• Green paint
• Medium sized paint brushes
• Scissors
• Markers
• Glue
*Have each child paint the inside of their hands with green
paint. Place hand on white paper and repeat 4 times each. On
a separate white sheet, paint a green stem for your shamrock.
Let dry. When dry, cut out and glue on green construction
paper in the shape of a Shamrock. Cut out stem and glue to
complete your shamrock. When done, write a lucky message!!!!
Happy Frozen Food Month!
March is National frozen food month. This is the time of year in New
England when purchasing frozen fruit and vegetables is a healthy option. When fresh fruits and vegetables are out of season, they can be
quite expensive, tasteless and end up losing many nutrients as they
are picked and shipped across the states. Frozen fruits and vegetables
have been picked when ripe and frozen immediately to preserve the
nutrients. Frozen fruits and vegetables have the biggest bang for your
buck when it comes to your health and your wallet.
As a side note, Wildstone Farm in Pownal, Vermont, offers a
winter CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) option, which is a
wonderful, healthy, local option for vegetables during the New England winter months. This opportunity is available for sign up during
the fall months. The North Adams Farmers Market is also running
their first ever winter market, on the first Saturday of every month
at the American Legion. A nice local option for fruits and vegetables
during the winter. Be on the look out for the Know Your Farmer
Know Your Food event in March to learn more about local options
in the winter and summer, talk to local farmers and sample foods.
This is a free event.
Tips for frozen fruits and vegetables:
•Steam or microwave rather than boil your produce to minimize
the loss of water-soluble vitamins.
•Read the label. Most frozen vegetables and fruits are salt- and
sugar-free, but not all, so if you are limiting those ingredients in
your diet, make sure you know what you’re getting.
Frozen fruits and vegetables can be a quick way to boost your
daily servings. You can use them in smoothies, stir-fries, or casseroles. Here is a delicious sample recipe using frozen vegetables.
10 Minute Vegetable Quinoa “Fried Rice”
Cook time: 10 mins, 4 servings
Ingredients
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 - 2 garlic gloves, minced
3 - 4 cups cooked quinoa, chilled
1 (16oz) bag organic frozen veggies, any variety
2 large organic eggs
2 - 3 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Directions
• Heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat,
stirring until fragrant about 30 seconds.
• Add quinoa and veggies and cook until starting to soften and coated in
flavoring, about 2 minutes. Push this mixture to the side of the pan and
crack both eggs directly into the hot skillet. Scramble with a fork until
cooked through. Stir into quinoa-veggie mixture.
• Pour soy sauce over pan, sprinkle with ginger and toss to combine,
cooking for another minute or two until nice and hot. Taste and adjust
seasonings accordingly. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, 61 Main Street, Suite 218, North Adams MA 01247 • (413) 663-7588 • www.nbccoalition.org
5
Coalition News
March 2017
Improving the quality of life for people in Northern Berkshire by organizing, supporting, and empowering the community.
Thanks Friends! You’ve Made a Positive Impact Right in Your Own Community!
Since it’s inception, nbCC has been a crucial link between those in need and those who can help. With your assistance, we can continue to
provide Northern Berkshire residents the tools needed to improve their lives and their neighborhoods. We understand that not everyone is
able to make a financial contribution, but we also want you to know that no amount is too small to be helpful. Thank you for all you do to
support nbCC!
The 2016/17 Friends of the Coalition (as of March 2017)
2016----------------------------Champion
Jack & Susy Wadsworth
Advocates
Gene & Justyna Carlson
Arlon & Anne Nelson
Leaders
Ellen Bernstein
Steve Green & Sue Walker
Sherwood & Carol Guernsey
Robert & Helen Hardman
Family Fund
James & Joan Hunter
John & Deborah MacDonald
Guardians
Berkshire Children & Families
Mary Jo Carpenter
Susan Gold
James Whittum
Benefactors
Robert & Barbara Bashevkin
Linda Becker
Caroline Burch
Chris & Eleanor Derby-Kilfoyle
Mark Gold & Ellen Kennedy
Bruce & Judith Grinnell
Joseph & Carol Manning
Steven Miller
Kathy Morris
Frances Roberts
John Thoman & Lee Venolia
Williams College Women’s
Hockey Ephs
Boosters
Kate Annichiarico
Al Bashevkin & Nancy Pearlman
Beck’s Printing
Angelo Berasi
Berkshire Photovoltaic Services
Mark & Nurit Berman
BFAIR
Steve & Polly Birrell
Kevin Boisjolie & Fran Berasi
Ronald & Cynthia Bosley
6
Brewhaha
Duncan & Susan Brown
David & Wende Carver
Daniel & Sally Connerton
Stuart & Susan Crampton
Edward Damon, Jr.
David Dethier & Nancy Nylen
Thomas & Ellen Ennis
Michele Ethier
Manuel & Shirley Finkelstein
Paul Gitterman
Marion Grillon
Patrick Hernandez
Robert & Beverly Hertzig
Adam Hinds
John Hyde
Dick Lamb & Holly Taylor
Landmark Credit Union
Louis & Shirley Lescarbeau
Little’s HSC Pharmacy/Surgimed
James Mahon & Paula Consolini
John & Kristine Maloney
Al & Nancy Marden
Paul W. Marino
John Notsley
David & Susan Noyes
William & Gail Oberst
Edward & Carol Oshinsky
Bernie Pinsonneault &
Dianne Cutillo
Deb Rosselli
Maynard Seider
Mildred Shapiro
Anthony & Maggie Siracusa
Samuel & Elizabeth Smith
Susan Smith
James Stakenas & Paula Cardinal
Joe & Marilyn Truskowski
William & Mary Whitman
Herb Wilkinson
Howard & Deborah Wineberg
Bill & Adrienne Wootters
Associates
Robert & Carolyn Behr
Susan Birns
Sam & Marilyn Bittman
William & Lisa Blackmer
Liz Boland
Patrice Bolgen
Roger & Julia Bolton
Sharon Boyd
Stanley & Maralyn Brown
Andrew & Sue Budz
Jennifer Civello
Andrew & Andrea Danyluk
Anne DeGersdorff
Greylock Community Club
Pamela Hawkins
Harry & Marjorie Horn
Nicholas Hruch
Howard Itzkowitz & Wendy James
Stafania Jacob
Lawrence & Hulda Jowett
Roberta Lamb
Ira & Fran Lapidus
Nancy McIntire
Peter Murphy & Audrey Thier
Richard Oberfield, M.D.
Bo & Katherine Peabody
Marcia Sarrouf
Lauren Stevens
Edwin & Jane Stuebner
Jonathan Swartz
Irving Tanzman
Jean Vankin
Joyce Wrend
Supporters
John K. Akers
Bernice Alcombright
Judith Alden
John & Jane Allen
Joseph & Kathy Arabia
Alma Benedetti
Berkshire Mills
Edward & Joanna Biros
Fred & Margaret Bozek
Ralph Bradburd & Zelda Stern
Adriana Brown
Laura Brown
Ann Cain
Amanda Chilson
Edward & Anne Conroy
Mark & Karen Daigle
Shirley Davis
Marilyn DeRosa
Marie Harpin
Paul & Doris Hutchinson
William & Marianne Judge
Kathy & Morgan Kierstead
Thomas Leonesio
Richard Lescarbeau & Mary Sugden
Lorraine Maloney
Jean Marra
William & Ann McLaren
Kayte Miller
Robert & Janice Moresi
Raymond & Jeanne Moulthrop
Richard Netherwood
Anthony & Augusta Nicastro
Philip Ouimet
Roberta Patten
Daniel Perreault & Joyce O’Brien
Stephanie Quetti
Franklin Risatti
Joseph & Janet Rogge
Barbara Rondeau
Ron Sheldon
Richard Taskin
Gary & Sandra Tatro
Kurt Tauber
Henry & Norma Tomkowicz
Gracie Vincent
James Wolfe
Marcia Wright
Francis & Janet Zappula
Susan Zoltek
2017-------------------------------------Booster
Linda Conway & Bridge Group
Ann Scott
Herb Wilkinson
Associate
Alison & James Kolesar
Bernice Shainman
Judith Summers
Brenda Thomas
Supporter
Jane Campbell
Dan Dillon
Thank
You!
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, 61 Main Street Suite 218, North Adams MA 01247 • (413) 663-7588 • www.nbccoalition.org
Coalition Calendar
March 2017
Improving the quality of life for people in Northern Berkshire by organizing, supporting, and empowering the community.
Tuesday, Mar. 7
10:00 am - 11:30 am
nbCC Conference Room
Rx/Heroin Work Group
This diverse group includes community leaders, medical and mental
health professionals, first responders, people in active recovery, and
family members who have suffered
from the substance abuse disorders
of loved ones. To learn more about
this issue or to become part of the
work group, contact Wendy Penner
at [email protected].
Forum Date Change!
Friday, Mar. 24, 5:30p.m.
MCLA Science Center,
Rm. 121
Monthly Forum
Join us for this month’s forum of
the nbCC where the community
gathers together to discuss important issues facing its residents. See
page 2 for more details.
Weds., Mar. 8, 12:00 p.m.
N. Berkshire Youth
Collaborative
We strongly encourage any North
County based youth serving agencies or programs to join us monthly
to discuss solutions to issues and
problems facing our youth. To get on
the group’s e-mail list, contact Tim
Shiebler at [email protected].
Friday, Mar. 17, 10:00 a.m.
No. Berk. Interfaith
Action Initiative
The Northern Berkshire Interfaith
Action Initiative (NBIAI) meets the
third Friday of each month at 10
a.m. at the N. Adams First Baptist
Church. All people of goodwill are
welcome to participate. NBIAI is a
group of people of faith working together with others of goodwill to find
ways to serve our community. For
more info, contact Mark Rondeau at
[email protected].
NBIAI Update for March
The next meeting of the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action
Initiative will be held on Friday, March 17, at 10 a.m. at the First
Baptist Church of North Adams.
Our first guest will be Michelle Sylvester, of Mildred Elley Pittsfield Campus. (Due to illness she couldn’t attend the February meeting, as originally scheduled) We also hope to continue
and update in some form our December discussion on the impact
of the new administration on local social services, interfaith relations, and more. All are welcome to the meeting. Please use Eagle
Street entrance.
In other news, the Friendship Center Food Pantry is now six
years old and going strong. After reaching peak usage in 2014,
our number of average weekly visits have declined somewhat. We
conjecture this is partly due to an improved economy and partly
due to a declining population in North Adams.
Within the past year we have begun giving out diapers to eligible families, due to assistance from the Berkshire Diaper Project
and All Saints Church. Our rides home program, conducted by
volunteer drivers and “co-pilots”, gave an amazing total of 1,312
rides in 2016 to our food pantry friends. At $7 per ride, if we used
a local taxi company, this number of rides would have cost $9,184
-- an unsustainable amount.
For more information on the meeting, and some of the latest
news about the Friendship Center Food Pantry, visit
http://northernberkshireinterfaith.blogspot.com/ or call Mark at
413-664-0130.
-Mark Rondeau
Starting March 13
Sweetwood Retirement Comm.
1611 Cold Spring. Rd. Wmst
10:00a.m.
Matter of Balance
These are older adult falls prevention classes. Participation is FREE.
Runs every Monday and Wednesday. For more information or to
register please call 664-5057.
Save the Date!
Mar. 14, 5:00p.m.
UNO Community Center
Unlock the Mystery
of KIMCHI
If you are interested in kimchi,
here is a great way learn how to
make it in a fun social setting
and walk away with a free jar for
you to sample at home! Join us
for a FREE Fermented Foods Workshop. Registration is required. Call
Bret Beattie at (413) 663-7588.
Sat., Apr. 1
9:00am-1:00pm
American Legion
North Adams Winter
Farmers Market
Debit/Credit Card/EBT accepted.
SNAP Dollars will be doubled!
Contact 413-664-6180 or tourism@
northadams-ma.gov for more info.
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Go to www.facebook.com and search for
Find us, then like us!
celebrating
Go to www.faceb
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition
Northern Berksh
Find us,
or enter http://on.fb.me/nBnbVo
or enter http
in your browser.
in yo
See what we’re up to!
See wha
community
Visit
http://www.nbccoalition.org/calendar.html
for our complete calendar listings.
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition
Northern Berksh
61 Main Street, Suite 218, North Adams, MA 01247
(413) 663-7588
61 Main Street, Suite
(413
Improving the quality of life for people in Northern Berkshire
by organizing, supporting, and empowering the community.
Improving the quality o
by organizing, supportin
p Congratulations to Shirley Davis and Bri Rousseau,
winners of our Community Pride Challenge! Thanks for
making our community a better place, you are #namazing!
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, 61 Main Street, Suite 218, North Adams MA 01247 • (413) 663-7588 • www.nbccoalition.org
7
Coalition Staff
Executive Director
Amber Besaw: [email protected]
Business & Administrative Staff
Liz Boland: [email protected]
Communications Coordinator
Bert Lamb: [email protected]
Prevention and Wellness
A Note from the Director. . .
The youth involved with the Youth Leadership Program here at the Coalition, work hard
each year to bring our community the opportunity to hear their voice and listen to what
they feel is most important for adults to know about the youth in our community. This is an
invaluable opportunity and, I feel, is something that we cannot afford to miss. Please save
the date, know the time, and be there to hear what our youth have to say!
-Amber Besaw
Wendy Penner: [email protected]
Perri Bernstein: [email protected]
UNITY
Tim Shiebler: [email protected]
Carrisa Sacherski: [email protected]
Northern Berkshire Neighbors
Glenda Matos-Carter: [email protected]
Geoff Pawlowski: [email protected]
The Family Place
Chris Griffin: [email protected]
Jazmyne Joy: [email protected]
Donna Senecal: [email protected]
Mass In Motion/Community Health Work
Amanda Chilson: [email protected]
Bret Beattie: [email protected]
nbCC is
supported by:
Please join us for our annual
youth-led March forum!
5:30 – 7:30pm
at the
MCLA Science Center
Rm 121
See you there!
See page
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Find this
newsletter
online at
www.nbccoalition.org
61 Main Street, Suite 218, North Adams, MA 01247
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition
U.S. Postage Paid
Non-Profit Org.
Permit #35
North Adams, MA
01247