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Emergency Housing(back to top)
Our Friends’ House is a family shelter facility that provides emergency shelter services for 30-35 families in central Berkshire County. Shelter services
include GED preparation, ie: work readiness, college preparatory training, adult literacy, parenting skills, housekeeping, budgeting
and nutrition education services. The program also provides approximately 400 referrals for additional support services.
For more information contact:
Weatherization(back to top)
This federally funded program that is designed to save heating dollars by increasing the energy efficiency of homes. BCAC has
weatherized over 7000 homes in Berkshire County since 1979, with insulation for attics, walls, floors, heating pipes/ ducts, weather-stripping,
minor repairs, and heating system modification, all permanent improvements to the home. The program is available to anyone who
is eligible for the Federal Fuel Assistance program unless the home had been previously weatherized. But it does give priority
to households with elderly or handicapped individuals or children age 6 or under, then the general population may participate
depending on availability of funds. BCAC will do an assessment to determine what energy improvements can be performed.
For more information contact:
Heating System Services(back to top)
This is primarily a program designed to help with emergency "no heat" services. Clients who are eligible for Fuel Assistance and own their homes can have their heating systems repaired through this program. Services are also available to tenants if both they and their landlords are eligible for Fuel Assistance. If the heating system cannot be repaired, assistance with the replacement of the heating system can also be provided. Routine cleanings are not provided unless there are funds available after the heating season is over. If you are in need of service, please call #445-4562 x108 Monday-Friday from 7 am-2:30 pm. If you need emergency service nights, weekends or holidays you may call a contractor directly to arrange for service. Please ask the contractor if they contract with BCAC before you have work done. Only contractors who contract with BCAC can be paid for service. If you arrange for your own service, please call the office on the next business day so that a work order may be issued.
For more information contact:
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program(back to top)
Also known as the Fuel Assistance program, provides eligible households with help in paying winter heating bills. The program pays benefits up to a fixed amount based on household income. An additional benefit is available to eligible households having a higher than average energy burden. Homeowners & renters are both eligible. Households with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level are eligible.
For more information contact:
Transportation Services(back to top)
Berkshire Community Action Council, Inc. operates 22 vans, including both ambulatory and wheelchair equipped vans. These van
accommodate 7-13 passengers each on daily routes from the Transportation Operations Center on Commercial Street in Pittsfield,
MA. It provides shuttle services for consumers between their places of residence and day program sites. The program also provides
transportation for approximately 140 consumers primarily funded through the Department of Mental Retardation, along with consumers
funded through private subscription. In 2010, BCAC provided approximately 300 rides per day 240 days a year for a total of 72,000
trips.
BCAC vans are also available for private hire by other organizations, companies and or individuals for service to include but not limited to:
- Shuttle Service
- Functions
- Special Events
Transportation service is not limited to Berkshire County or its residents.
Contact information:
Call (413) 499-4420 and leave a detailed message for a quick response.
or
Email -
Telephone Reassurance Program(back to top)
This program provides “reminder” phone calls to elders and physician refereed individuals to “reassure” medical appointments are kept and/ or prescription medicines are taken as prescribed.
For more information contact:
413-445-4503, X 109
Food Distribution and Nutrition Assistance(back to top)
BCAC acts as the Berkshire County hub for the Food Bank of W MA, providing food bank member agencies with a local delivery site centrally located in Pittsfield. This hub serves over a dozen agencies providing meal sites and pantries throughout the county.
BCAC coordinates garden programs in low income neighborhoods and schools in Pittsfield, creating opportunities for students and residents to learn how to grow their own food and to learn about healthy eating and nutrition. Additionally, the gardens provide fresh produce to local households, meal sites and pantries.
Homeless Prevention and Transitional Housing
Assistance(back to top)
This collaborative effort with the Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority provides space and support for housing specialists to assist families and individuals find safe, affordable housing.
For more information contact:
413-499-2877
Berkshire Immigrant Center(back to top)
A Program of Berkshire Community Action Council
88 South Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
Tel: (413) 445-4881, Fax: (413) 445-4802
Email:
Website: http://berkshireic.com/
PROGRAM SUMMARY:
The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires founded the Berkshire Immigrant Center (formerly known as the New American Citizenship Coalition) in 1997 to assist Berkshire County immigrants, regardless of race and religious affiliation, to become American citizens. Over the past ten years the Center has evolved into an office of immigrant services in order to address the wider needs of the local immigrant and refugee population. In 2006, the Berkshire Immigrant Center (BIC) was moved under the auspices of Berkshire Community Action Council. The Center remains the only program in Berkshire County which offers comprehensive services to meet the unique challenges faced by our rapidly growing immigrant community. BIC offers the following services:
- Citizenship assistance including application support, disability and fee waivers, English as a Second Language/Civics classes, follow-up and advocacy with the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Settlement Services: orientation, information, referrals and general counseling for recently arrived immigrants
- Advocacy and public education including consultation, group information sessions and workshops, and outreach to communities and other not-for-profit organizations
- Referrals to and enrollment in English classes or with private tutors
- Work with state and federal legislators in support of immigrants’ initiatives
- Monthly walk-in clinics for free consultations with an immigration attorney; referrals to immigration attorneys throughout the state
- Referrals to other community services to facilitate access of daycare, health care, continuing education, career counseling, housing, and other social service needs
- Voter education and promotion of civic participation
- Interpretation and translation services
- Information and distribution of forms for a variety of immigration issues including adjustment of status, green cards, visas, political asylum, work authorization and family sponsorship
- Distribution of Federal Emergency Food and Shelter funds and furniture and clothing donations
In addition to working to meet the individual needs of our clients, we also aim to address the problems confronted by the greater immigrant and refugee community by performing community outreach and offering educational seminars on such topics as immigrant workers’ rights, access to health care, and the basics of immigration and naturalization. We work closely with immigration attorneys, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), and with local and state legislators to advocate on behalf of our immigrant population.
The Berkshire Immigrant Center employs bilingual staff members (Spanish, Russian) who are culturally sensitive and thoroughly understand the needs and challenges faced by the immigrant and refugee community. The Director, Hilary Greene, holds a Bachelors degree in Soviet and Russian Studies and is a fluent Russian speaker. Hilary spent several years working in public relations in St. Petersburg, Russia and then worked as Program Manager of The National Young Composers Competition at Williams College prior to joining the staff of the Jewish Federation in 1999. Education Coordinator, Jennifer Smith, holds a BA in English from the University of New Hampshire. She worked for many years as the Program Coordinator, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher, and Student Advocate for Jackson Mann Community Center and Veronica Smith Senior Center in Brighton, MA prior to joining the BIC staff. The Program Director, Brooke Mead, was formerly a high school Spanish teacher and holds her Masters degree in Spanish from Middlebury College. She has lived in Venezuela and Mexico and, having been an immigrant herself, brings with her the cultural understanding and sensitivity necessary to work with the immigrant and refugee population. As a native of Costa Rica, administrative assistant Nazira Leonas is both bicultural and bilingual – a great asset for the Center. She holds a BA in Special Education from the Catholic University of Costa Rica. The Center also employs a volunteer student intern from Miss Halls Schools and a large number of volunteer translators and interpreters. Michele Sisselman and Joseph Best, both licensed immigration attorneys with extensive experience, provide pro-bono consultations and advice on behalf of the Center’s clients and staff.
Since its inception in 1997, the Berkshire Immigrant Center has served over 9,000 clients from 86 different countries – a sign
that the Berkshires is becoming an increasingly diverse community with a vast need for services for the immigrant and refugee
population. In 2010, we served a total of 817 non-duplicated clients from 73 different countries and provided 1,629 units of service.
The following list shows the numbers and countries of origin of our 2010 clients:
| USA |
213 |
|
Costa Rica |
7 |
|
AUSTRALIA |
3 |
|
AZERBAIJHAN |
1 |
| COLOMBIA |
73 |
|
PUERTO RICO |
7 |
|
Estonia |
3 |
|
BELARUS |
1 |
| ECUADOR |
71 |
|
Fiji |
6 |
|
HONG KONG |
3 |
|
CAMEROON |
1 |
| MEXICO |
59 |
|
TURKEY |
6 |
|
LITHUANIA |
3 |
|
CUBA |
1 |
| GHANA |
43 |
|
CAMBODIA |
5 |
|
MOLDOVA |
3 |
|
DENMARK |
1 |
| EL SALVADOR |
32 |
|
Great Britain |
6 |
|
NIGERIA |
3 |
|
Egypt |
1 |
| BRASIL |
25 |
|
ITALY |
5 |
|
Uzbekistan |
3 |
|
FINLAND |
1 |
| PERU |
23 |
|
POLAND |
5 |
|
BENIN |
2 |
|
GAMBIA |
1 |
| DOM. REP. |
21 |
|
UKRAINE |
5 |
|
BURMA |
2 |
|
KAZAKHSTAN |
1 |
| INDIA |
21 |
|
ARGENTINA |
4 |
|
CZECH REP. |
2 |
|
NEW ZEALAND |
1 |
| Ivory Coast |
19 |
|
Chile |
4 |
|
GUINEA |
2 |
|
NORWAY |
1 |
| Russia |
16 |
|
Congo |
4 |
|
ISRAEL |
2 |
|
Romania |
1 |
| HONDURAS |
13 |
|
Germany |
4 |
|
JAPAN |
2 |
|
SCOTLAND |
1 |
| JAMAICA |
9 |
|
Guatemala |
4 |
|
LIBERIA |
2 |
|
South Africa |
1 |
| SRI LANKA |
9 |
|
Ireland |
4 |
|
PANAMA |
2 |
|
SUDAN |
1 |
| HAITI |
8 |
|
PHILIPPINES |
4 |
|
SENEGAL |
2 |
|
TAJIKISTAN |
1 |
| CANADA |
7 |
|
THAILAND |
4 |
|
Afghanistan |
1 |
|
TOGO |
1 |
| CHINA |
7 |
|
VENEZUELA |
4 |
|
AUSTRIA |
1 |
|
Turks & Caicos |
1 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ZIMBABWE |
1 |
The Berkshire Immigrant Center is supported primarily by grants from the Berkshire United Way, the New World Fund, the City of Pittsfield, the state Citizenship for New Americans Program, and the Massachusetts Bar Foundation.
Reconnect Center(back to top)
The Reconnect Center provides job readiness, career specific training, internships and job development services to young adults from 16 to 30 years old. However, The RECONNECT Center works with youth as young as 15 to prevent drop-outs and with those over 30 on an outreach basis if on reentry from corrections. The center also provides ongoing support to those placed in employment situations to ensure successful retention of jobs as well.
The RECONNECT Center will be pleased to accept referrals of youth and young adults that may fall into any or the following categories:
- Those who have the capacity to achieve a GED
- Those who can be prepped, placed, and supported in at least a part-time entry-level job through our
job placement network (e.g., Berkshire Works, Juvenile Resource Center, DYS)
- Those needing advice to solve career-related problems (e.g., CORI advisement)
- Those considering dropping out of school & who need a place to go while reconsidering
- Those who have just dropped out and need early intervention to prevent regression
- Those wishing to learn a skill or trade (e.g., candidates for Mildred Elley)
- HS graduates or those completing GED and wanting higher education (e.g., BCC)
- Those who can benefit from On-the-Job Mentoring (OJM) program
- Those who can benefit from Youth Works, Habitat for Humanity, Even Start, Project Link, Young
Fathers with Custody issues or those in need of parenting information & support. etc. options
- Those aging out of DSS, DYS, etc.
- Those leaving Community Corrections, House of Correction, etc.; or completing a sentence
- Those on probation or parole
- Those needing to work on motivational skills and develop a sense of personal empowerment
- Those who can benefit from a support group as they strive to enhance their independence
- Those needing another chance after failed attempts, avoiding past pitfalls
- Those needing mentor (i.e., Career Coach) for short term help towards career goals
For Employers, Institutions of Higher Learning, Training Centers, or
Vocational Schools, Supported Housing Agencies
- The RECONNECT Center will be happy to offer mentoring services for youth and young adults who
may be having adjustment problems in becoming independent or who may be combating obstacles as
they try to make their way with the opportunity you have offered.
- The RECONNECT Center staff can be an “equalizer” as a supportive partner with you as you offer
opportunities for at-risk youth and young adults as they try to succeed.
- A staff member can make an outreach visit to strategize with you and the individual on how a
collaboration can help achieve success.
- The RECONNECT Center is committed not only to helping at-risk individuals, it is also a willing
partner in enhancing the community’s workforce and in promoting independence and public safety.
- For employers and institutions, the RECONNECT Center can offer job readiness support, on or off
site to youth and young adults, staff and/or trainees of you organization.
For more information contact:
413-997-4556
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