Berkshire Community Action Council€¦ · Web viewBerkshire Community Action Council 2014 Legislative Report Berkshire Community Action Council’s mission is to act as a catalyst

Berkshire Community Action Council

2014 Legislative Report

Berkshire Community Action Council’s mission is to act as a catalyst to stimulate quantifiable change in peoples’ lives as they work towards self-reliance


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Berkshire Community Action CouncilL E G I S L AT I V E R E P O RT

YO U R C O M M U N I TY A C T I O N AT W O R K I N B ER K SH I RE C O UN T Y

The Berkshire Community Action Council has been serving the low-income, elderly and working poor population of Berkshire County for nearly 50 years. For many we are the “port in the storm” when families find themselves in financial crisis. We address needs at a local level by administering large federal programs and smaller community initiatives…all geared at helping families achieve sustainability and self-sufficiency. We travel the road with our clients, first lending assistance to stabilize in times of crisis, then offering supports to lead them on the path of self-sufficiency.As our mission is to help our clients towards sustainability, so is our mission for the agency. In order to accomplish this, we needed to be very specific about our goal-setting. This year we have shown significant progress towards achieving our goals. These include:

Recruit and retain an involved, informed and talented Board of Directors

Work in collaboration throughout the community to strengthen the network of human service providers

Create an internal culture of cooperation and support among agency programs

Create a sophisticated system for monitoring and projecting fiscal status

Create and maintain a strong trusting relationship with funders Work towards improving the image of the agency in the community

through positive and collaborative communication strategies

We are proud of our active and engaged board of Directors. They hail from all walks of life and bring with them a wealth of talent and experience. Our

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management staff works as a team and provides collaborative and integrated leadership throughout our programs. This year BCAC begins working on our three-year Strategic Plan. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of our community needs, we are conducting a series of nine “coffee hours” throughout the county. In addition, we are conducting surveys of all of our stakeholders and working with other community partners to focus our efforts and direction of our programming. Our Board and Senior Management Staff will be heavily involved in the planning process throughout the spring of 2014.Our collaborations throughout the County are growing stronger with a focused effort to bring partners into the BECS referral (Benefits Enrollment Coordination System). This software, developed by the

Department of Housing and Community Development, is designed to help communities coordinate and refer clients throughout the wide spectrum of services offered within the network. This software coupled with our sophisticated data collection software, Octopia, can track client progress and outcomes to enable us to determine the efficacy of our programming.We are excited about the year ahead. We have been successful in our application for a Special Projects Grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development. Through this grant we will pilot our “Freedom Garden Project”, putting fresh food into the hands of the low income population throughout the county. We also received a grant to educate Berkshire County residents of their responsibilities under the new Health Care for All. The Reconnect program is expanding throughout the county and we are leveraging our resources with other providers to provide a stronger service delivery model in many areas of the Berkshires.Our management works together as a strong team. Because our administrative staff and budget is very tight, we all contribute to leadership tasks such as grant writing, reporting and planning. This has had some remarkable benefits. What was originally viewed as a burden (lack of staff) has turned into one of the agency’s greatest assets. By working together on all of the planning tasks, we have formed an engaged, informed, coordinated and well-trained leadership team. We make better decisions and produce a richer service because of the multi-perspective approach to decision making.

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THIS WILL BE THE YEAR OF COLLABORATION FOR BCAC. We are making concerted efforts throughout the County to find ways that we can help other service providers do their job more effectively and efficiently. Our goal is not to do “everything” but to help ensure that “everything” gets done! Through the needs assessment and the strategic planning process we hope to identify NEW ways in which we can help our partners make a greater impact in our community.

We remain YOUR Community Action Agency. It is our mission to address the needs of the low income, elderly and working poor within the communities we serve. We hold this mission as the center of all our decisions and planning. We stand firmly committed to do our best to honor that mission.

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OUR CORE FUNDING COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT

CSBG (Community Services Block Grant) is a federal, anti-poverty block grant which funds the operations of a state-administered network of local agencies. This CSBG network in Massachusetts consists of 24 agencies that create, coordinate and deliver programs and services to low-income residents throughout the state. Our agency serves the 931 square miles and the 131,000 residents that comprise Berkshire County.Most agencies in the CSBG network are Community Action Agencies (CAAs), created through the Economic Opportunity Act, a predecessor of the CSBG. Community representation and accountability are hallmarks of the CSBG network, where agencies are governed by a tri-partite board. This board structure consists of elected public officials, representatives of the low-income community and appointed leaders from the private sector.Through this funding, our agency is able to respond to local needs at a grass-roots level and provide services unique to the needs of Berkshire County. We also use these funds to leverage other federal, state and local resources in order to expand and enhance our programming.

The programs that rely on CSBG funding to operate in Berkshire County are:

At-Risk Youth and Young Adult Programming through Reconnect Emergency Services and Outreach VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Financial Literacy Programs Individual Community Initiatives Support for our partner agencies Weatherization Assistance Transportation for the Disabled

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The flexibility of this funding allows is to operate many programs that are otherwise insufficiently funded through other sources. It enables us to continue to provide successful and needed services when other funding sources cannot be relied upon.

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OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS FUEL ASSISTANCE (L IHEAP)

Our most well-known and successful program is LIHEAP. This program helps low income families and individuals pay their heating bills during the harsh Berkshire winters. Last year LIHEAP funding allowed us to provide fuel assistance to over 7,600 households in Berkshire County. As with all of our programming, the efficacy is highly dependent upon the strong partnerships within the community.

Intake workers reach out to our community partners to connect with their clients to provide assistance with the LIHEAP applications and refer clients with utility arrearages, setting up plans for moving towards self-sufficiency, budget preparation, financial literacy training and referral to other community resources. Without these outreach efforts, many low-income families would not have access to the fuel assistance program due to transportation or mobility restrictions. Our outreach partners include:

o Councils on Agingo Head Start Programso Health Care Facilitieso School Departmentso Major Employers (e.g. Wal-Mart)o Homeless shelterso Berkshire House of Corrections

BCAC assists local congressional offices with assisting constituents who have contacted them looking for fuel assistance

Staff works with inmates at the Berkshire County House of Correction to educate inmates about the fuel assistance program, assist them with arrearages on utilities, conduct budgeting classes and make referrals to other agencies regarding housing, health and childcare to help them “land on their feet” when they are released and/or to assist their families while they are incarcerated.

BCAC has developed strong relationships with local churches, municipalities and area businesses, all of which have donate several thousands of dollars annually to supplement their neighbors’ and residents’ fuel assistance allotment

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WEATHERIZATION AND HEATING SYSTEMS

BCAC’s Weatherization Department works closely with the Pittsfield Department of Community Development, the Dalton CRA and Berkshire Housing to help low-income citizens receive housing rehabilitation such as plumbing and electrical upgrades, lead paint removal, new roofing or other structural improvements

BCAC partners with the USDA and its Rural Development program to assist clients in housing rehabilitation projects

One of our most SIGNIFICANT partnerships, agency-wide is our relationship with the Utility Companies. As the Department of Energy moves away from funding Weatherization programming, the contracts that BCAC has with the local utilities are now funding over 80% of the services we provide to the low-income residents of Berkshire County. Without their support, our Weatherization program would be woefully inadequate to meet the county’s ongoing need.

YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMMING

Through our highly acclaimed Project RECONNECT, we provide at-risk youth and young adults with career skill development and therapeutic mentoring. This program has engaged partners throughout the county all working in concert to address the needs of this growing population.

CSBG funding affords Project RECONNECT the ability to operate a day-time drop-in center for area youth that are referred to BCAC by network partners and other youth serving agencies

Project RECONNECT partners with the Berkshire County’s One Stop Career Center by providing a workplace readiness certificate program

Berkshire Goodwill Industries partners with Reconnect to provide volunteer training and placement and access to interview and work clothing at no cost to the client.

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Project RECONNECT partners with the Berkshire House of Corrections by providing reentry services, advocacy, case management and community connections.

The Funding though CSBG affords BCAC and Project RECONNECT the opportunity and resources to develop private sector employer relationships, ensuring training and employment opportunities for agency clients

CSBG funding also give this vital program the ability to develop drop-out prevention strategies and supports that are valuable to the local public school system.

Through this program all participants have the opportunity of being placed in a subsidized employment opportunity at the completion of vocational training. Partnerships with local businesses and other agencies is a cornerstone of this program’s success.

OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS COMMUNITY RESPONSE PROGRAMS

Our Community programming encompasses a myriad of projects that arise in response to local needs. These programs include larger federal programs as well as smaller grass-root initiatives. Some of the signature programs that BCAC is known for include VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), financial literacy and budget workshops, Holiday and back to school donation drives and distribution, community garden projects, emergency aid, medical reminder services for the elderly and other smaller initiatives targeted at specific local needs.

BCAC receives tens of thousands of dollars in donations from the community in the form of goods and cash to provide needy households with new, warm clothing around the holidays and thousands of dollars of donations towards purchasing back-to-school supplies for needy families.

BCAC actively participates in the MEDA and LEAN meetings at the state level. This relationship ensures a coordinated effort in providing assistance to low income families.

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We work with other local nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity, the local Housing Authority and the Homeless Shelters to provide financial literacy workshops and VITA services for their clients

Berkshire Community Action works with neighborhood initiative groups to fund four community gardens. These gardens provide a source of fresh produce to children and low income families.

This year, through funding made available from DHCD, BCAC will coordinate efforts within the community to create the “Freedom Garden Project”, making raised bed planters available to low-income families so they can grow their own vegetables.

BCAC works with volunteers from Williams College, Berkshire Community College and several local businesses to provide tax preparation services for the low-income population. This program’s goal is to place much needed EITC dollars into the hands of the poor.

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OUR IMPACT ON UNEMPLOYMENTIMPROVING OUR ECONOMY IN WESTERN MASS

Studies show that, Massachusetts, a state without oil, natural gas or coal reserves sends $8 Billion each year out of state for purchase of natural gas and oil used to heat homes. Therefore Massachusetts gets a “double whammy” because of the colder winters and expensive out-of-state fuel. By investing in energy efficiency through our Weatherization programs, more money is kept in the state while employing local workers and contractors.

Most of the insulation installed in homes was produced at National Fiber in Belchertown, MA. Again, this kept dollars in Massachusetts and created a win-win situation, where jobs were created and greenhouse gas emissions and pollution was reduced.

Through its youth/young adult development and training program (RECONNECT) and the agency’s commitment to programming that supports low-income residents of Berkshire County, BCAC has directly helped ease the burden of unemployment in the County. RECONNECT clients gain transferrable job skills that will support them throughout their careers. Last year, of the 79 youth served, 26 entered into full time employment, 9 into volunteer or community service work and 34 entered into technical vocational or job skill training programs.

RECONNECT has forged solid partnerships with public and private sector employers, ensuring engagement, training and placement opportunities for program participants for years to come. Employment connection sectors include the building trades, manufacturing, retail culinary/food service and transportation. Without RECONNECT’s direct service to Berkshire County, many at-risk/vulnerable youth and young adults would not have access to job opportunities, training and the professional guidance that the project offers.

BCAC distributes resources for low-income residents to deal with some of the every-day emergencies that would otherwise present a barrier to employment. Examples would be a car repair, rent assistance or a transportation issue.

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Berkshire Community Action works with local Housing Authorities and other Community partners to keep clients in their homes. By providing the myriad of services from fuel assistance, heating system repairs to warm clothing and financial literacy and budgeting workshops, we assist the low-income population of Berkshire County in developing the necessary skills and assets to secure and maintain employment.

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INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING CSBG DOLLARS AT WORK

The beauty of CSBG funding is that it allows Community Action Agencies to develop innovative programming in response to local needs. Here a just a few of the innovative projects funded by CSBG dollars.

The Freedom Garden Project is a unique strategy to fight against rural food insecurity while increasing the self sufficiency of low-income households and communities. These goals are accomplished by marketing compact garden beds, including soil and vegetable starts, which convert into a greenhouse during the cooler months, to higher income residents. Built into the cost of each bed is the cost for another bed, which will be donated to a low-income family in Berkshire County. Low-income residents will receive technical support with their beds throughout the season. When a low-income household bed enters the second season, that household is expected to act as a mentor to new bed owners in their neighborhood. Through this program it is expected that residents will gain greater access to fresh food, increase in overall health, and learn basic vegetable propagation skills.

The Food Depot distributed over ONE MILLION pounds of food to the 18 food pantries and 4 meal sites scattered throughout Berkshire County. Since BCAC’s main location provides a coveted loading dock, we partner with the Western Mass Food Bank to provide a centralized Food Depot. It serves as a central distribution center for all food bank resources as well as local donations from farms and gardens throughout Berkshire County.

The Medical Reminder Service provides stipends to low-income senior volunteers to phone other Berkshire County seniors who need reminders to take their medications, prepare their meals and occasionally just to provide reassurance or human contact. The program allows the elder population to maintain their independence by preventing the need for medical intervention which might remove them from their own homes. Over 30,000 phone calls are made annually under this program.

Career Preparedness Certification program is an 8 week, 16 hour comprehensive program designed to prepare individuals to successfully enter the workforce. Participants are trained using an 8 module curriculum and individualized case management sessions that facilitate the development of their professional skills and expertise. Throughout the program, participants complete a personalized education and career plan and build a professional portfolio, including an updated resume, cover letter and reference sheet. Graduates of the program are awarded a certificate and are offered extended case management through the RECONNECT center.

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HOUSEHOLDS SERVEDCOMMUNITY ACTION AT WORK IN BERKSHIRE COUNTY

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7,331 2,747

1,178 445

559 124 134

LIHEAP Holiday & SchoolWeatherization & Heating Systems Asset DevelopmentEmergency Assistance Youth at Risk ServicesTransportation

Households Served Throughout Berkshire County 2013

FUNDING TRENDS DOING MORE WITH LESS!

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2009 2010 2011 2012 20130

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

450,000

500,000

550,000

600,000

Heating Systems Repair and Re-placement

Funding shows >38% decline over 5 years

Federal Funding Level

FUNDING TRENDS DOING MORE WITH LESS!

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2009 2010 2011 2012 20130

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

4,500,000

5,000,000

5,500,000

6,000,000

6,500,000

7,000,000

7,500,000

Fuel Assistance (LIHEAP)Shows 30% Reduction Over 5 Years

A STABLE YEARYOUR FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AGENCY

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SOURCES OF FUNDS 2013 2012

FEDERAL GRANTS 6,198,385 7,504,238 STATE GRANTS 1,801,561 1,968,022 PRIVATE CONTRACTS-FEE FOR SERVICE 1,431,197 934,057 CSBG 361,589 385,531 PRIVATE DONATIONS 56,666 118,159 UNITED WAY ALLOCATION 3,780 115,417 MUNICIPAL GRANTS 48,156 74,498 IN-KIND REVENUE 5,609 9,084 CORPORATE DONATIONS 7,982 4,100 BANK INTEREST 465 1,020 MEMORIAL DONATIONS 120 440 RENTAL INCOME 9,000 GAIN ON SALE OF ASSETS 1,095 TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE AND SUPPORT 9,925,605 11,114,566

USES OF FUNDS

FUEL ASSISTANCE 5,536,224 5,731,118 WEATHERIZATION/UTILITY PROGRAMS 1,769,112 2,373,376 TRANSPORTATION 1,451,317 1,334,892 HOUSING/SHELTERS 758,709 1,076,235 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS 238,609 194,458 COMMUNITY RECONNECT CENTER 104,412 149,775 BERKSHIRE IMMIGRANT CENTER - 111,497 ADMINISTRATION 6,524 32,137 TOTAL USE OF FUNDS 9,864,907 11,003,488

EXCESS OF SOURCE OVER USE OF FUNDS 60,698 111,078

Berkshire Community Action CouncilStatement of Revenues and Expenditures

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERISM AT ITS BEST

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OFFICERS

Mark Lincourt, President Food Bank of Western Massachusetts61 Main Street North Adams, MA 01247 Represents the Low Income Sector

Michael Bedford, Vice President Professor (teaching a variety of NPO management courses)247 Union Street, Loft 201North Adams, MA 01247 Appointed by Mayor of North Adams, Mayor Alcombright

David Irwin, CPA, Treasurer Partner in CPA Firm25 Imperial AvenuePittsfield, MA 01201 Represents the Private Sector

Annie Rodgers Program Director for the Northern Berkshire Coalition61 Main Street, Suite 218North Adams, MA 01247 Represents the Low Income Sector

MEMBERS

Edward Bailey Retired Real Estate and Sales Professional104 Candlewood DriveWilliamstown, MA 01267 Appointed by Gailanne Cariddi, State Representative

Linda Cernik Adams Council on Aging3 Godek StreetAdams, MA 01247 Appointed by the Adams Board of Selectmen

Lois Daunis Program Director for the Northern Berkshire Coalition58 Holden StreetNorth Adams, MA 01247 Represents the Low Income Sector

Robert Dean, JD Elder affairs, Former Director of Berkshire Elder Services149 Park Avenue

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Berkshire Community Action CouncilDalton, MA 01226 Represents the Low Income Sector

Cassandra Mark Berkshire Life Insurance

Peru, Massachusetts, Appointed by Paul Mark, State Representative

Amy Perry-Mercier, JD Perry-Mercier Law Offices30 Balance RockPittsfield, MA 01201 Represents the Private Sector

Darlene Olsen Program Director for Berkshire Children and Families480 West StreetPittsfield, MA 01201 Represents the Low Income Sector

Stephen Radin Retired Educator and Superintendent139 Mountain DrivePittsfield, MA 01201 Represents the Private Sector

Kelly Samuels, JD Attorney48 Copley TerracePittsfield, Massachusetts, 01201 Represents the Private Sector

Mark Savoy Construction Industry367 Pomeroy Pittsfield, MA 01201 Represents the Low-income Sector

Michael Taylor Human Resources, City of Pittsfield104 Appleton AvenuePittsfield, MA 01201 Appointed by Mayor Bianchi, City of Pittsfield

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IN THE NEWS-THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE! BCAC AT WORK IN THE COMMUNITY

A GIFT FOR ALL CHILDREN: BCAC'S GIVING TREE IN 33RD SEASONBy Jenn Smith, Berkshire Eagle Staff

POSTED: 11/29/2013 04:49:39 PM EST

UPDATED: 11/29/2013 05:06:17 PM EST

From left, Berkshire Community Action Council volunteers Christine Stapleton, Amber Frederick, Ashley Smith and Kate Loria sort

through the 600 requests received to help children in need through 2013 Giving Tree holiday warm clothing drive. (Jenn

Smith/Berkshire Eagle Staff)

LANESBOROUGH -- On Friday morning, a team of holiday helpers sat at a table sorting through names of little girls and boys.

They weren't trying to figure out who was naughty and nice, but rather which children still needed a gift and which were spoken for as Berkshire Community Action Council kicked off its 33rd Giving Tree and Holiday Elf program at the Berkshire Mall.

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http://www.berkshireeagle.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=5575075


The program seeks anonymous holiday "elves" from the community to help donate, gather and distribute gifts of warm clothing for children, from infants to age 12, living in the central Berkshire County area. The children who are helped come from families who are struggling with ongoing or sudden financial hardships.

This year, BCAC partnered with Berkshire Money Management to launch "Give Back Friday," the Giving Tree campaign kick-off slogan, to counter to the post-Thanksgiving shopping extravaganza "Black Friday."

Though more than 300 children have already been sponsored by corporate groups, businesses and individuals, BCAC is trying to collect new warm clothes for about 600 other children by Dec. 15.

In the past, according to Giving Tree volunteer coordinator Regina White, volunteers have had to work until almost Christmas Eve to make sure they got enough donations to distribute to families. She said even if people can't afford to buy whole outfits, "Every penny helps. We will use the money to buy gifts for the kids."

Ava Cherry, 12, and Madelyn Cherry, 10, pooled their money together to sponsor a 4-year-old girl through the Giving Tree. They said it's part of their mitzvah, a Jewish tradition and mission of doing worthy deeds.

"Not everyone's lucky enough to have what they need," said Ava. "If you have extra money, it's good to give back, and since winter's coming, it's going to get colder."

"It's a feel-good thing," said Christine Stapleton, who is volunteering for the third year to help match donors to a child they want to sponsor.

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From left, Berkshire Community Action Council volunteers Kate Loria and Ashley Smith show first-time volunteer Amber Frederick how to help donors fill out a sponsorship form for the 2013 Giving Tree holiday warm clothing drive. Sponsorships are collected at a BCAC table set up in the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough. (Jenn Smith/Berkshire Eagle Staff)



She and one of her children are former beneficiaries of the program. There are two boxes at the BCAC Giving Tree table, one with red envelopes for girls and green envelopes with boys. A label on the envelope gives a brief description of the child -- age and gender -- and clothing needs, including sizes, favorite colors and clothing articles needed whether it be sock, pants, a coat or other items.

For some children, it will be a charitable stranger to give them their first Christmas gift. Near the stack Stapleton was sorting through Friday morning, one green envelope was designated for a month-old boy in need of a coat, pants, socks, shirt, onesies -- preferably yellow -- and diapers.

Even before the official 11 a.m. kickoff, Giving Tree volunteers could see the "Give Back Friday" spirit taking effect, as a steady flow of shoppers stopped by to select an envelope.

Caiden Crisp, 6, the grandson of BCAC community services director Janie McCormick, handed out "I Gave Back" stickers designed by One Eighty Media, to help donors let others know about the program, much like the "I Voted" stickers given out at election polling stations or "I Gave Blood" stickers given out to donors by the American Red Cross.

McCormick lauded Berkshire Mall businesses for making donations, doing group sponsorships or giving Giving Tree shoppers discounts. She said she hopes that other area businesses might follow suit this year.

Next year, she said she wants BCAC to spearhead a "one-stop holiday association" to work with all area programs that collect toys and clothes for kids and teens, to make sure donations are distributed evenly and to as many people in need as possible.

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Berkshire Community Action Council intern Kate Loria holds up the first gifts donated to the 2013 Giving Tree holiday warm clothing drive. Sponsorships are collected at a BCAC table set up in the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough on Friday. (Jenn Smith/Berkshire Eagle Staff)



Just before noontime, Kate Loria, a Berkshire Community College student interning with BCAC, shouted out with glee, "We have our first gift," and held up two big shopping bags filled with clothes.

Meanwhile, her 9-year-old daughter, Ashley Smith, was busy helping donors fill out paperwork and select envelopes. Smith also helped Amber Frederick, an adult and first-time volunteer, get oriented with the filing system.

"This is something I've always wanted to do. It's my way of giving back," said Frederick, whose children have also benefited from The Giving Tree.

"For those families who are struggling, to wake up Christmas morning knowing their children will have something under the tree is a gift. To know you live in a place where you can get help from your neighbors is the best feeling," she said.

About the Berkshire Community Action Council Giving Tree program:

What: The Giving Tree asks community members to become "holiday elves" to anonymously purchase warm clothing for children up to age 12.

When: BCAC will collect gift and monetary donations through Dec. 15.

Where: The Giving Tree table is located in the alcove near the JCPenney and Peace Train Tees store, located in the Berkshire Mall, Lanesborough.

Info: To learn how to make a donation or sponsor a child, call Janie McCormick at (413) 418-3658. To volunteer at The Giving Tree table, text or leave a message on the business line for Regina White at (413) 358-1060.

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Caiden Crisp, 6, grandson of Berkshire Community Action

Council community services director Janie McCormick,

passed out 'I Gave Back' stickers to donors who sponsor a

child through the 2013 Giving Tree holiday warm clothing

drive and 'Give Back Friday' campaign. (Jenn

Smith/Berkshire Eagle Staff)



IN THE NEWS-THE BOSTON GLOBE! BCAC AT WORK IN THE COMMUNITY

TEMP JOB AND A FRIEND’S HELP OFFER NEW HOPEBy Megan Woolhouse JANUARY 12 , 2014

Aleta Moncecchi (right) kept in touch with Mindy Shoestock over the years. And when a position opened up at Berkshire Community Action Council, she persuaded her supervisor to hire Shoestock.

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NORTH ADAMS — By most standards, it would just be a temporary job with modest pay, but for Mindy Shoestock, it could represent the opportunity of a lifetime.

The job, interviewing people seeking fuel assistance, is a world away from away from the McDonald’s where Shoestock, a single mother of three, has worked for more than a decade. She wears a wool suit to the office, works 8 to 4 instead of night shifts, and, for the first time in her adult life, sees the chance to build a professional identity, and perhaps a career.

“I don’t go home smelling like french fries,” Shoestock said. “I feel fantastic, like I’m moving forward.”

Moving up is increasingly difficult in poor, postindustrial communities like North Adams, a former mill city in the northwest corner of Massachusetts where jobs and opportunities are few. Amid picturesque steeples, art galleries, and the misty backdrop of the Berkshire Mountains, unemployment remains near 8 percent, nearly a percentage point above the state average.

But Shoestock had a tireless advocate, Aleta Moncecchi, a wiry and energetic 49-year-old social worker who saw beyond Shoestock’s mistakes, missteps, and poverty, helping her land a temporary job at the Berkshire Community Action Council, where Moncecchi also works.

“She tries, she works hard. She’s trying to make a better life,” Moncecchi said of Shoestock. “I don’t think she’s had anyone that pushed her, that said, ‘You can do this. There’s more out there.’”

Shoestock was the subject of a 2011 Globe story about the state’s poorest residents falling further behind in a tech-driven economy centered on Boston. In Berkshire County, low-income families earned less, adjusted for inflation, than they did in 1979 — even as earnings in upper income brackets rose significantly.

Struggling to feed her two sons and pregnant with a third child, all from different fathers, Shoestock was a McDonald’s supervisor with take-home income of about $16,000 a year, an empty refrigerator, and a pile of unpaid bills.

Moncecchi has known Shoestock for nearly a decade, first encountering her when she worked as a family advocate in the Head Start program, the government-sponsored early education program. Shoestock and another parent had brawled, and Moncecchi met with her to handle the situation.

The two women didn’t click instantly. But Moncecchi came to see that Shoestock had a willingness to listen and a deep desire to improve her life and her children’s.

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Though it was not part of her job, Moncecchi began visiting Shoestock regularly, tracking her down as she moved from apartment to tenement, bringing her clothing and food. Several years ago, Moncecchi rallied members of her church to donate money to buy presents for Shoestock’s boys for Christmas.

Shoestock’s pride made it difficult for her to accept the gifts, so Moncecchi suggested she return the favor by volunteering at her church’s annual spaghetti supper. Shoestock did, bringing her sons. And she and her boys have returned every year since.

Moncecchi admitted she became frustrated two years ago when Shoestock, already living on the edge of homelessness, got pregnant with her third child, also a son. But, Moncecchi said, she also saw that Shoestock needed her more than ever.

When a position at the Community Action Council opened during a massive reorganization in 2013, Moncecchi told Shoestock to apply. The agency, funded by state and federal money, was about $360,000 in debt.

A new executive director, Deborah Leonczyk, had taken over and pared back staffing. But Moncecchi persuaded Leonczyk to hire Shoestock.

“Aleta said, ‘I have somebody wonderful,’” Leonczyk said, “so I gave her a chance.”

Now Shoestock, 31, sits at desk in a carpeted office along Main Street just a few blocks from the McDonald’s where she worked. Her long, brown hair is tied, held back in a bow, rather than a hairnet.

Her job involves working with low-income residents seeking fuel assistance, helping them to determine whether they qualify and fill out necessary paperwork. Moncecchi said Shoestock quickly grasped the job and works hard at it.

“I can’t believe what she’s capable of,” Moncecchi said. “She does so many applications a day, and I don’t have to tell her what to do.”

Shoestock said she tries to make the people who come in feel comfortable, because she knows it can be hard to ask for help. She recalled one older woman who had been diagnosed with an illness and suddenly needed assistance paying her fuel bill. The woman was embarrassed and upset, but Shoestock tried to put her at ease.

“There’s people like her and like me every day that have to ask for help,” she said. “It’s OK to need help.”

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Shoestock earns just 50 cents more an hour than she did when she left McDonald’s, but she now gets paid holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas Day were the first paid holidays of her working life.

But she also knows that she still faces an uphill struggle. The job is temporary, contingent on agency funding, with no guarantees of becoming permanent. She has held onto her job at McDonald’s, working Sundays, just in case.

Shoestock still relies on food stamps and visits a church food pantry to keep her family fed. The church also offers free clothing from its consignment store, allowing people in need to take as much clothing as they can fit in a brown bag.

That is how Shoestock found the wool blazer, blouse, skirt, and low black heels she wore on a recent workday.

If she doesn’t land a permanent position at the agency, she hopes to turn the work experience into another office job. When her sons are older, she said, she might return to school to study social work. But for now, she’s simply grateful for the chance she has been given.

“People look at me differently now,” she said of her new image. “I love getting up in the morning.”

Megan Woolhouse can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @megwoolhouse.

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IN THE NEWS-NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT! BCAC AT WORK IN THE COMMUNITY

'HARVEST HAUL' AIMS TO HELP FOOD PANTRIES FOR HOLIDAY SEASON RUSHTranscript Staff,

POSTED: 10/10/2013 02:32:20 PM EDT

Representatives from the Berkshire Community Action Council will be outside participating stores around the county, including the

North Adams Walmart Supercenter, above, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 19, collecting food donations for the agency's

first annual 'Harvest Haul.' (Transcript file)

NORTH ADAMS -- Berkshire Community Action Council is hoping local residents will help stock the shelves of local food pantries before the holiday season arrives.

Representatives from Berkshire Community Action (BCAC) will be outside participating stores around the county from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 19, collecting food donations for the agency's first annual "Harvest Haul."

"Our Executive Director Deborah Leonczyk came up with the idea as a way for us to reach out to the community," Aleta Moncecchi, BCAC North's community partnership director, said Wednesday. "It's an in-kind, goodwill gesture that will help support our local food pantries."

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She said BCAC board members and management will be on hand at the various locations to collect and distribute the donations.

In Northern Berkshire, donations will be accepted at the Walmart Supercenter on Curran Highway. Other participating locations include: Walmart in Pittsfield; Price Chopper in Great Barrington, Lee and Pittsfield; and Stop & Shop in Pittsfield.

At each of the locations, shoppers who make donations will be asked to place their donations directly into the BCAC transportation vans.

"The really great thing is individuals who make donations will be able to choose which food pantry they want their donation to go to," Moncecchi said. "In North Adams, donations can be made to the Friendship Center Food Pantry in North Adams, the Pope John Paul II Parish Center in Adams or the Williamstown Food Pantry at the Sts. Patrick and Raphael Parish Center."

At the end of the food drive, the "food hauls" will be driven to the partner agencies.

For more information, contact Moncecchi by phone at 413-663-3014, or by email at [email protected].

-- Jennifer Huberdeau

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IN THE NEWS-THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE! BCAC AT WORK IN THE COMMUNITY

PROJECT RECONNECT PROVIDES HOPE FOR TROUBLED YOUTHS TO GET BACK ON TRACKBy Jenn Smith, Berkshire Eagle Staff

POSTED: 07/12/2013 12:11:03 AM EDT | UPDATED:

Project Reconnect counselor Nancy Woitkowski speaks to students in a YouthWorks orientation on Thursday at BerkshireWorks in

Pittsfield. (Jenn Smith / Berkshire Eagle Staff)

For people between the ages of 16 and 21 years old who are out of school and living in Northern Berkshire County, there's new hope and new help available to get them back on track.

BerkshireWorks Career Center and Project Reconnect have partnered through a federal grant program to be able to provide a number of support services for free to struggling young people, from GED assessment and preparation to paid work experiences.

The program has the capacity to help 31 youths in need between now and June 2014.

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"This is something new to us and important since we had to close our North County [BerkshireWorks] center in 2011," said Melanie Gelaznik, manager of program operations at BerkshireWorks.

She is coordinating the new effort with Bryan House, program manager of Project Reconnect, which has been working to expand services to the northern Berkshire area.

"The stories we hear [from young people] are getting more bleak," said House.

"We're seeing a lot of young people who have homelessness issues and tenuous housing, who lack access to nutrition and food, school dropouts, who have their own set of risk factors, and young people who are unemployed or underemployed. They're coming out of tough home situations too," he said.

House said the new collaborative also includes transportation and meeting space services provided by Berkshire Community Action Council.

"Like my agency's name indicates, we hope to reconnect a lot of those disconnected youth," said House.

North County students who are low-income, are out of school and face an additional barrier such as homelessness, a learning disability or other similar kind of struggle are eligible to apply for the program.

House said the ideal candidate is someone who is "ready to commit, ready to work and ready to succeed." He also said the program is flexible.

In addition to test help, transportation and job search assistance, students can also attend life skills and employment workshops, and earn financial support for items such as work clothes, transportation, and get help finding stable housing.

BerkshireWorks Director John Barrett III said in addition to state and federal funding, long-term success for the program also depends on the investment of interest, time and patience from the private sector.

"We need those who are really willing to take in a disadvantaged youth and show them what they do," he said. Barrett said overall, struggling teens and young adults need more exposure to positive possibilities, be it a business tour or trip to a performing arts center.

"When they get this kind of exposure they can see life ain't that bad," he said.

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To reach Jenn Smith:[email protected],or (413) 496-6239.On Twitter: @JennSmith_Ink

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mailto:[email protected]


COMMENDATIONS! MAKING A D IFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S L IVES

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COMMENDATIONS!

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MAKING A D IFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S L IVES

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COMMENDATIONS! MAKING A D IFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S L IVES

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Documents

Berkshire Community Action Council€¦ · Web viewBerkshire Community Action Council 2014 Legislative Report Berkshire Community Action Council’s mission is to act as a catalyst