Ashley, with mask, and her new partner Deb. Before Ashley started working at Berkshire County Arc, she considered herself a patient person. Now, a few months in, she appreciates the lessons she learned around patience from the person she cares for. “As soon as I met Deb, she seemed very familiar an [...]
Ask Cody about working with people with disabilities, and he says: “It’s a blast. I enjoy this place every minute of every day.” It started when he broke his ankle during the Wahconah High football season in 10th grade. To accommodate him, they sent him to the Special Education classroom. “My chair d [...]
Debbie Laframboise makes her own path at Berkshire County Arc. An employee of Pittsfield High School, she works part-time at BCArc in a variety of roles, and plans to do more when she retires from the school system. “You can say I follow my students when they age out of the school system,” she said. [...]
Calm. That’s the first feeling you get when you pull into the driveway of the house Deb manages in Westfield. It's felt again when she brings you inside and introduces you to everyone -- after a temperature check and a sign-in process. Two people are playing cards on the couch, one person is on a Zo [...]
Cindy, left, with Jennifer, are eager to start working in the community again. Before COVID, Jennifer Newell ran a residential program, and worked at BCArc's Transitions program. “Residential work is different than the work we do here at Northview, where we teach them life skills. I enjoy this wor [...]