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 [...]
Two of the individuals that live in the home Christina Brown manages have been living together for 30 years. “They take care of each other when needed, but they bicker like an old couple about the smallest things,” Christina said. “It can be entertaining.” When Christina started in that house five ye [...]
At the time Kimberly Ezequelle moved her non-verbal son into a home with other individuals with disabilities, no one but her had taken care of him, and she did not trust anyone else to do the job. She noted that she received a lot of support from BCArc and others, but the process was still emotionall [...]
Josh Reynolds started at Berkshire County Arc nearly four years ago, because his aunt urged him to give it a try. “She worked here and insisted I would like it,” he said of Heidi Lockman. “I never saw myself doing anything like this. But honestly, it’s the best job I’ve ever had.” While he started in [...]
To Benefit People with Disabilities Berkshire Hills Country Club / Wednesday, September 29, 2021 We plan to hold a full event of golf, lunch, awards, raffles, silent auction, prizes, and dinner. $150 per person Credit cards accepted the day of the tournament Proper attire is required to play (i.e. c [...]
In late February, BCArc staff silently celebrated a collective achievement -- all houses were off quarantine. No staff or individuals had tested positive in more than two weeks. It had been a long stretch and a lot of struggle to finally feel the lightness of a Covid-free community. A lot of testing [...]
Some people see a clear path to their future. Peyton Mackey is one of them. “I plan to be the CEO of Berkshire County Arc,” she says matter-of-factly. “I have a plan.” This would include bypassing and eventually overseeing her mother, Jessica Warner, a longtime residential supervisor at BCArc. If wo [...]