Matt and Annie recently chatting about her job. They talk nearly every shift to make sure everything is going well for Annie and the employer. Matt Alibozek has never stayed at any job too long, until he landed at BCArc. A journalism major who also spent time teaching middle school, Matt now works [...]
Lisa McMally (dark mask) who runs the program with Lexi Carusotto, sitting with two of their students -- Cameron and Hayden. With students forced to learn remotely due to COVID, and aware that some students thrive with in-person learning, Central Berkshire Regional School District asked Berkshire C [...]
An avid fisherman, Jeff poses proudly with a recent catch. His Uncle Ted helps clean the fish, and his Mom cooks it. In the middle of the night, Jeffrey was telling his mom that he heard a beeping sound. It wasn't like him to make things up like that, but she couldn’t hear the beeping. She eventual [...]
SDC Case Manager Beth Bisson gets her first-round vaccine. CEO Calls it a Privilege the Staff has Earned Over the course of three weeks, CVS staff visited almost all of the 43 BCArc residential programs -- twice -- vaccinating BCArc staff and the individuals who live in the homes. From January to [...]
Sheylida feels particularly connected to the Southwick house she works. She is part of the original team that opened the new house over a year ago. “We all came here with different experiences taking care of people,” she said. “So we’ve shaped this program together. Every house is different, but this [...]
January 11, 2021 To: Families From: Ken Singer Subject: Family Zoom Meeting When: Wednesday, January 20, 2021, 4:30 p.m. Postponing Jan. 14 Zoom Meeting, Rescheduling for Wednesday, Jan. 20 Unfortunately, we need to change the date of the Family Zoom Meeting scheduled for Jan. 14. It seems the invita [...]
Berkshire County Arc was awarded a five-year contract totaling $1 million from the Mass. Department of Developmental Services to support Berkshire County families whose members have an intellectual or developmental disabilities. The contract funds BCArc to continue supporting more than 300 families i [...]
It began as an off-the-cuff comment at the start of the pandemic. “What if one of the ladies got sick?” a co-worker asked Vicki Richardson. “Hek," she said, "I’d move in and take good care of them.” “Soon enough someone asked if I was serious. I thought about it and said, Sure. Next thing I knew, I [...]
Julie Sanchez in Westfield taking the temperature of an individual. Tiquel Miller volunteered to work in a quarantined house for his first shift at BCArc. “He could have said ‘no,’ he could have said he just got out of orientation and was looking to start in two weeks,” said Amber Steele, Director [...]
From the right, Lorna, Stephanie, and Noel keeping everyone safe and healthy. The November surge that swept through Massachusetts did not spare Berkshire County Arc, forcing numerous programs to quarantine. But due to safe practices, teamwork, and commitment to their individuals, the houses [...]