Shiwen “Wendy” Kanel accepting BCArc's Employee of the Year Award. Berkshire County Arc elected its Board of Directors and presented its Employee of the Year award, selected from more than 800 employees, at its Annual Meeting on Sept, 18, 2025, at the Country Club of Pittsfield. Rep. Tricia Farley- [...]
By Nicole Lemire Day Habilitation Specialist Alexis has found a passion for helping others and a fulfilling career at BCArc. A Berkshire native, Alexis moved to Tennessee for a year with her daughter, leaving her career as a hairdresser to become a Personal Care Assistant. Through this work, she disc [...]
By Nicole Lemire "I love helping individuals to reach their goals, and letting them know that I'm always here for them." Colleen works as a Habilitation Specialist at BCArc's Center for Development and feels that she has found her dream job. For years she worked in the food service industry, but even [...]
Tanny is blind since birth. She is a strong Braille reader, and works once a week at Canyon Ranch translating their marketing literature and meal menus into braille. Another hobby of hers is playing the piano, although she doesn’t read music, but says she has a great ear for songs. She whistled a sca [...]
Ed (right) and Ken (left) together at the residential picnic. By Nicole Lemire A day in the life for Ed is always something different since he and Ken, the individual he works with one-on-one, are constantly going on new adventures together. Every week, Ken and Ed volunteer at an animal shelter in [...]
To Benefit People with DisabilitiesBerkshire Hills Country Club / Wednesday, May 21, 2025Expect the full event of golf, lunch, awards, raffles, silent auction, prizes, and dinner.$170 per personCredit cards accepted the day of the tournamentProper attire is required to play (i.e. collared shirts, no [...]
Article originally published by https://www.iberkshires.com/ Berkshire County Arc is celebrating 70 years of enriching the lives of those with developmental disabilities, brain injuries, and autism. Hundreds gathered last month at the Berkshire Hills Country Club to mark the anniversary. The service [...]
By Nicole Lemire When asked why she likes working with individuals with brain injuries, Nyasia said, "I like helping them to see that they're still the same person that they were before their accident." Nyasia works full-time at BCArc giving direct care to individuals in a home in Westfield. She appl [...]
By Nicole Lemire After a difficult year involving the loss of two individuals who lived in her program, Bryce Remillard says that things are looking up at the BCArc home that she manages in Dalton. Bryce studied adolescent psychology at Liberty University and worked with children with autism for thre [...]
By Nicole Lemire “Art is my therapy, and the BICC is a haven for me.” Frankie is known for his creative spirit and artistic talents, shown in the large mural painted on the back wall of the BICC (pictured left), which he spearheaded. He believes that everyone is an artist in their own way [...]