This was originally published in the Annual Report 2024.
September 1, 2024 –
We are in full stride, operating at full speed.
- Our staff numbers are at their highest levels.
- Our day programs serve its highest numbers – while similar programs around the state closed during or after Covid.
- We built and opened a home in Southampton.
- We plan to build a program in Lanesborough.
- We are opening a Recycling Center in Pittsfield, the only one of its kind in the region.
- We serve 15 area high schools to evaluate their students’ employment levels. We served only four high schools two years ago.
Not bad for an agency turning 70.
I can go on and on about our growth, the energy we’re feeling at the Agency. Growth itself is not a measure of success. But at 70, we are smarter than ever. Our staff, our leadership team, our systems, our trainings, our tools — we are current and state-of-the-art to best serve an increasingly complex human services world.
None of this would matter if we didn’t have the support of our communities. This agency started as a grassroots group – a small number of parents trying to support one another for their children with disabilities. From these seeds BCArc came to be — through legislative advocacy, lawsuits, and fierce determination for respect and human decency.
Those years of advocacy at the local family level remains in our DNA. We are now a large organization – 800 employees with more than 50 locations from the Berkshires to Pioneer Valley. But that feeling of grassroots advocacy hasn’t left us. And that’s what makes us young and vibrant and determined to move forward.
This is why we continue to grow. As long as there are unmet needs in the region, we will stay ready to respond to give individuals with disabilities the life they deserve. And the communities that surround us – the families, our supporters, our lawmakers, and our staff – should expect the most from us.
Marching through the Pittsfield Parade on July 4 with our staff and individuals, I felt a huge sense of pride and support from the crowds on the side. Their cheering for our folks was inspiring. Every one of our walkers made it the whole way, likely from the support they were feeling with every step. So many people came out from the sidelines to hug a BCArc marcher — a family member, a former employee, a supporter. I always enjoy the support we have in the community.
Maryann Hyatt
President & CEO
