Rachel Nicola made the choice to work with adults over children a few years ago because adults with disabilities, she said, “have been through some tough times over the years, they weren’t always treated so well.” “I connect on a unique level with the adults in my program,” she said. “They put a smil [...]
Sopheary Larrow recognizes her uncanny knack for managing tough behavior from individuals with developmental disabilities. “Connecting with them and redirecting them emotionally comes easy for me,” she says. “They are my dear friends and when things aren’t going well for them, I feel it. Some people [...]
It makes perfect sense that Noel McClanahan, a Berklee College of Music graduate, believes songs are perfect tools for therapy. Well-versed in drums, guitar, bass, and piano, he knows what’s packed into a tune. “We can work on everything through music,” he said of the individuals he has worked with a [...]
They didn’t meet at the Berkshire County Arc. By the time he talked her into applying for a position, they were engaged. Since starting the job, they’ve married, bought a house, and are now expecting a baby. Julianna Kishko and Yevgeney Pyshnyak are one of several married couples who work at BCArc, [...]
On weekday mornings like clockwork Gene Foisy walks to Pittsfield’s City Hall, where he shreds documents for the City’s Treasurer’s Office. Commuters can measure if they are early or late based on where on South Street they pass Gene. Gene walks with a wide and uneven gait-- it’s hard to drive by him [...]
Erwin Figueroa spent his grade-school years in the Guatemalan coffee fields, slashing through farm rows with his machete. By fifth grade he wanted more from life than coffee picking. After watching episodes of Miami Vice on a shared television in his rural village, he knew he needed to find his way t [...]
Jane Wick’s friend at the Berkshire County Arc repeatedly told her to apply for a job at the agency. “I had never worked with the disabilities population, I was nervous to get involved,” she told him. “Now I realize I should have done it a long time ago.” Today, more than a year later, she refers to [...]
Jada Pridgen Residential Support Elm Street, Pittsfield Jada takes her individuals from Elm Street to Health Choices every week. While the opportunity is there for Jada to relax and enjoy downtime, instead Jada helps the staff during the session, and works with any individuals who may need help. Her [...]
Cliff Love likes to keep the energy high. He also thinks everyone deserves opportunity. This summer he took 14 individuals from the Berkshire County Arc (BCArc) on an overnight camping trip. He’s done a lot of things like this in his past 25 years in human services, 14 of those years at BCArc. But o [...]
When Jose Taveras entered McCann Technical School as a 10th grader, he felt like a total stranger coming from a Bronx high school. Hispanic, long-haired, unfamiliar with life outside a city, he had not a friend in the world. As a gay teenager, he chose to keep this private. “I confided in a classmat [...]