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 [...]
Bernard Anoh has a range of technical skills. He designs websites for clients. On weekends he works weddings as a videographer. But BCArc owns his heart, he said, where he has worked for the past 12 years as a manager of a house serving people with developmental disabilities. “The people here are my [...]
She has lived with countless labels, starting with addict, teen mom, domestic violence survivor. Recently she earned some more names: straight A student, valedictorian, leader. “The world needs more heroes, and I charge you all to become one,” BCArc employee Soncere Williams told the graduates at Ber [...]
Nicole Martin, Assistant Site Manager, West Street, Lenox Recently NIcole discovered an unresponsive individual lying in bed in the morning. Nicole followed procedures and made smart decisions. Afterwards, Nicole put the needs of the family, the staff, and the other individuals above her own needs. N [...]
Before joining the Berkshire County Arc, the practice of nursing in clinics, centers and hospitals had frustrated Caroline Eldred. “I treated a lot of people, played a role in helping a lot of people,” she explained. “But I never developed any relationships with the patients, never worked with any of [...]
Sharon Watford started at the Berkshire County Arc 20 years ago. But she remembers clearly why she made the move. “I worked at a nursing home where I had to worry about 30 people sometimes, just me and them,” she said. “Here we have four staff for eight individuals.” Sharon works with BCArc’s co-op a [...]
By Shaun Hall Rich Enuol manages a brain injury home in Westfield, Mass., for the Berkshire County Arc. But he spent the first half of his life in the jungle without ever seeing a light switch, money, or packaged food. “We traded rice for salt,” he said. “For protein we caught and ate insects, lizard [...]
Shaunna at Crossroads Shaunna Christiana has worked a good number of jobs in her life. But the role of care-giver—of helping people—is the role she feels most comfortable. “When you come in to work, and walk through those doors, you can’t help but smile when you see the individuals we serve,” she s [...]
John Kelly calls it good business. When John Kelly hired Chris, Chris occasionally would come to work frustrated over issues he was facing. John would take the time to meet with Chris before the day started, talk things out, and then both return to work. “He’s happier now,” John said. “When an employ [...]
Karen Drosehn has worked with her three-person staff at Zip 'N Sort for the past 25 years. “But watching them work still amazes me,” she said. One of the workers, she explained, cannot get out of her chair, so the other two individuals keep an eye on her work. “When she is finished with the s [...]