Jill Wollins is not your typical BCArc worker. An Ivy League grad with a Ph.D. in bioengineering, she has taught at Tufts Medical School, traveled the country training doctors to use heart-implant devices for Eli Lily clinical trials, and traveled the world—from India to China to Europe— for start-up [...]
Rebecca Harrington takes care of her adult brother, an individual with disabilities. She intends to be his chief caretaker for the foreseeable future. She does not see her commitment to her brother as noble, or even special. In fact, she insists, “Not everyone is as lucky to have a person with disabi [...]
When you say the syllable “Rho” at Berkshire County Arc, 500 people know exactly who you are talking about. “I grew up at BCArc,” said Rhodora Higgins, who recently retired as Co-Director of Residential Services, after starting with the agency more than 30 years ago. “A lot of people say that BCArc i [...]
By Amanda Bortman It feels good to know that someone cares about you: for Shamika Mungin and the individuals she serves, they feel this mutually. Shamika, a Community Advocate for the past four of eight years that she has been working at BCArc, helps individuals with disabilities reach their personal [...]
by Amanda Bortman For 14 years, Jessica Mullaly has worked with many teams at many group homes, but with none like the one at Housatonic. Jessica, Wendy, Tara, Brendan, Matt, Dave, Linda, Nick, Jeanie and Tracey make up the team at Housatonic and have something special. “I haven’t experienced a whole [...]
Congratulations to the Following [...]
Rick is retiring after more than 30 years at BCArc. When Rick started in 1990, BCArc had a total of 14 individuals working in jobs and one primary funding source from the state. Today BCArc serves more than 160 individuals every year who work at dozens of employers using several funding sources. “I h [...]
Click here for photos of the Drive-Thru Event on August 20, 2020 [...]
August 14, 2020 Dear Staff: As I head towards retirement and look back at my career with BCArc, I am filled with a sense of pride and accomplishment for all the people whose lives I have helped to make better for the last 30 years. I could not have done this by myself and I have received a lot of he [...]
Photo by Haille Burkart Shortly after Jason gave Heather her birthday gift—perfume—in the backyard of her Pittsfield home, he got down on one knee and looked her in the eyes. “I didn’t know what he was going to do,” said Heather days later. “I started to get pretty nervous. I got down on my knee to [...]