Letters from the President & CEO
Why An Arc?
This was originally published in Visions, Issue IV 2025. Click here to see more issues of Visions.
December 1, 2025
Since our inception in 1954, Berkshire County Arc has been part of the national Arc network, which includes 18 chapters in Massachusetts, and more than 600 chapters across the country.
These are the people who helped move the disabilities population from institutions to the community. This is the organization who went to the courts to secure the right to a public education for children with disabilities. The Arcs also helped pass the Americans with Disabilities Act legislation.
Much of these accomplishments are now part of our communities. We expect a ramp at the doctor’s office, and assume all children can go to school. But, as a speaker at the recent national Arc conference made clear, there are always forces out there looking to roll back the clock.
Fortunately, no one fights like a parent, another speaker at the conference said. Parents made all this happen in every state, including our Commonwealth. Parents created the Arcs.
Beyond social and legislative advocacy, belonging to the Arcs provides a support system for operating at the highest level. We talk often. We share ideas and resources, we advocate as a group, and we mentor one another.
The directors of the various programs also collaborate, including training departments, human resources, residential programs, marketing, and so on. And while we all operate independently with our own CEOs, Boards, leadership teams, and budgets, we do not compete. In fact, we do the opposite – we are eager to help every chapter succeed.
It wasn’t that long ago when public events – from theater to sports – did not have to accommodate a person with physical challenges, or school districts were allowed to prevent children from an education. This impacts 15% of the population, not to mention their families.
The Arc is a village to change the world, said one person at the recent annual conference. While the BCArc family achieves at an impressive level on its own, it is always better to be part of a larger village.
Maryann Hyatt, MBA, DBA
President & CEO
Staying Loud and Visible in Your Community: Critical for Everyone
This article was originally published in The Provider, a statewide publication by The Providers’ Council, distributed to human services organizations and lawmakers across the state.
November 1, 2025
Every year we take over the town of Dalton for a day. More than 700 of us walk through the main street wearing the same shirts, led by a friendly police escort. It’s a short one-mile walk, but it’s a powerful image of a massive group united around one issue.
Berkshire County Arc’s mission is to support and enrich the lives of people with disabilities. To do that — to do anything in human services — requires the full engagement and embracement of the entire community.
This one-day event — called the Buddy- Walk — is not about raising money. It’s about raising awareness for people with Down Syndrome. The impact reverberates far beyond the energy and excitement of the moment. It helps to counter stereotypes, create accessible environments, remove barriers and recognize our presence in community life.
Bringing people together can do all that.
Legislators walk. The high school cheerleaders walk, as do sports teams, as does their principal. Now in our 19th year, we have the momentum of all corners of the community — grandkids, grandparents, people with no connection to disabilities but feel the importance of support and feel the pride and joy of the event.
These unifying events can seem distracting to the core service of your agency. Afterall, delivering your services at a peak level is hard enough. But awareness, educating the community, shouting about the unknown force and talent and dreams of the disability community — these are worthy goals all by themselves. And they help pave the way toward enhancing the delivery of your programs.
We do other events that may not seem central to our mission, but we think they are. For example, we host a film festival open to the public, for free, with international films, which feature individuals with disabilities.
This event is small. But we continue to produce it, until it also grows into an annual ritual for a critical mass. And perhaps it stays small but achieve other important goals — inspiring and energizing your staff and leadership, influencing the influencers of your community or reminding everyone why we do this work.
The disability community is everywhere — supermarkets, sports events, restaurants — yet they are never seen. As individuals, they and their families can feel invisible.
Berkshire County Arc supports more than 1,000 individuals and their families. We are in the community of the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley every day. Dozens and dozens of us at the movies, out to eat, planting community gardens, walking through downtowns. For these acts, we are integrated on purpose. We are the community. Despite all this, we know that the most vulnerable populations are everywhere but never seen. This is why they feel invisible.
All of us need to see that community awareness is essential to our work — community by community. It’s not an option if we are to succeed together.
This year there were around 100 Buddy Walks across the country — three in Massachusetts. For our walk, we partner with the local Down Syndrome Family Group, a group of families that pursue events to raise awareness and support their community.
While our Buddy Walk is one day long, the image stays with people for the year, lands on the local front page, and spreads across social media groups that make social media scrollers pause for a second or two before moving on. Yes, it takes this much work to cut through the noise and get some moments of attention. But it is work we have to do .
Maryann Hyatt, MBA, DBA
President & CEO
The Power of Strong Staff
This was originally published in BCArc’s 2025 Annual Report.
September 1, 2025
This year belongs to our staff. Yes, every year does. But this year more than most.
They started new programs, expanded existing services, introduced innovative offerings, and enriched lives with the quality care and support that BCArc has been known for since 1954.
When we can afford it, we pay staff above and beyond their salary (the actual value of their work is priceless to the families they support). This past fiscal year, for example – which ended June 30, 2025 – we paid employees nearly $5 million above their regular pay. Four rounds of bonuses totaled
$8400 above the regular pay for a full-time staff who provide direct care to individuals supported by BCArc. More than half of our workforce received this bonus amount.
People work here for many different reasons. Some come to BCArc knowing that caregiving is their calling. Others come because they need a job, or they need a job with hours that works for their family, or they are in transition. Many –- thousands over the years — stay on for decades because they fall in love with the work and the people they support.
Maintaining a full workforce in the field of human services is historically difficult, particularly in Western Mass. BCArc is no exception.
Ironically, we are at our highest number of staff since our inception 70 years ago – over 850 employees, making us one of the largest employers in the region. We do not take this situation lightly. We know retaining staff is as difficult as recruiting staff. Keeping great employees requires intentional effort — it is not a given that they stay, we need to earn their commitment.
The staff at Berkshire County Arc are a true reflection of the community. We come from all walks of life, to support individuals from all walks of life.
And while the political and financial climate is changing quickly for non-profits like us, as it has many times over the decades, one thing always stays the same –- the relentless dedication of caregivers at Berkshire County Arc.
Maryann Hyatt
President & CEO
Federal Cuts? BCArc Will Still Thrive
This was originally published in Visions, Issue II 2025.
May 1, 2025 –
The future is never certain. This has always been the case for Berkshire County Arc, which has operated with a sound budget for decades through a financially conservative approach and steady growth.
We hear a lot about Medicaid getting cut at the federal level. At a recent legislative breakfast – see page 4 — Berkshire County’s state legislators told the crowd that the state can absorb a large federal cut on the short term, but may not be able to sustain services year after year with significant cuts.
BCArc – like most human service organizations – relies on MassHealth for many of its programs, which is the state’s provider of Medicaid. BCArc is well-positioned for lean times. Our mission will stay the same – enrich the lives of the people we support. We are large, but we can be agile. We are prepared for a change in state funding. We have weathered many storms in 70 years.
We will also continue to stay front and center in Boston with our partners in the Berkshires and our Arc colleagues – 18 Arcs across the Commonwealth.
BCArc is lucky to have the support of its lawmakers throughout the state, and particularly in Western Massachusetts. This is a state that cares about its most vulnerable population. We know they will do their best to fund basic services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and brain injuries. We also know they will face tough choices if Medicaid is reduced significantly.
Meanwhile, we will keep shouting about our most important issues – higher wages for staff who are committed to this work, better transportation services for all of Western Massachusetts, and numerous other related areas that impact the disability community and all of our communities.
Thank you everyone for your interest and support in caring for people with disabilities. When we stick together, we get things accomplished.
Maryann Hyatt
President & CEO
Ambitious Agenda: Building Community in 2025
This was originally published in Visions, Issue I 2025.
Jan. 1, 2025 –
Happy New Year.
This year looks to be an ambitious year. The list is long for BCArc. Here are a few items we look to accomplish this year.
New Housing
Find land to build a home for four individuals with a brain injury. The waiting list of individuals with brain injuries is long at the state level, and we hope to move new individuals in this year.
Higher Wages
We will continue to fight for higher wages for our staff, and aim to pay them as much as BCArc can afford. This year already we raised wages 5% for direct support professionals.
Adult Family Care
More than 100 homes who take care of a loved one in their home use this program to receive nursing support, a monthly stipend, and assistance with future planning. We know there are hundreds more families in Western Mass who would benefit from this program, and we will work hard to find them this year.
New Businesses — The Green Redeem and Speedy Fulfillment
BCArc launched two new businesses last year, and looks to grow them both in 2025. The Green Redeem, a bottle and can redemption center, and Speedy Fulfillment, a fulfillment center to manage inventory, pack mailings, and ship items. Both businesses employ individuals with disabilities. We are excited about this.
Community Integration
At the heart of this Agency’s mission is to integrate the lives of individuals into the community. This enriches their lives, and also creates a more diverse and educated community. We do this through employment, volunteering, community service, and pursuing the chores of daily living – shopping, recreation, travel, and more.
There is so much more activity going on that I cannot list in this small space. It all happens through the great work of BCArc’s staff and leadership, through the support of the community, and its partners. BCArc advances best when everyone moves forward together.
To a happy and healthy new year.
Maryann Hyatt
President & CEO
Providing Support for Future Lives
This was originally published in Visions, Issue IV 2024.
Dec. 1, 2024 –
An estimated 160,000 people with developmental disabilities live in Massachusetts, according to the Mass. Developmental Disabilities Council. The Commonwealth sees 73,000 cases of traumatic brain injury annually, according to MassAbility. These injuries occur through unintentional falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports, violence, and more.
Clearly the need for our services will continue to increase for years — for generations.
Individuals who come for support to Berkshire County Arc come with a wide range of situations. They vary in age, functionality, family support, cultural backgrounds, and economic status.
Berkshire County Arc provides several models for support, some which require direct care staff, and some which rely on families or community members.
Adult Family Care: BCArc supports more than 100 families or community members who provide support in their own home for individuals who need assistance with daily living. This program provides a monthly stipend, nursing oversight, and case management. Many individuals and families are eligible for this program but unaware of the services. If you know anyone who might be eligible, please contact us.
Residential Services: BCArc has 43 residential programs throughout the Berkshires and Pioneer Valley – homes that provide full support every day of the year. This is where most of BCArc’s direct care staff work. Typically BCArc builds a new home every year to respond to the state’s needs.
Shared Living: BCArc matches an individual with disabilities to live with a caregiver in the caregiver’s home. BCArc provides training and ongoing supervision to ensure a successful partnership.
Supported Living: Individuals live semi-independently in their own apartments, with the opportunity to be part of a community in a co-op building.
All the programs above include personal annual plans with specific personal goals. We also provide programs outside home life like Employent Services and Day Habilitation Programs, to name a few.
We know the need for our services will continue to grow. While there are always challenges to expansion, we are positioned well to respond, as we have for the past 70 years. We look forward to answering the call.
Maryann Hyatt
President & CEO