Letters from the President & CEO
BCArc: Turning 70, Feeling 25
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
70 Years Enriching Lives
May 1, 2024 – We have one job to do here at Berkshire County Arc — support individuals with disabilities. That mission is focused, but to do it right — provide rich lives with opportunities to feel fulfilled, and gain independence — can be complex. BCArc is a large organization that faces all the challenges and opportunities any mission-driven large organization experiences — whether for-profit or not-for-profit.
Moving the Agency forward is critical. Staying still is not an option. Well into my second year as its leader, I am amazed at the pace of change in our work, and the need to stay agile as an Agency employing more than 750 staff and caring for 1,000 individuals with disabilities from Down Syndrome to brain injuries.
This year we celebrate BCArc’s 70th year of growth as a human services agency and as a community member. They are both connected and inherent to what we do. We will celebrate our seventh decade with a Gala on Sept. 19. Our staff is creating a float for the Pittsfield July 4 parade to recognize our hallmark year. We continue to create new programs, explore new initiatives, and embrace new technologies and advanced approaches to better support the people we serve. Every corner of our Agency moves forward faster than ever.
Staff drive our changes. We add new training programs as the times change. We are always improving our facilities, honing the programs we offer, and developing new programs.
Reaching milestone years forces you to look back at your own history. There are many lessons in BCArc’s history that teach us how to move forward, and I thank my predecessors for those lessons as BCArc begins to celebrate its 70th anniversary.
Maryann Hyatt
President & CEO
Year 1: Grateful for Growing Together
February 1, 2024 – In my first full year as President & CEO of Berkshire County Arc, 17 new individuals moved into our residential programs, the most transition the program has experienced in recent memory.
Moving to a new home for anyone is an emotional event. At BCArc, the family meets with the staff, the individual meets their house peers, spends some time together, and maybe spends a night or two before making any decisions.
Often the new individuals are overwhelmed with joy and disbelief. A recently moved-in resident was so taken with joy, that a staff person said to me, “It’s days like this that make this job 100% worthwhile.” (see page 5 for more). We are lucky to watch the happiness on their faces, watch them make new friends, help them furnish and arrange their room, and watch them bask in the comfort of their new home.
Working at BCArc also includes loss. This year several people dear to us passed away. During these times BCArc staff spend time in hospitals offering comfort, experience hospice together, make funeral arrangements, and console friends and housemates. Despite these trying times, our staff perform with grace and dignity.
We tell our new employees that this is not easy work. During all these deeply emotional days, staff still need to keep meticulous records for state agencies, administer medicines, attend doctor appointments, prepare meals, tend to financial matters, and perform countless more tasks. Despite all this, we have more than 40 employees who have been with BCArc 20-plus years, and 130 employees more than 10 years. Some, like myself, have been doing this work for more than 30 years. We experience the growth of individuals over decades, and they watch our growth as well.
I am grateful to be leading this team. Caring for people the way our staff does seems to me as important as any work can be. I am proud of what we accomplished this year, and look forward to growing together next year.
Maryann Hyatt
President & CEO
Sometimes We Need to Be Loud and Visible
September 1, 2023 – At BCArc, we feel that the disabilities population should be engaged and visible to the general population. That remains an important part of the BCArc mission. The BuddyWalk serves as our largest effort to rally community support and promote the presence of the disabilities population.
It is important that the public sees us — in the stores, at the parks, at restaurants, and in the workplace. In all our programs — and in each individuals’ stated annual goals — we promote strategies to stay active, volunteer, participate, and for many, have paid employment. People need to know that the disabilities population is part of their community. We live here with you. At the same time, we have no signs on BCArc houses, nor on BCArc vehicles, and no uniforms on BCArc staff. We do this to protect the integrity of the people we serve. We are fortunate to live in very supportive communities.
Sometimes we need to be loud for our elected officials, for our community presence, and for the pride of our individuals. So thank you everyone who walked in our BuddyWalk this year, and supported our event. Occasionally it’s nice — and important — to be heard and seen.
Maryann Hyatt
President & CEO
Finding Small Moments to Celebrate is Critical
June 1, 2023 – Rewards come in many forms at BCArc, and it’s important we recognize them. But we do not get to rest on our laurels for long. We celebrate, appreciate one another, and get back to work because people depend on our support 24/7, seven days a week.
This year we were fortunate to end our fiscal year with a financial reward to our staff. People work at BCArc for many different reasons, but primarily because they are caretakers — they help others at work and outside work. This is what they do. But they also deserve to get paid for their hard work and inherent compassion. They deserve a pay rate more than a career in human services offers (we take this fight to the state throughout the year).
Our staff will continue to provide great care for the individuals we serve –- that’s who they are –- and we will continue to do everything we can to pay them what they deserve. Thank you to our friends and families in the community who support us through the year. We can’t do this without you.
Maryann Hyatt
President & CEO
Leading BCArc Toward its Future
March 1, 2023 – The staff at BCArc are inspiring. We recently opened a new residential program for individuals with brain injury, and launched a program to support families who need extra time after work. It is the drive and initiative of BCArc’s staff — its future leaders — that make these new programs possible.
This Agency is structured to provide clear career paths for staff to grow and advance. Ideally we want to retain our staff for a meaningful and lifelong career. Last year alone we promoted 49 employees. We have more than 40 employees who have been with BCArc 20-plus years, and 130 employees over 10 years. Those stats tell a powerful and positive story about the staff at BCArc. I started at BCArc in a residential program and took advantage of the career path and opportunities for advancement that BCArc offers.
Because of our committed, determined staff, we are well-positioned to serving the growing disability population for generations to come.
Maryann Hyatt
President & CEO