Issuu

CREATIVITY, COMMUNITY, CELEBRATION

O I N S I

Vol. II, 2026

Featured Stories: - Berkshire Athletes Earn Medals at U.S. Special Olympics - Supporting Next Gen of Human Services: Scholarships & Internships

Board of Directors Michael Ferry, Chair Michael Lyon, Vice Chair Bruce Marzotto, Treasurer Thomas J. Hamel, Esq., Assistant Treasurer Joanne Spence, Clerk

Board Members Dr. Paula Blagg Linda Carnevale Kathy Clark Douglas Craighead Eric Harlow Anthony Mazzeo Bob Sinopoli Janice Ward, Esq.

President & CEO Maryann Hyatt, MBA, DBA

Editor: Nicole Lemire nlemire@bcarc.org

BCArc’s Range of Services Enrich the Individuals it Supports, and its Staff Our success has many components. For one, we are diversified. We offer many services, in an effort to provide rich lives for the people we support. Our residential services provide beautiful homes and support for many individuals. As part of this program, our Shared Living services allow individuals to live with families in the community. Our Day Programs ensure that individuals enjoy a social, learning experience. Similar to this, we have community-based services for a range of ages and abilities. We offer employment support for anyone who wants to work. More than 50 employers in the region participate, pay market wages, and embrace them in their workforce. We offer support in the family home through Adult Family Care, with nurse visits, a case manager, and a monthly stipend. What we do now looks very different than how we did it 20, 50, or 70 years ago. It will look very different in 10 years. Our Family Support program delivers dozens of activities for individuals to explore new interests, visit new places, and meet friends. The list goes on. Together these programs and services form a mosaic of offerings. It provides a foundation to pursue new opportunities when they arise. This breadth of offerings also provides career opportunities for our staff. BCArc offers pathways to advance, or switch career tracks within human services. Hundreds of staff have done this over the years. What we do now looks very different than how we did it 20, 50, or 70 years ago. It will look very different in 10 years. We plan for change. We continue to look for new opportunities that align with our core mission. We strive to be innovative. We take chances and try to stay ahead of the curve. As a result of these risks, we now have a suite of programs that benefit a wide range of people. We look forward to taking on new initiatives that align with our mission. We appreciate our partners who have stayed with us to achieve the mission.

David Singer, Vice President Communications & Marketing Cover photo: Nikki painting Photo credit: Liz Buratto 2

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Maryann Hyatt, MBA, DBA President & CEO

Berkshire Athletes Take Medals at U.S. Special Olympic Games

Shannon Cowell

Jenna Thomas

Joshua Brennan

Three members of the BCArc Titans – Berkshire County Arc’s Special Olympics Team – competed in the recent USA Games in Minneapolis, earning a Bronze medal in bowling with Team Massachusetts, and a Bronze medal in the 100 meter relay. Nearly 3,000 athletes gathered for a week of competition from all 50 states. Shannon Cowell brought home the Bronze Medal in the team relay running for Massachusetts. Joshua Brennan earned the Bronze in a bowling event. Titan teammate Jenna Thomas also won a Bronze in bowling, along with 4th in the Doubles event. “We are so proud of our athletes,” said Maryann Hyatt, BCArc President & CEO. “They show us that with determination and focus you can accomplish Demi Lovato sang for the Opening Ceremony at Huntington Bank Stadium. This year’s Games featured anything. Western Massachusetts is lucky to have 3,000 athletes and 75,000 fans from across the U.S. them represent us to the entire country.”

Celebrating Five Years of Supporting BI Community BCArc’s Brain Injury Community Center members and staff celebrated their five-year anniversary at The Tavern in Westfield with lunch, cake, and gifts. As the only brain injury clubhouse of its kind

in Western Mass, the BICC, located in downtown Westfield, is a necessary resource for the communi ty. Staff and members look forward to the next five years of friends, support, and growth.

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Building Leadership Skills at BCArc Managers Meeting Berkshire County Arc managers spent a day of training together. The program focused on building leadership skills specific to the Agency’s work, sharing challenges, role playing, and more.

BCArc RN Chosen as Statewide “Workforce Hero” of July By Nicole Lemire Connie Harris has dedicated her life to advocacy and supporting others through nursing, pastoring, and opening her home to those in need. “I’m passionate about advocacy, about being a voice for those who don’t have one,” Connie said. She has spent the last three years an RN Case Manager at BCArc. In this role, she provides support to BCArc homes and day programs.

“Being a nurse is more than a paycheck to me, it brings me satisfaction to know that someone else’s life is better because I was a part of it.” Connie’s dedication to helping others extends beyond her professional life and into her personal life. For the past five years, she has been a pastor at Price Memorial Church of Pittsfield, alongside her husband, who is a minister. Connie has been a shared living provider for the past 16 years, something that she has found to be challenging at times but also incredibly rewarding. “Being a nurse is more than a paycheck to me, it brings me satisfaction to know that someone else’s life is better because I was a part of it.” Connie was chosen as the July Workforce Hero among thousands of Massachusetts human service workers by The Caring Force of the Providers’ Council. The

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Council unites human services workers and leaders to advocate to elected officials for fair pay and greater respect for the state’s caregiving workforce.

Business Partner & BCArc Employee Earn Regional Awards

A BCArc community partner and BCArc employee recently earned regional awards from the State Citizen Advisory Board of Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services. Becky Piccolo and Rachel Borrett, owners of The Olde Heritage Tavern, won the Unsung Hero Award. As a partner to BCArc’s Employment Services, they employ Jeffrey. Their commitment to including Jef-

frey in their team has been life changing for Jeffrey and his family. (Jeffrey and Becky pictured left.) Regan Carlotto, BCArc Employment Manager, pictured right, presented the award. Cliff Love, BCArc’s School-to-Career Specialist, pictured center, received the Reach for the Stars Award for his work helping high school students prepare for employment, and build general life skills.

BCArc Rainbow Group Marches in Berkshire Pride Parade

BCArc’s Rainbow Group walked in Berkshire Pride’s Pittsfield Parade again this year, celebrating with the community. The BCArc Rainbow Group is for LGBTQ+ individuals with disabilities in Berkshire County. It is a place to learn, discuss, foster allyship, and grow. VISIONS VOLUME II, 2026

500-Plus Staff and Family Gather for Staff Appreciation Picnic

BCArc held their Annual Staff Appreciation Picnic at the Onota Lake Pavillion. Staff were encouraged to bring their families and enjoy a day of swimming, face painting, caricatures, massages, live music, lunch, and more. Supervisors recognized exceptional staff members with awards and certificates for going above and beyond in their programs.

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After 50 Years, Employee of the Quarter D’Juana Finds a New Calling By Lisa Chen For 50 years — ever since her first summer job at the Hilton Inn in the 1970s — D’Juana has worked in hotels. But this changed after her former workplace closed, and one of her friends introduced her to BCArc as a relief worker — those who support individuals with disabilities with daily and community living part-time. At the time of the offer, this role had seemed unimaginable for her, but when she started, “I was surprised at how much I liked it.”

“The individuals make it special. Just one little thing they say, or do, has the power to connect me to them.” Now, as a residential relief worker at BCArc’s Co-Op — an apartment style home on First Street for semi-independent individuals — D’Juana provides support in almost all areas from cooking to attending doctor’s appointments, shopping, and a variety of recreational activities. “The individuals make it special. Just one little thing they say, or do, has the power to connect me to them.” For D’Juana, her work at Berkshire County Arc means more than just a paycheck — because of the people there, but also because of the learning experience it provides. Now going into her second year here at BCArc, D’Juana is hoping to transition from part-time relief to a full-time role and spend more time with the people she supports.

Commissioner Commends BCArc’s Family Support Center Sarah Peterson, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services, brought a team to Berkshire County Arc’s Family Support Center to learn about its approach to providing services. Noting the Center’s ability to provide activities to hundreds of families with limited resources, she talked about the need for the Centers across the state to share best practices and promote their strategies for supporting families. “It is so great and encouraging to see

so much going on here,” Commissioner Peterson told the group after BCArc’s presentation. “The Family Support Program has always been dear to me, and I am so proud of how our team has developed it,” said Maryann Hyatt, President & CEO, who described to the Commissioner how she started the Center years ago for BCArc. BCArc’s Family Support Center offers a variety of services throughout central and southern Berkshire County that includes: Information and referrals to a range of resources; a library for families to browse on a range of topics; trained advocates, who consult with family members, attend school meetings and review Individualized Education Plans (IEP); family networking and training events; and social and recreational opportunities. VISIONS VOLUME II, 2026

Supporting the Next Generation of Human Services: BCArc Awards Eight High School Scholarships

Friends We Will Always Remember

Francis Cahalan 10-5-1941 4-16-2026

BCArc and the BCArc Down Syndrome Family Group awarded scholarships to eight local high school seniors looking to pursue careers in human services. The scholarship recipients, from left: Grace (Taconic High School), Jordyn (Charles H. McCann Technical High School), Teagan (Westfield High School), Sam (Wahconah Regional High School), Samuel (Lee Middle & High School), Remi (Monument Mountain Regional High School), April (Taconic Regional High School), and Gloria (Pittsfield High School).

Albert Lehmann 4-7-1943 5-18-2026

Recreation Program Brings BI Community Together

Gonzalo Ortiz 9-24-1931 6-30-2026

BCArc’s Brain Injury Recreation program launched in May with a variety of events. The program is free for individuals with brain injuries and seeks to foster a place for community, networking, and creativity. Events held so far include accessible fishing, a paint and sip night, karaoke, game night, and more. Anyone interested in the BI Rec program can contact Amber Steele for more information at birec@bcarc.org.

Khadria Sims 3-13-1992 7-9-2026

Darwin Kickery 6-27-1941 7-31-2026

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Betsy’s Corner: Performing in a Gala by Betsy Carlotto, CFD CATA Gala put on its annaul show at the Tina Packer Playhouse at Shakespeare Company in Lenox. All of us worked so very hard on Betsy performing on stage. (Photo practicing every provided by CATA) day for the show and had a lot of fun doing it. Beth and Kelly had us laughing a lot. Thursday we put a show on and a school came too. We had a full house. Sarah, a staff at CFD came with my friend Brian and I for the practices and performances. We had to wear all black clothes for the shows. Before we started practicing Beth and Kelly had us do a breathing exercise.

It was so much fun doing the dance but it was so much work. We had so much help from my dance teacher Emily, she was very understanding if we needed to stop and try something again to get it right. The show was a hit on Saturday night, there was over 500 people that came and enjoyed themselves. Emily was very happy with how well we did. After the show on Sunday there was a CATA Community party for all of us.

Individuals & Staff Enjoy Annual Pioneer Valley Picnic

Residential Programs Hold July 4th BBQ

The Pioneer Valley Picnic at Stanley Park was a funfilled day of activities including dancing, entertainment, a dunk tank, lawn games, a barbecue lunch, and more.

Several BCArc homes gathered for a Fourth of July party. Attendees enjoyed an afternoon of games, lunch, and the summer weather. VISIONS VOLUME II, 2026

Ben Finds Success in His Artwork and New Job Ben, an avid painter and photographer, had a collection of original pieces on display and available for purchase at the Bushnell-Sage Library in Sheffield. Ben also recently began working a new job at the Modern Milk Bar with the support of BCArc’s Employment Services.

Giving Back, Volunteering in the Local Community

Northview made a gift basket full of coffee, hot cocoa, office supplies, and freshly baked blueberry muffins for HospiceCare in The Berkshires as a thank you for everything they do for the community. Northview members volunteer at Hospice every week. 10

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Michelle’s Birthday Surprise

Michelle recently celebrated her 59th birthday surrounded by love. Her older siblings, Gabi and Jack, flew in from Georgia and Oregon to celebrate her. Her brother Jack was the surprise guest. They enjoyed family time by going to the movies, geocaching, going out to dinner, and endless trips to Starbucks.

Experience Helps Shape Intern’s Future Chapters By Lisa Chen Every Saturday, my mother would take me to the local library. Back then, she barely knew any English, and so she took great pride in her child who did. Stories were her pride, and soon it became mine as well. But as I grew older, as I stepped into the world and met more people, I heard and saw and made more stories that differed from simply reading a book. So, I made it my goal to collect more. That is what brought me here. This is my story at BCArc.

“I’ve met staff from all walks of life ... All of them had their own unique story.”

Lisa (center), with her sister and mother. Her family runs Fortune Express Cuisine on Tyler Street. Lisa attends Princeton University.

As BCArc’s Marketing & Communications Intern, Learn More About BCArc’s capturing stories was my main job. I’ve met staff from all walks of life: from to-be authors to current military Internship Program members; from mothers and fathers to children. All of BCArc hosts one of the them had their own unique story. regions strongest internI rummaged through old photos when working on ship programs, involving a BCArc’s history page — seeing beaming smiles and dozen students a year. If warm hugs — I peeked through a snapshot of some interested in learning more stories that I may never get to know. or applying, go to: To be honest, I’m not sure when my story here startbcarc.org/programs/internship-opportunities/ ed. Maybe it was when I wrote that first email to apply. Or maybe it had started way, way back, in the little second grade me . . . . And maybe, just maybe, this story is not quite over yet. To read Lisa’s full story, and others, go here: https://bcarc.org/internship-stories/

BCArc Artists Showcase Their Talents at CATA’s Annual Exhibit Twenty BCArc individuals took part in CATA’s I Am a Part of Art Exhibit at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts. This exhibition was avail able during the month of August, and featured a variety of work by artists with disabilities. Several items were sold to the public. VISIONS VOLUME II, 2026

Non-Profit Org. US Postage Paid Pittsfield, MA Permit No. 121

Berkshire County Arc

www.facebook.com/BCountyArc @bcarcgram

20th Annual Buddy Walk of the Berkshires Join BCArc & the BCArc Down Syndrome Family Group for a walk through downtown Dalton, lunch, raffles, and more.

Craneville Elementary School Saturday, September 26, 2026