On Thursday, August 18^th, Service-Learning
Student Leaders, Devon Roller (outgoing) and Nolan Fernandez (incoming), set
out on an adventure. Together with Service-Learning Staff, Mary Parkman and
Leehe Shmueli, they climbed to the summit of Mt. Greylock by way of the
Cheshire-Harbor Trail. This provided a fun opportunity to celebrate a year of
good work and discuss future plans for the Service-Learning club and a variety
of other projects on the table. Service-Learning will greatly miss Devon as she
heads off to Western New England University where she will continue her studies
in the field of Social Work. Nolan will continue his coursework at BCC in the
field of Biotechnology. The Service-Learning Office is currently accepting
application for new Service-Learning Student Leaders, if interested e-mail Mary
Parkman at mparkman@berkshirecc.edu.

When it awarded an AmeriCorps*VISTA to the Service-Learning Office at Berkshire Community College, Massachusetts Campus Compact provided the office an opportunity to expand its reach and impact both on campus and in the community.

The Massachusetts Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA, Leehe Shmueli, will serve as Community Engagement Coordinator at Berkshire Community College’s Service-Learning Office. Her role with the Service-Learning Office will be to strengthen partnerships with the Pittsfield Public Schools and other community organizations. She will also serve as a mentor to college students both on and off campus.

Leehe Shmueli comes to Berkshire Community College after having already completed a term of service as an AmeriCorps*VISTA in Niagara Falls. In that position, she managed the creation and implementation of leadership development programs for both youth and adults. She also coordinated service days and community garden projects to impact the University and the greater community.

Massachusetts Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA Program
Through the MACC AmeriCorps*VISTA program, 27 AmeriCorps*VISTA members are placed on host campuses throughout Massachusetts to serve as community service and service learning specialists. They act as mentors, trainers, and resource gatherers for their assigned colleges and universities. One AmeriCorps* VISTA leader is placed at the Massachusetts Campus Compact to assist with overall implementation of the program. The MACC AmeriCorps*VISTA program helps colleges and universities to better respond to pressing issues facing low income communities by improving the quality of campus community service and service learning programs, and by increasing the number of students coordinating programs and directly serving in the community.

AmeriCorps*VISTA
AmeriCorps*VISTA is a national service program in which volunteers live in the communities they serve, designing programs that will continue after they complete their service. Part of the AmeriCorps national network of service programs, AmeriCorps*VISTA has been meeting the needs of under-served communities since 1965. Over the years, more than 100,000 committed individuals have joined forces with 12,000 local sponsors- public agencies and nonprofit groups -to strengthen communities across the nation.

BCC is no longer accepting applications for a Massachusetts Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VSTA in Pittsfield.

However, there are more opportunities for community service at other locations:

Massachusetts Campus Compact has openings at other colleges across the state and AmeriCorps*VSTA positions are available all around the county.

The AmeriCorps Pledge

I will get things done for America –
to make our people safer,
smarter, and healthier.

I will bring Americans together
to strengthen our communities.

Faced with apathy,
I will take action.

Faced with conflict,
I will seek common ground.

Faced with adversity,
I will persevere.

I will carry this commitment
with me this year and beyond.

I am an AmeriCorps member,
and I will get things done.

Hard at work for Habitat for Humanity.

May 6, 2011

Pearl Street Day Center is a community based day center that helps the homeless and unemployed. It is located at The First United Methodist Church on 55 Fenn Street open on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. The Center provides a broad range of services to homeless residents to have a place to receive mail, access emails, internet, phones, bathrooms, and showers, receive warm drinks and snacks, job development support, and guidance for service requests. Co-Act encourages folks to participate in volunteer work as a means to build resumes and references needed to secure future jobs.

This is a newly established placement for BCC service-learning students as of the spring 2011 semester. The service-learning students who have participated at the Pearl Street Day Center: constructed a resource directory which lists all the services in Berkshire County made especially for the Center; created a book of recipes to be used in future culinary activities; and assisted job seekers with computer skills.

Building skills in a project set up by the Pearl Street Day Center.

Future projects for service-learning students involve: recruiting additional unemployed and homeless people for volunteer work crews to do community service projects; assessing the work skills and qualities of these job seekers; working in the kitchen for culinary training; helping people set up email addresses and assistance with computers in general; help with technical equipment and performing in future music events; and becoming involved with Co-Act’s Food Net which includes taking organically grown produce from local Berkshire County community gardens and distributing it to low income families and food pantries in the county.

We look forward to a productive fall semester with the Pearl Street Day Center!

Lesson in American Diversity

By Scott Stafford, Berkshire Eagle Staff

Sunday April 17, 2011

PITTSFIELD — Najeeb Alam learned something new Saturday.

Alam is a visiting public administrator from northeastern Pakistan here to learn how America in governed. Saturday he attended the eighth annual Immigrants Day celebration at Morningside Elementary.

He witnessed hundreds of people from all over the world sharing their music, clothing, food and dance with each other. He watched as Mayor James Ruberto received the Jane Adams American Spirit Award for heading an administration that has been so welcoming to newcomers from other lands.

During a break in the entertainment, he said the celebration was “wonderful, wonderful.”

“Around the world the U.S. is seen as trying to be [made up] of only white people,” Alam continued. “But here I find that all the world is already here in the United States. This country may be the most diverse. If you were to project this image to the world, everyone will love, love, love the U.S.”

The event is organized by the Berkshire Immigrant Center in Pittsfield, with the help of a long list of corporate sponsors and nearly 100 volunteers.

According to Hilary Greene, director of the Immigrant Center, more than 500 people attended the event.

And along with the pot luck dinner, which featured foods from around the world, there was entertainment in the form of dancers from Latin America and India, a concert by Los Ciegos Del Barrio, and a salute to more than 20 new U.S. citizens by state Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, D-Lenox.

Photo added by BCC Staff, Mary Parkman. Indian dance by BCC Students.

During a short interview after his presentation, Pignatelli noted that both he and Ruberto are second-generation immigrants. He praised Ruberto for “embracing and emphasizing the diversity of Berkshire County. When we embrace and empower everyone, the community will rise. And having 500 people come out for this event speaks volumes about this city.”

Along with the red, white and blue balloons and dozens of flags from around the world festooned throughout the gymnasium, there were also several dozen booths featuring businesses and services that could help new arrivals with a variety of needs.

There were booths for Manos Unidos, MCLA, the South Berkshire Educational Collaborative, the Food Bank, the Community Health Project, H&R Block, Head Start, Western Mass Legal Services and many others.

“Access to justice is important for everyone, and immigrants face a variety of issues in housing, crime and domestic violence,” said Leslie Curley, a staff attorney for Western Mass Legal Services. “This can be a very scary place even if you do speak the language.”

Carol McGlinchey, an English teacher with the South Berkshire Educational Collaborative, said it is important in a time when many politicians are deriding the immigrant population that someone makes an effort to let them finally feel at home.

“The immigrant community is becoming very vibrant here,” she said. “And through their efforts they really support our tourist trade and our second-homeowners. And they enrich our community with their spirit of respect for the elderly and their sense of family solidarity. They’ve really taught me a lot.”

Headlining the event was a band from New York City, Los Ciegos Del Barrio, with their lively and deep well of Latino tunes. According to band leader Alvin Suarez, they have played this event before, and always found it welcoming. He and the other four members of the band are also second-generation immigrants.

“Besides our sense of joy playing music and giving of ourselves to the audience, we also like the idea of providing resources to the immigrant community,” he said. “And for us, when we play it lets them all know that no matter where you’re from we all speak the same language — music.”

For the members of Los Ciegos Del Barrio, it is hard to visualize the physical differences of people from different parts of the world: All five of the band members are totally blind — thus the name of the band, which in English means “the blind men of the neighborhood.”

Service-Learning Student Leaders, Michael VanDeusen and Devon Roller, no task is too big or too small for these outstanding volunteers!

Thank You Letter from the Co-Director of Berkshire Immigrants’ Center, Brooke Mead:

On behalf of Berkshire Immigrant Center (BIC) and Cross-Cultural Action Network (CCAN) I want to thank you all so much for all you did for Immigrants’ Day in the Berkshires 2011. This event– attended by between 500-600 people– was our best yet and we could NOT have done it without you.

All evening our communities immigrants approached us with huge hugs and smiles and thanked us for putting on this great event. Legislators once again took notice of the importance of this population, children from all backgrounds made arts and crafts together and those familiar and unfamiliar with the sweet sounds of salsa boogied unashamed on a joyous dance floor; diversity reined as it should.

I think it was best said by an attendee from Pakistan who was interviewed for the Berkshire Eagle Article I have included below. “Around the world the U.S. is seen as trying to be [made up] of only white people,” Alam continued. “But here I find that all the world is already here in the United States. This country may be the most diverse. If you were to project this image to the world, everyone will love, love, love the U.S.”

This is what you have all helped to create. We hope you are as proud of this as we are of you. Thank you so much again.

Best,

BIC & CCAN

(From left to right) BCC student Laura Bentz and community volunteer Angela Jimenez with her children in the childcare room at Immigrants' Day

PS- Childcare was THE BEST YET and Eleanore Velez will surely leave us soon for her own talk show or to become the new national community organizer for some leading human rights group! 

WAY TO GO BCC, Miss Halls and the extraordinaria Angela!

Tuesday, April 19th 12:15-1:15 in G-10.

Free food from Guido’s and coffee from DD!

For all service-learning students and other engaged students to VENT about the challenges and rewards of community work.

On Tuesday April 12th, Psychology Faculty, Maryann Schroder and Mary Parkman, Service-Learning Coordinator attended the Massachusetts Campus Compact Showcase at UMass Boston.

It was an enriching and inspiring day. We were pleased to represent BCC at this state-wide event and showcase our college’s Service-Learning program to our colleagues in the field of civic engagement.

Berkshire Community College students in Service-Learning courses from Culinary to Sociology will be volunteering for this outstanding community event on Saturday. Come support the event and our students! A big thank you to Student Leader, Michael VanDeusen for organizing all the student volunteers from BCC.

Deirdre Sullivan’s English 102 Composition class is creating a YouTube video on the topic of information literacy in partnership with the BCC library. After much research, writing and brainstorming, today was the first day of filming!

Stay tuned to learn how to use the library with special guest appearances from Hawthorne and Melville, literary figures who played a part in the heritage of the Berkshires.