Pittsfield — Although North Street coffee shop Wander Berkshires was brewing java on March 27, the 50-plus folks filling its grounds in Pittsfield weren’t there just for the caffeine.
That night, grassroots activism group Berkshire Sanity Posse hosted its inaugural program, one aimed at educating residents about volunteer opportunities in the Berkshires as well as offering face-to-face contact with organization representatives pitching how their assistance could help the region. On hand were ambassadors from Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) Berkshires, Berkshire United Way, Literacy Network of South Berkshire, Drag Story Hour Berkshires, Parasol Patrol, Seeing Rainbows, Berkshire Pride, and Berkshire Democratic Brigades.
As a member of the queer community, Lesia Wasio deemed the program “important … to see what kind of support we can provide each other, especially during these hard times.”
“Being here in person, being able to spread this information or put energy where it’s needed is vital at this time,” they said.
Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were seen in Pittsfield, Lee, and Lenox, with officers apprehending 10 individuals. In the past few months, local organizations have found themselves scurrying to locate funding for the area’s food insecure communities after federal funds were slashed.
James Owens was hoping to find other people “who want to work together to stop the authoritarianism that’s gathering,” and Laura Ephraim was “very happy” to see the level of engagement at the venue, especially in the face of the small amount of action taken so far.
“Like a lot of people, I guess [I’m] trying to figure out where I can fit in in this new reality,” Ephraim said.
Who needs help?
Although founded out of the Lee Public Library in 1991, the Literacy Network of South Berkshire is opening a satellite office in Pittsfield because most of its clients, or 65 percent, live in the city, according to Executive Director Leigh Doherty. In time, the group transitioned from teaching American-born individuals how to read to primarily teaching English to immigrants in the community, she said.
“We provide volunteer tutors with an immigrant neighbor to improve their English,” Doherty said of the 210 adult learners currently matched with volunteer tutors. The group also provides support for those who need basic education or a General Education Development (GED), a high school equivalency certificate. Literacy Network also offers career expositions for non-college professions as well as a citizenship program and just ramped up a first-generation college course for “immigrant families to see their way to college,” Doherty said. The group relies on all forms of financial support, including donations, but not federal funds.
According to Director of Tutoring Miguel Silva, there is a real need for volunteers, with 26 clients on the waiting list for tutors. The group predominantly serves the Spanish-speaking community, with about 90 percent of its clients emanating from Central or South America. Tutoring is conducted at public libraries.
“This is so Berkshires,” VIM Volunteer Manager Eleanore Velez addressed the room of the program. “When there’s a problem, we get together. When we feel threatened, we get together. Not only do we do that, but we find solutions.”
The agency has been around for 20 years, with volunteers providing free healthcare to uninsured and income-qualified residents.
“We believe healthcare is a human right and it shouldn’t be just a privilege for some who have access to it,” Velez said to applause.
The organization is looking for volunteers, not just medical personnel but interpreters, front-desk staff, and drivers, with the latter a result of some patients too fearful to go to their medical appointments after recent ICE raids. Spanish language skills are not required to volunteer.
Leaning on her immigrant roots, Velez said “there are some places where hope grows, and I truly hope [that hope] grows in the Berkshires.”
“We are a community of resilient people, we are a community of people that gets together, that stands with each other and don’t segregate from race, gender, country of origin, language, religion,” she said. “We’re humans.”
Drag Story Hour Chapter Director Casi Kristant, also known as drag queen Poppy DaBubbly, took center stage to cheers, sharing details of upcoming events such as April 24’s Volunteer Night at Hot Plate Brewing for information on how volunteers can assist in Pride Season and next month’s self-defense classes at Wander Berkshires, as well as the existence of a Safe Space Certification Training program for employers.
Parasol Patrol volunteers are needed to create a visual barrier with colorful umbrellas to shield children from negative signs and voices at Queer Prom and other programs attended by marginalized communities.
Seeking community support for her group, Seeing Rainbows founder maayan nuri hed spoke about the trans-led organization, including its March 29 Trans Day of Visibility.
Berkshire Democratic Brigades co-Chair Peggy Schjeldahl pitched for strengthening the bonds uniting local progressive organizations. With its strong list of volunteer opportunities posted on its website, Berkshire United Way was touted as an umbrella organization, fostering collaboration between volunteers and nonprofit groups in community advocacy.
What is Berkshire Sanity Posse?
Sponsor Berkshire Sanity Posse was born in an unlikely place. The group formed following a friendship that sparked several years ago between creators Laurie Gallagher, Jackie Wong, and Jurian Hughes at a Pittsfield fitness class.
They bonded over their philanthropic and political roots last year, making phone calls and writing postcards to voters in favor of some state election candidates as well as Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Their efforts, in coordination with the Berkshire Democratic Brigades, pulled in more volunteers and a community of support.
Then came November 5. The group was “in total disbelief” that President Donald J. Trump was elected, “feeling abandoned, feeling depressed,” Wong said. Wong and her friends voiced concern for marginalized communities—LGBTQIA+, immigrants and people of color—who they thought were in harm’s way. Gallagher found a shift in the Berkshires disturbing, being “more tolerant of intolerance.”
“We were looking for ways to keep each other healthy and engaged and sane, and just to make each other feel better,” Gallagher said. “It’s really just a group of friends trying to get other friends to be active in the community, volunteering for things we’re passionate about, whether it’s political, philanthropic, mutual aid.”
Following the election, the trio of friends took some time “for self-care” before mobilizing to help those community members who need assistance. That action resulted in The Sanity Posse’s first program, with a turnout Wong found “amazing.”
“The idea of having this kind of event where we could offer, there are options, there are things you can do if you don’t want to go to a rally,” Wong said. “You could volunteer for LitNet, you could do Parasol Patrol, you could work with Berkshire Pride.”
Gallagher hopes the collaboration will “alleviate the anxiety” that is felt by many Berkshire residents following the shutdown of many federal government departments and its deterrence of programs aimed at marginalized communities.
“We want to just get a lot of folks talking to each other, to swap ideas and find what speaks to them,” she said.
The focus of the group now, Gallagher said, is a departure from a political message to one of engaging people in the community in volunteerism, to seek out their passion. “This is just a smathering of organizations,” she said of the representation at the program. “This is just a taste of ideas to get people just to spark.”
As of a year ago, more than 1,200 nonprofit organizations existed in Berkshire County, with one in every four jobs in the county belonging to a nonprofit.
Speakers referenced a recent bomb threat affecting Wander Berkshires, halting its March 22 Drag Story Hour anniversary fundraiser.
Although Wong has received hate mail for her activism, she won’t be deterred “from doing what I think is right.”
“To a certain extent we have more privilege than a lot of marginalized people, so that gives us some advantage,” Gallagher said. “But the idea is ‘use your privilege.’ Take it, because we can afford to be a little more visible than a lot of other people.”
