Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of Community Matters columns. This series looks at the dynamic nonprofit community in the Berkshires and is intended to illustrate how visionary and inspired leadership combined with engaged residents can take ideas and convert them into action. Author Peter Taylor, until recently President of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, now heads consulting firm Anchor Point Consulting.
“Where can we go to hang out, have fun, shoot some hoops? Where do we belong?” A simple yet profound question posed by Great Barrington youth in the mid-1990s. It carried the weight of a community’s grief. Reeling from a series of youth suicides, the town found itself at a crossroads. While one suicide is a tragedy, multiple in close succession is a heart-wrenching loss that demands urgent introspection, conversation, and action.
During this challenging period, two significant initiatives emerged that remain important organizations today: Berkshire South Community Center and the Railroad Street Youth Project. This week, I will be sharing the story of Berkshire South, with Railroad Street Youth to follow in a subsequent column.
The idea of a community center to support youth and sports had been circulating for a while. The Great Barrington Rotary Club had identified it as a priority, and several community leaders and funders were seeking ways to support youth. Without a place to go, many young people were congregating downtown in front of shops and in parking lots, which sparked frustration among some adults. When asked, youth expressed a desire for a gathering space they could define and use as a hub for activities, especially sports.
Berkshire South exists today because of extraordinary leadership that seized a moment in time to craft and act on a shared vision; in collaboration with many groups, they responded to an urgent need in the community. Fast forward six years later to 2002, Berkshire South opens as a hub for community life in South County. Since then, the center has provided space and programs for residents of all ages to build relationships, recreate, learn new things, and support each other through services like childcare and other family supports that make life easier. Last year alone, Berkshire South had over 1800 members, many of whom were involved in the planning and implementing programs that reflected their interests and needs.
Looking back, what are the key contributing factors that enabled this vision to mobilize the people and resources to get something important done?
The ability to connect the dots and bring people together.
It is no exaggeration to say that Berkshire South would not exist today without the skillful leadership, tenacity, and generosity of the late Ed Jaffe. Great things happen when ideas, people, and leadership converge. Ed and his partners had community knowledge, relationships, and collaborative leadership skills to “connect the dots” and bring people together.
In the early days, Virgil Stucker, then President of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, helped convene people interested in supporting youth, including the youth themselves. Ed reached out to the Rotary Club, where longtime member Bob Wheeler was an early proponent of a youth-focused community center. Through this connection, Ed formed an alliance with Bob Norris, a highly respected community leader who cared deeply about youth and education. Together, Ed and Bob worked tirelessly to make Berkshire South a reality, with both providing countless hours and lead gifts. Bob went on to serve as a board chair for over ten years. Most importantly, Ed and Bob engaged with young people early on to hear their views and involve them in the process.
Listening to and involving the community
Ed, Bob, and others sought to involve as many people as possible in shaping the vision for Berkshire South, believing it had to be defined by the community it would serve, especially young people. Over 100 interviews were conducted and recorded with community members. They formed a youth advisory committee to provide leadership and ensure youth participation in the process. Through this engagement, a coalition of volunteers, supporters, and advocates emerged, spanning generations, interests, and backgrounds. When a special permit was needed from Great Barrington’s Selectboard to build the center, they gathered over 130 signatures on a petition. Dozens of advocates, both youth and adults, showed up to voice their support. Listening led to involvement, galvanized support, and mobilized advocates.
Getting out of our homes, into community
More than 35 years ago, sociologist Ray Oldenburg introduced the intuitive concept of third spaces in his book “The Great Good Place.” Home and family are considered first spaces, workplaces are second spaces, and third spaces are where people gather to socialize, organize, and build a sense of community. These spaces are critical in communities as they create venues where relationships are formed, and trust is built.
Ed Jaffe, Bob Norris, and others recognized the importance of creating a third space in Berkshire South, responding to a crisis and understanding that such a place would strengthen the community in the long term. We are fortunate that these leaders, now deceased, devoted their time, energy, and resources to connect the dots, listen, learn, and organize to establish this beloved community center. There are many leaders among us who have undertaken important community-building ventures, and there is always room for more!
