Berkshire County — In order to raise funds for its various programs, local nonprofit Construct Inc. has started its 18th annual Warm Up the Winter campaign.
Construct provides affordable housing and supportive services to 15 towns in Berkshire County. Its programs include emergency financial assistance; rental assistance; help with transitional housing; and microloans for fuel and utility bills, security deposits, and other various costs relating to housing.
According to Construct Executive Director Jane Ralph, the goal of this year’s campaign is to raise $150,000. “Housing is a foundation for people’s well-being,” Ralph told The Berkshire Edge. “Without a good place to live that people can afford, it’s hard to do anything else. It’s hard to stay healthy, do well in school, or get to work.”
Ralph explained that as a result of inflation and current economic pressures, residents in the South County area continue to struggle when it comes to paying for their basic needs. “The economic instability makes it hard for residents to manage housing costs,” Ralph said. “Many residents out there are trying to juggle paying for their food, rent, health insurance, and their utilities. Winter is expensive in the Berkshires, and it’s hard for people to make ends meet.”
The organization’s fuel-assistance program and other services are available for households making up to 100 percent of the Area Median Income. “If you look at assistance programs at other local organizations, their programs are available only to households that make 60 percent of the AMI,” Ralph said. “Prices are going up and, with it being so cold this winter, the need continues to be great. Some residents have to purchase a minimum of 150 gallons of fuel from companies to stay warm during the winter.”
Ralph said that despite the organization’s limited staffing, they have continued to work with a large section of residents in need. “We’re talking about teachers, firefighters, residents who work at nonprofit organizations, teacher’s aides, people who work in nonprofit organizations, and hospitality workers,” Ralph said. “These are the people referred to as ‘The Missing Middle’ because people think they are doing OK, but with prices going up everywhere, they are all struggling.”
On Thursday, March 6, at 6:30 p.m., the organization will hold a benefit concert, the Musical Tribute to Working Families, at the Guthrie Center in Great Barrington.
The concert will include performances by Wanda Houston, Jeff Gonzales, Made in Memphis, Wild and Orson Handel, Luke and George Franco, Abe and Annie Guthrie, Jackson Whalan, and Doug Mishkin. “We’re calling it a ‘Tribute to Working Families’ because Construct Inc. is about rolling up our sleeves and supporting our local communities in the same way both Woody Guthrie and Arlo Guthrie were singing about their local communities,” Ralph said. “These working families are the backbone of our communities. They all do the work that we need, whether it is in construction, at restaurants, or in healthcare. We want to honor these people.”
As for the future of Construct in times of uncertainty, including uncertainty about federal funding for nonprofit organizations, Ralph said that “many of us in the nonprofit world are facing the same kind of insecurities and questions.” “It may turn out OK, but we don’t know,” Ralph said. “And so we do what everybody else does in the Berkshires. We look around at our neighbors, we see how we can help, and we see how our neighbors can help us.”
Ralph added that the organization is not primarily dependent on federal funding. “But we rely on state funds to do projects like the one we are doing in New Marlborough,” Ralph said. “We also receive financial support from towns, donors, and through our annual campaigns.”
As of press time on Monday, February 10, the campaign had raised $58,221 of its $150,000 goal.
Click here for more information about the campaign and the March 6 concert.
