Pittsfield — In early October, Literacy Network (LitNet), which has an office in Lee, opened a second satellite office at 199 South Street, Unit A, in Pittsfield. The organization works out of a location provided by another nonprofit organization, Volunteers in Medicine (ViM).
According to its website, LitNet provides free one-on-one instruction to speakers of other languages who wish to improve their English skills. The organization also helps adults who are seeking basic education, high school equivalency test preparation, or U.S. citizenship test preparation.
LitNet was founded in 1991 and, according to Executive Director Leigh Doherty, will keep its Lee office alongside its new Pittsfield office. “We are expanding because this is what the community needs,” Doherty told The Berkshire Edge. “In May, ViM expanded to Pittsfield. LitNet is following ViM because Pittsfield is where the immigrant community is living and working, and this is where we need to be.”
Doherty said LitNet has been very active in South County and that a new office in Pittsfield will help the organization recruit new tutors for its programs. “Pittsfield is the area where immigrants can afford to live, where there are housing options and transportation,” Doherty said. “Also, Pittsfield is a walkable city. As we know, South County’s housing market is priced out. Also, transportation is tough all over South County. These are all reasons Pittsfield is a welcoming city for the immigrant community.”
“We are currently serving 182 students with 150 tutors,” said Miguel Silva, LitNet’s director of tutoring. “Our waitlist of people waiting for tutors is up to 40 people. We need more tutors because of the amount of immigrants who continue to move into the area. I would say that around 80 percent of the people we serve are in the Pittsfield area.”
Ilana Steinhauer, executive director of ViM, said it is important for South County nonprofits to all work together. “Nonprofit organizations working together can increase access for people who need our services, and also they can create equity to services across the county,” Steinhauer said. “This is an example of what a positive and impactful collaboration can look like. When we work together, we are utilizing resources that exist so we can accomplish our missions much more effectively.”
“Collectively, both organizations are interested in improving the lives of immigrants,” Doherty added. “ViM’s mission is to make sure that immigrants are healthy. LitNet helps immigrants open new doors. We serve many of ViM’s clients.”
Doherty said both organizations are looking at combining their resources by offering classes to immigrants and their families. “It’s important to add that the immigrant community is a growing community that has a huge economic impact on the Berkshires as a whole,” Steinhauer said. “By providing health services, programs to provide English language skills, job readiness, and paths to citizenship, LitNet can improve this economic driver. Their programs help people to work at local businesses, go back to school, and work at local establishments. To have this kind of positive economic impact, we must ensure that we are looking at everything that is needed.”
“ViM has been an amazing partner to us, the immigrant community, and helping us connect people with services,” Doherty added. “Again, everything begins with health. People need to be healthy to do the things they need to do for themselves and their children. ViM is a pillar in the immigrant community in terms of being a gateway to services and extending access for everyone.”
For more information about the Literacy Network, click here. For more information about Volunteers in Medicine, click here.
