Pittsfield — Local organization Literacy Network (LitNet) held its annual fundraising event at Drifters Bar and Restaurant at Bousquet Mountain on Saturday, October 18.
The nonprofit organization provides programs to help speakers of other languages improve their English skills, along with providing programs that help with basic education, high school equivalency test preparation, and U.S. citizenship test preparation.
LitNet was founded in 1991 and serves immigrants who live and work in Berkshire County.
“We have had generations of immigrants learn English through our programs, and we are really interested in helping the next generation,” organization Executive Director Leigh Doherty told The Berkshire Edge. “Our organization has been around for 35 years, and now some of the children of the adults in our program are now young adults that need our services. We’re interested in that American story of the roots that the first generation set up to have the next generation do even better.”
Back in 2023, LitNet Tutor Deisy Escobar started the First-Generation College Support Program for young adults pursuing a college education. “Deisy herself is a first-generation college student, and she struggled along the path of what she needed to do to get into college,” Doherty explained. “Her parents didn’t know because they had never gone to school in the United States. Since the program has been founded, we have been reaching out to immigrant families to provide services in Spanish so that they understand how to apply for college. The program helps to educate the immigrant community and first-generation families in helping young adults get into college.”
Doherty said the organization is currently “thriving.” “We have more learners than we’ve ever had before,” she said. “We have 233 residents paired with an English tutor. We usually have between seven to 10 people a month apply to become a learner.”
“The way that people can get ahead in this country is by learning English,” Director of Tutoring Miguel Silva said. “There are so many reasons why learning English is important. If a parent wants to talk to their child’s teacher without an interpreter, or if someone wants to go to a doctor’s appointment and speak to their doctor, it’s very critical. Some people say that they can live in America without learning English, but they are not going to progress beyond where they are. LitNet is a stepping stone towards helping immigrants achieve a better life.”
At the October 18 event, the Masiero family of Guido’s Fresh Marketplace were honored for their commitment to the Berkshire County community.
Guido’s Fresh Marketplace was opened in 1979 and founded by brothers Matthew and Christopher Masiero.
The two brothers originally opened their store as a seasonal roadside stand on Route 7 in Pittsfield that offered produce and flowers. Matthew and Christopher, along with their siblings, were raised in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., by their father Guido and their mother Rena. Their first permanent year-round store opened in 1983 in Pittsfield, and a second store opened in 1995 in Great Barrington.
Back in December 2022 the two brothers announced their eventual retirement from the business and that they would be handing off the business to Matthew’s sons, Luke and Nick, and Christopher’s daughter Anna.
“LitNet is honoring the Masiero family because of their commitment to their community,” Doherty said. “Several LitNet learners have worked at Guido’s, and they have made many generous financial donations to the community, including LitNet.”
“This is a wonderful honor for our family,” Christopher Masiero said. “I really feel like our children are being honored instead of me, because they are really killing it at the store. The importance to LitNet for us is that we aspire to many of the same goals that we have as immigrants. There are many people who come through Guido’s and LitNet, and we always help each other.”
For more information about LitNet, visit its website.
