4th Mondays Program Brings Resources Together

By Kathy Keeser
Special to iBerkshires
03:55PM / Thursday, February 25, 2010

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Photos by Kathy Keeser Amy Nguyen, a Williams student, chats with Glenn Johansson, a volunteer for the Berkshire Food Project, in-between serving lasagna.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — College students and area residents bonded over a hot meal this past Monday at St. John's Episcopal Church in the first of what organizers say will be a regular monthly event.

Nearly 100 people attended the first 4th Monday — a community resource fair organized by Catalyst, a Williams College student group, in partnership with the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Center for Service, Target: Hunger, Berkshire Food Project and the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, with support from other community agencies.

"I was really happy with tonight's success," said Valerie Schwarz of Berkshire Food Project. "We had no idea how many people would come so when folks told me they heard Kim (McMann of Target: Hunger) and I on the radio on our 'Food for Thought' show and that's why they came, I thought our efforts worked. For the first one, at least in the dining area I thought it went pretty well."

The free community event is open to anyone and offers a free hot meal, live music, workshops, youth programming and information about resources and services available in the community.

At the first one on Feb. 22, 88 meals of home-cooked lasagna (either vegetable or meat) and salad, both provided by Berkshire Food Project, and ice cream sundaes with all the fixings from Target: Hunger were served.

Helping to serve the food and drinks were MCLA and Williams students, along with staff and volunteers from the two food programs. For Diane Pike, a junior at MCLA, it was a chance to get involved. "I got an e-mail from the Center for Service. I run a program (Friends for Foster Care) at the college, and I came because I want to get more involved in the community, and get to know who they are," she said.

Isabelle Phelps, Williams college, one of Catalyst organizers of event.

Upstairs at St. John's were workshops, especially geared to youth but attended by all ages. For the early part of the evening, attendees could try merengue dancing taught and led by Ritmo Latino, a Williams College group. This was followed live performances of writings by members of the UNITY teen writing workshop. 

"They read from things they write every week at the workshops or on their own, said Robin Lehleitner, a UNITY staff member and workshop leader. "This is a taste of their spring performance that will be held sometime in May and coincides with the publication of 'Somewhere Between,' the collection of the work of the students each year."

4th Mondays is the result of numerous groups working together.

"William's Catalyst group was created to serve as organizational power for projects like this one, so although we're doing some of the overseeing and most of the communication, this effort is led by the local groups," said Lauren Shuffleton, Catalyst member and part of the main 4th Mondays organizing team, along with Isabelle Phelps and Laura Huang. "Community resources are stretched for time and manpower as it is, so the students are merely working to relieve the burden on these agencies for an event like this and acting as an outside party to get things done."

Phelps said Catalyst was started year with the idea of getting more involved with North Adams.

"We felt that something needed to be done but we were not sure what it was. Our first step was to hold open meetings with community members to see what people wanted to do.The idea of a community resource center came through as a common need," she said.

Spencer Moser, coordinator of MCLA's Center for Service, with MCLA students Xhirley Gonzalez, of North Adams, and Diane Pike.

"Fourth Mondays is a sort of pilot program to lay the foundation for a permanent space and help us determine what is needed in the community," continued Shuffleton. "Ideally, we'd like a building set aside for local resources to share, which would foster communication between groups and provide one-stop shopping for residents. Additionally, we're imagining a teen space and shared community space."

The next 4th Monday, will take place on March 22, again at St. John's Church, and will feature a free hot meal (including a vegetarian choice), music, workshops and information from local resources. For more information, contact the Catalyst student organizers at the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, 413-663-7588, Ext. 20, or e-mail Fourth.Mondays@gmail.com.

Attendees enjoy food and a laugh.