Sixth Annual “Immigrants’ Day in the Berkshiresâ€
PITTSFIELD, Mass. - The Berkshire Immigrant Center will sponsor the sixth annual Immigrants’ Day in the Berkshires in collaboration with the Cross Cultural Action Network (CCAN) on Saturday, April 18th. The event is free and open to the public and will take place from 4-8 pm at the First Baptist Church, 88 South Street, Pittsfield, MA.The evening will celebrate the cultural and social contributions of the immigrants of Berkshire County while offering attendees the chance to learn more about immigration, taxation, local job opportunities, and social services.
Highlights of this event include a wide variety of food from immigrant-owned businesses, musical entertainment and dance performances from Latin America, India, the Congo, and Cuba, kids' activities with supervised childcare, and pro-bono private consultations by immigration attorneys. In addition, over thirty social service providers and employers will participate in order to reach out to the county's growing foreign-born population. The program will be presented in English and Spanish.
The nationally recognized group “Los Ciegos del Barrio” will perform Salsa, Merengue and Bachata music from 6-8pm and dancing is encouraged. The free dinner will feature ethnic samplings from Spain, Congo, Italy, Mexico, Ecuador, India, Polynesia, Colombia, and Brazil.
Six immigration attorneys and a tax specialist will be available for free private consultations on a first-come first-served basis. Spanish-speaking interpreters will be available for the private consultations, and interpreters of other languages can be requested by calling (413) 445-4881 several days in advance of the event.
Richard Chacón, Executive Director of the Office of Refugees and Immigrants will be in attendance as will State Representative Dan Bosley and Pittsfield Mayor James Roberto. Several other state legislators are expected to attend as well.
"The goal of Immigrants’ Day in the Berkshires is to recognize and celebrate the contributions of our new neighbors. It is one of the few countywide opportunities to bring people together - immigrants and native Berkshire residents to appreciate the diversity in our community,” stated Hilary Greene, Director of the Berkshire Immigrant Center. “This year's expanded program and involvement of numerous local agencies and underwriters reflects the community's support for our immigrants.”
Program sponsors include Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Community College, Berkshire Compact for Higher Education, Cultural Pittsfield, Legacy Bank, Western Mass Legal Services, and Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna LLP. The event is underwritten by Berkshire Economic Development Corporation, Berkshire County Regional Employment Board, Berkshire Health Systems, Berkshire Works, BRIDGE, Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan, Elizabeth Freeman Center, Fairview Hospital, Kripalu, Literacy Network of South Berkshire, Southern Berkshire Educational Collaborative, Volunteers in Medicine, and Western Massachusetts Electric Company.
The Berkshire Immigrant Center provides citizenship assistance, immigration information, advocacy, referrals and counseling to the immigrant communities of Berkshire County and its surrounding areas. The program is funded in part by the Berkshire United Way, the City of Pittsfield, the Mass Bar Foundation, the Berkshire Bank Foundation, the New World Fund, and the state Citizenship for New Americans Program. The Center is located in the First Baptist Church at 88 South Street.
For more information about Immigrants’ Day or the Berkshire Immigrant Center, please call (413) 445-4881 or email info@berkshireic.com.
