BFAIR Participants Take Pride in Volunteering

By Kathy KeeserBerkshireNonProfits.com
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BFAIR individuals who volunteer in the community include Leah Couture, Cathy Lemay, Aaron Wray, Anthony Pansecchi, Christopher McClendon. They are helped by BFAIR staff Missy Robare, Missy Krok, Mary Underwood, Maureen Strype, Susan Brooks, Gloria Darling, Mark Patenaude. Left, Christopher McClendon particularly takes pride in keeping the area around the Tourist Booth weeded and neat.
As members of the community, individuals involved with BFAIR (Berkshire Family And Individual Resources) love to volunteer and they are very proud of what they do. 

Missy Robare, day habilitation specialist with BFAIR, feels it is important that they are given the opportunity to be involved as they are part of the community.

"When individuals return from their volunteer opportunities, they are proud of what they have done and want to tell you all about what they did," says Robare. "I have never seen anyone come back without a smile on their face. They really like to help."

She says it is also important that the community knows what BFAIR is about and what the organization's participants do for the community.

Some help out by baking goods for children and families at Louison House, others raise vegetables in the BFAIR garden for distribution at the Friendship Center on Eagle Street. At Little's Pharmacy, they help put caps on medicine bottles. At Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of Northern Berkshire, they help the nurses arrange medicines and items at the nurse's station. They also greet visitors at the North Adams Tourist Booth and guide tourists to their destinations.


"They are willing and able to help out up for many community events and BFAIR staff look for volunteer opportunities," said Robare.

BerkshireNonProfits.com is a volunteer connector site receiving funding under the Northern Berkshire United Way from the Massachusetts Service Alliance to connect volunteers and volunteer opportunities. BFAIR has begun to use the site to find opportunities, as have other groups. 

Find a way to help the community or seek volunteers for your efforts at BNP.
           

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Vermont National Guard Members Depart From North Adams

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff

About 50 people waved flags to the see the Guardsmen off on their bus. The members were staying in North Adams because of a lack of hotel rooms in Bennington, Vt.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Residents came together Friday to see some Vermont National Guard members off.
 
The American Legion Riders organized a send off for a group of 75 or so Guard members who were staying at Hotel Downstreet.
 
"We are going to escort them to the Bennington Armory," Riders President Mike Lewis said. "They are going to gear up there, and then I am not sure where they are going. I don’t even know if they are all going to the same place."
 
Fifty or so people met in the Hotel Downstreet parking lot to show their appreciation. They waved flags and held signs. A bagpiper was also present.
 
The Riders contacted the Fire Department who helped organize the send off. North Adams Police cruisers and Northern Berkshire EMS were also on site to help see the bus off.
 
Lewis said there was not enough rooms in Bennington for the National Guard members. He added because of the trend to use vacant hotel rooms as low-income housing, the group had to look toward North Adams.
 
It's not clear where these Guard were off to, but about 500 members of 3-172 Infantry Battalion were expected to go to the Middle East with U.S. Central Command. According to Vermont Digger, this deployment was scheduled prior to the strikes on Iran. 
 
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