Governor to Sign Executive Order Creating Council on Latino Empowerment

• Chair Josiane Martinez, Former Executive Director, Office for Refugees and Immigrants; Founder and CEO, Archipelago Strategies Group 
• Vice Chair Gladys Vega, Executive Director, La Colaborativa  
• Liliana Patino, Director of Community Engagement, Eliot Family Resources Center 
• Grace Moreno, Executive Director, Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce 
• Eneida Román, President and CEO, Amplify Latinx 
• Margareth Shepard, Community Leader and Former Framingham City Councilor 
• Heloisa Galvão, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Brazilian Women's Group 
• Lenita Reason, Executive Director, Brazilian Worker Center 
• Adrian Velazquez, Chief Advocacy Officer, Cooperative Credit Union Association, Inc. 
• Carmen Arce-Bowen, COO, The Partnership, Inc 
• Oscar Escobar, CEO, Blue Nest Real Estate 
• Amanda Fernandez, CEO and Co-Founder, Latinos for Education 
• Brandon Cardet-Hernandez, Chief Strategy Advisor, Mrs. Wordsmith /Boston School Committee Member 
• Marty Martinez, CEO, Reach Out and Read National; Former Chief of Health and Human Services for the City of Boston 
• Carolina Trujillo Executive Director, Citizens Inn, Inc. 
• Cristina Aguilera Sandoval Executive Director, Massachusetts Immigrant Collaborative 
• Luisa Peña Lyons, Founder and CEO, Bridge Forward Fund 
• Roxana Rivera, Vice President, 32BJ SEIU 
• Zamawa Arenas, Founder & CEO, Flowetik 
• Celina Barrios-Millner, Co-Vice President, Office of Race and Equity Research at the Urban Institute 
• Betty Francisco, CEO, Boston Impact Initiative 
• Representative Andy Vargas, Vice Chair, Black & Latino Legislative Caucus 
• Carlos Aramayo, President, UNITE HERE Local 26 
• Patricia Sobalvaro Executive Director, Agencia ALPHA 
• Damaris Frias-Batista, Chief of Operations & Co-Founder, Center for Assistance to Families/ Centro de Apoyo Familiar 
• Gladys Ortiz, Bilingual Advocacy and Systems Change Manager, REACH Beyond Domestic Violence 
• Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, CEO, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) 
• Grace Corporan, Site Director, Families & Youth Initiative/PATCH Lawrence 
• Nahir Torres, Senior Program Officer, The Hyams Foundation 
• Monica Lowell, Former Vice President Community Health Transformation/Community Benefits at UMass Memorial Health 
• Samalid M. Hogan, Western Mass Regional Director, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center 
• Juan Lopera Fernando, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Beth Israel Lahey Health 
• Juan Carlos Morales, Founder and Managing Partner, Surfside Capital Advisors LLC 
• Carolina Avellaneda, Chief Strategy Officer & Strategic Counsel, UMass 
• Yvonne Garcia, Chief of Staff to CEO, State Street 
• Rosalin Acosta, Managing Director, Government & Public Sector at Ernst and Young; Former Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development 
• Dan Rivera, President and CEO, Mass Development 
• Dr. Joseph R. Betancourt, President, The Commonwealth Fund 
• Mary Skelton Roberts, Climate & Philanthropy Strategist 

Elder Services Marks 50 Years of Service to Aging Population

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:42PM / Monday, October 14, 2024

Executive Director Chris McLaughlin reflects on the agency's growth over the past half century.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Elder Services of Berkshire County has assisted the aging local population for 50 years, growing exponentially from its roots with three employees on Wendell Avenue.

Hundreds gathered at the Country Club of Pittsfield on Friday for the agency's annual meeting. 

"We have been very busy since the last time we got together and we have a lot to celebrate ... For 50 years, Elder Services has been providing services to seniors, individuals with disabilities, and caregivers throughout Berkshire County," Executive Director Chris McLaughlin said

"Today, we are a $28 million organization supported by 140 employees and 260 active volunteers, working with community partners and our home care providers to provide support and services to the residents of the cities and towns throughout Berkshire County."  

Over the summer, the agency moved into a modern, more accessible office at 73 South Church St. (the Clock Tower building.)  Formerly the Wayfair call center, the two-story workplace offers a street-level entrance for those with mobility issues — compared to the fourth-floor office at 877 South St.

Mayor Peter Marchetti is glad to see Elder Services downtown.

"The downtown not only hosts a variety of places to eat, shop, and play but also it is the heart of our human and social service agencies to prioritize meeting people where they're at," he said.

"As many of you know, Elder Services recently moved into the Clock Tower building. I applaud Chris and the entire team for a space that will be more accessible to the people you serve. It is vital that our residents have access to social service agencies and organizations so they can access the services and programs that impact daily life. Thank you for choosing downtown as your home, and we are happy to welcome you there again."

Since a commercial kitchen was established in 1994, the agency has served more than 7 million meals to isolated or homebound Berkshire County residents.