ADAMS, Mass. — Gratitude was the theme of Northern Berkshire Community Coalition's 38th annual meeting on Friday morning but there was a heavy dose of collaboration as well. 

 

Gratitude for the people and organizations that have aided the coalition in its mission to empower communities and families. Gratitude for the staff who show up everyday to take on the sometimes insurmountable challenges. The board members and volunteers who spend their time and energy to improve the lives of others.

 

And gratitude for those who have passed on, leaving a new generation to pick up their work and carry on. 

 

"Gratitude is a wonderful thing. It is a feeling that you can fight back against the hard and difficult, propelling us into a forward momentum, seeing good things that lie ahead and appreciate those who journey with us," said Executive Director Amber Besaw.

 

The coalition is a hub of collaboration, connecting people with programs and support services, providing creative opportunities for teens, sponsoring parenting programs, training neighborhood leaders, listening to residents and  advocating for their needs, hosting community events and bringing together residents and other stakeholders to solve local problems. 

 

In the last year alone, NBCC has served more than 1,000 new clients, trained more than 100 community leaders, engaged nearly 600 families in parental support plans, and hosted hundreds of meetings and events at the UNO Community Center and beyond. 

 

"One of the things that I see often is municipalities are not equipped to handle some of the social service needs or some of the communities that we have. We don't have staff. We don't have the resources and particularly we don't have the skill set," said Town Administrator Jay Green in welcoming the annual meeting to Adams. While the town has a Council on Aging, "there are other issues that exist out in space and go right to the heart of making our communities liveable, safe and welcome."

 

The meeting was held in the Adams Theater, still under construction but now in its second year of offering a slate of performances and events. Yina Moore, owner of the theater, spoke about her goals of rural economic development, growing community and treating collaborations as a learning experience. 

 

"If I can summarize its existence, in one word, what's the essence of this project, I can't think of any word more appropriate than collaboration," she said. 

 

The 1937 building had some work done in the past but when Moore purchased it three years ago, there was no floor, no bathrooms and the roof was leaking. But it held its first event, the suffrage centennial, and its network of collaborators began to grow almost organically as Moore made connections locally and beyond, including people in the theater industry.

 

"I think without a lot of collaboration, a lot of trust, without first-time collaborative partners, this would never have happened," she said. "I think what I get the most out of it is that from an economic standpoint, collaboration is a survival mechanism in this rural environment we all call home. And No. 2, collaboration is an opportunity to grow and expand individual communities and find intersections. And then lastly, if we can all be modest, try to trust each other and take a learning attitude."

 

A lot of gratitude on Friday was for the late Stephen Green, one of the "two humble guys (Al Bashevkin being the second) who were at North Adams State College wanting to make a difference in the lives of those around them, came up with the idea to create the Northern Berkshire Health and Human Services Coalition," said Besaw.

 

Green died unexpectedly last fall, a significant loss to not only the coalition, but the community as a whole. Besaw, with the approval of his family, read the eulogy she had written for his funeral, saying he was a great teacher, friend and sounding board. 

 

"I'm not sure how you felt when I applied for the ED job. You never told me or made me believe you were anything but supportive and confident in my ability," she read, adding that she wished she had had one more coffee with him before he left them. 

 

On Friday, he was named the Northern Berkshire Community Hero for the second time, the first person to be so honored.

 

"Steve is known to us because he knew us. For decades, he worked tirelessly supporting individuals and communities in the North Berkshire region," said board President Benjamin Lamb. "He volunteered thousands of hours to many causes, organizations and people who he authentically called his friends. For us, the coalition, we were blessed to be amongst that group of friends. We were made better and more fulfilled by Steve's investment  in establishing, sustaining and inspiring the coalition for nearly 40 years."

 

Green's wife, Susanne Walker, and daughters Julie Green and Caroline Green Christopoulos accepted the award. 

 

"He loved this area so much and came to love all of the people in it," said Walker. "A lot of why he was as dear as he was and as helpful as he was because of you all."

 

His daughter Julie said the words that really resonated with her was the "kindness with authenticity," and how he would listen in a way that made you feel "like you were the most important person in that moment."

 

Lamb also noted the loss of six community members who played significant roles in the coalition's work over the past 20 years: Shirley Davis, Beverly Goodell, Chip Joffe Halpren, Steven Sheppard, Dr. Thomas Hyde and Virginia Jarett. 

 

On a lighter note, Besaw updated the meeting on work on the NBCC's new home on State Street purchased last year through a state earmark. The cost to renovate the former Tucker Toy building — which has been a church, Carr Hardware and an outlet center — is pegged at $8 million. The organization hopes to raise $5 million in state and federal grants and fund raise the remaining $3 million. 

 

Each table of six people got a bag full of dry spaghetti and mini marshmallows and 15 minutes to build their dream NBCC building. "Celebrity" judges Otto and Willoughby Lamb gave second place to a giant pyramid constructed by Williams College students and first to giant windmill "sustainable" structure by the North Adams Public Schools team.