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BFAIR clients and employees deliver donated supplies to the Veterans Services Office in North Adams.
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Donations included hygiene products, towels, and food, among other things.
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Members of the BFAIR community not only made donations, but made the delivery.
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Neep and Samson were both in awe of how much BFAIR donated.
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The donations were delivered Friday.

BFAIR Supports North County Veterans With Donations

Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Donations were made through the month of August.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — BFAIR's Community Based Day Support (CBDS) program made a special delivery to City Hall on Friday and helped stock the Veterans Services Office's food pantry.
 
"I am totally overwhelmed. I was in awe when they said they were going to do this," said Tina Samson, office's administrative assistant. "BFAIR, they help in the community. This is wonderful, and this is always needed. 100 percent." 
 
Kris Neep, director of the day program, said she saw one of Samson's call for donations posts on Facebook. She quickly got the BFAIR (Berkshire Family and Individual Resources) community behind the cause. 
 
"We got all of our offices involved," she said. "I think this is great and says a lot about our community. Just look at all the stuff we got? We just like to give back."
 
BFAIR clients and employees heeded the call, donating hygienic supplies, non-perishable foods, and other items needed for the pantry during the August collection drive.
 
"There is everything in these bags, and people were very generous, especially nowadays when prices are so high," Neep said.   
 
While she didn't have an exact count of donations, the donations filled the back of the van used for transport. She said everything was organized for easy storage.
 
CBDS employees and clients offloaded the supplies with the help of some veterans.

Tags: BFAIR,   veterans services,   

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North Adams Council Looks to AG for Assurances on Federal Grant

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — City officials want to know if the attorney general will defend them if they refuse to abide by certain provisions in a federal grant for the Police Department. 
 
The City Council on Tuesday voted to postpone action until Nov. 10 on a fiscal year 2025 Edward Bernard Memorial Justice Assistant Grant after an hour of debate and hearing from more than a half-dozen audience members in opposition.  
 
"Let's take all the time that we have. Let's wait for them to actually do their due diligence and fight these provisions and, hopefully, win, and then it's not a problem at all, and everybody's happy, and we take care of it," said Council President Ashley Shade. "And if they don't get the provisions out, let's make sure that they're willing to defend us if we accept it. And if they are, let's fight them. Let's fight them on this."
 
The U.S. Department of Justice grant for $14,231 is to update the department's overstuffed evidence room to aid its accreditation process. But new requirements within the contract about active or passive cooperation with federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have raised fears within the council and community. 
 
Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Police Chief Mark Bailey had explained the need for an evidence room two weeks ago and assured that Police Department didn't deal with civil matters like immigration, but the council rejected the grant. Shade motioned for it be reconsidered for discussion, which passed. 
 
Audience members spoke out in opposition to accepting the grant, often to applause. 
 
"We cannot trust that they aren't attaching strings that we think, in good faith, could not happen," said Sarah Farnsworth from North Adams. "That they could not make us do things that we are protected from in the Constitution. And we have seen over and over that somehow that manages to happen."
 
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