South Berkshire Monthly Kitchen Table Talks

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass — The South Berkshire Community Health Coalition, a program of Railroad Street Youth Project, has partnered with the South Berkshire Rural Health Network to offer monthly Kitchen Table Talks/Community Care Sessions at the Great Barrington Family Resource Center, 141 West Avenue on Tuesdays in February, March and April from 5:30-7:30 pm. 
 
Combining two synergistic programs, Kitchen Table Talks/Community Care Sessions are designed for parents and caregivers interested in building their knowledge and communication skills with their children around big issues including substance use while receiving meaningful support, care and belonging in a wellness setting.
 
"Parenting is hard, prevention matters, and the most effective support meets people where they are," said Jennifer Goewey, Director of the Southern Berkshire Rural Health Network. "I am excited for parents and caregivers to have this opportunity to share, learn, and prioritize their own well-being – something that is both important and too often sacrificed."
 
Each session begins at 5:30 pm with a Kitchen Table Talk and community dinner. Kitchen Table Talks provide a supportive, peer-to-peer environment where a trained facilitator guides fellow parents through a prosocial, preventive approach to helping parents and caregivers improve communication with their children and other youth in their lives.  This will be followed at 6:30 pm with a Community Care session with offerings such as guided meditation and light movement – all led by a wellness provider.
 
Three Tuesday sessions will be held on Feb. 24, March 24, and April 28. Childcare will be provided to attendees.
 
For more information about these events, including registering or arranging for free childcare, contact Laura Rodriguez, Director of SBCHC at (413) 717-7070 or at laura@rsyp.org.
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Reps. Leigh Davis, Bud Williams Filing Legislation Honoring Freeman

SHEFFIELD, Mass. — State Reps. Leigh Davis of the 3rd Berkshire District and Bud L. Williams, of the 11th Hampden District, are filing legislation establishing Aug. 22 as Elizabeth Freeman Day of Equality, Healing, and Remembrance in the commonwealth.
 
The legislation would direct the governor to annually issue a proclamation recognizing the courageous contributions of Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved Black woman known as Mum Bett, whose landmark freedom suit helped spark the legal end of slavery in Massachusetts.
 
"Elizabeth Freeman's story began here in the Berkshires, but its impact reached every corner of the commonwealth," said Davis. "More than two centuries later, her legacy continues to inspire us. Establishing Elizabeth Freeman Day will ensure that future generations learn not only about her extraordinary bravery, but also about the power of one person to change the course of history."
 
In 1781, Freeman, of Sheffield at the time, challenged the institution of slavery by filing suit against her enslaver, Col. John Ashley. In the landmark case Brom and Bett v. Ashley, a Berkshire County jury ruled in favor of Freeman and her fellow plaintiff, Brom, granting them their freedom. The case demonstrated the power of the Massachusetts Constitution's declaration that all people are born free and equal and helped pave the way for the Quock Walker decisions that ultimately ended slavery in the commonwealth. 
 
"Freeman's courage changed the course of history in Massachusetts," said Williams. "At a time when the odds were stacked against her, she stood up and demanded that the promises of liberty and equality contained in our Constitution apply to her as well. She risked everything to challenge an unjust system, and her victory helped lay the foundation for the end of slavery in our commonwealth. Her legacy deserves to be recognized and remembered by every resident of Massachusetts."
 
Although unable to read or write, Freeman understood the meaning of freedom and equality and took extraordinary action to secure those rights for herself and others. Her story remains one of the most powerful examples of individual courage in the face of injustice. 
 
Elizabeth Freeman Day will provide an opportunity for reflection, education, healing, and remembrance, said Williams. 
 
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