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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Lee Library Hosts 'Jacob's Pillow in Lee, Mass.' Exhibit

LEE, Mass. — A new public history exhibit, "Jacob's Pillow in Lee, Mass.," will open Monday, June 1, in the Scolforo Gallery at the Lee Library.
 
The exhibit traces the long and often overlooked relationship between the internationally renowned dance hub in Becket and the neighboring town of Lee from the early 1930s to today.
 
Researched and curated by Lee resident Joshua D. Bloom, a member of the Lee Historical Society and a former academic researcher, the exhibit will be on display through June 30. It will be open to the public during the library's regular hours when the gallery is not hosting other programming.
 
The exhibit tells the story of relationships between  Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and the town as they developed alongside one another through business, civic engagement, and personal connections.
 
Pamela Tatge, executive and artistic director of Jacob's Pillow, praised the project for highlighting the Pillow's community roots.
 
"This exhibit shines a light on the longstanding connections between Jacob's Pillow and the town of Lee," Tatge said. "The Pillow's history is deeply intertwined with the people and communities that have supported it for generations."
 
Several public programs will accompany the exhibit throughout June:
  • Tuesday, June 2, 4-5:45 p.m.: Opening reception with Pamela Tatge at the Lee Library
  • Saturday, June 6, 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Family Dance Party with dance educator Sarah Daunt (sponsored by the Lee Youth Commission)
  • Thursday, June 11, 11-noon: History of Lee seniors dancing at Jacob's Pillow (sponsored by the Lee Council on Aging, at 21 Crossway St.)
  • 4:30-5:45 p.m.: "Secret" gay history of Jacob's Pillow with historian Norton Owen (sponsored by Lee Pride, a project of Berkshire Pride, and Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition)
  • Saturday, June 13, 12:30-2 p.m.: "Secret" LGBTQ-plus history of Lee walking tour led by Bloom (beginning and ending at Park Square during Lee Pride; tour sponsored by Lee Pride, a project of Berkshire Pride, and Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition)
  • Monday, June 22, 4:30–5:45 p.m. — History of the Cantarella School of Dance in Lee with Madeline Cantarella Culpo and her Lee dancers (sponsored by the Lee Historical Society)
  • Monday, June 29, 4:30–5:45 p.m.: Closing reception on marketing, tourism, and business relations between Jacob's Pillow and the Town of Lee (sponsored by the Lee Chamber of Commerce)
This exhibit is made possible, in part, through a grant from the Lee Cultural Council, a local agency funded by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
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