Giving Back Locally

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY 

By Scott Edward Anderson 

There's no better time than the holiday season to consider how we can strengthen the fabric of our local community. Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University, offered a compelling vision for civic engagement that transcends political divides when he spoke this past September at the Authors Guild WIT (Words, Ideas, and Thinkers) Festival in Lenox. 

"One of the best ways to contribute to keeping our democracy vital is supporting local organizations," Roth said. "It doesn't really matter if you're Republican or Democrat, people should have healthcare; people should be treated fairly.” 

In a recent follow-up interview, I asked Roth to expand on this theme. He emphasized that local organizations maintain their focus on community needs regardless of broader political shifts. Supporting these organizations, he noted, can take many forms: financial contributions, volunteering, or simply "showing love through participation.” 

Roth knows the Berkshires well. He and his wife, Kari Weil, have owned a house in Monterey for about 15 years and have been visiting the region since 2007, when he began working at Wesleyan, which also happens to be his alma mater. The couple currently spends about four months of the year in the Berkshires and hopes to spend more time here after retirement. They actively participate in local cultural and community organizations, attending poetry readings and other performances and supporting community centers in Monterey and Sandisfield. Weil, university professor of letters at Wesleyan, also serves on the board of Jacob's Pillow. 

During our conversation, Roth specifically highlighted organizations including Volunteers in Medicine (VIM), Great Barrington’s Mason Public Library, and local food banks as examples of the vital work happening across the region. He views these organizations as crucial to maintaining community vitality and sees local participation as a form of democratic engagement that transcends political divisions. 

"The health of the region depends on people supporting local organizations," Roth says. "These organizations are not demanding any particular kind of ideology. They're just dependent on local participation and support.” 

With this vision in mind, we spoke with several nonprofit leaders and advocates to compile a list of organizations worthy of your consideration this particular giving season to help the neediest in our community. Here’s our short list. 

Local Organizations Making a Difference 

BASIC Berkshires 

basicberkshires.org 

BASIC (Berkshire Alliance to Support the Immigrant Community) is a collaborative, sector-spanning network that coordinates resources for immigrants in the Berkshires. Launched in 2016, BASIC helps agencies avoid duplication, shares a resource directory, supports immigrant-focused policy work, convenes monthly partner meetings, and curates a calendar of immigrant-relevant programs. 

Berkshire Immigrant Center 

berkshireic.org 

Founded in 1997, the Berkshire Immigrant Center (BIC) offers legal, educational, and resource support to immigrants and refugees in Berkshire County. It is the only nonprofit in the region accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice to represent clients in immigration matters. Services include citizenship application assistance, visa processing, civil rights education, and connection to local social service supports. 

Elizabeth Freeman Center 

elizabethfreemancenter.org 

Elizabeth Freeman Center provides free and confidential support to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and interpersonal violence across Berkshire County. Services include emergency shelter, counseling, safety planning, legal advocacy, and prevention education. The organization has offices in Pittsfield, North Adams, and Great Barrington, and maintains a satellite presence in courts and police stations. 

Northern Berkshire Community 

Coalition (nbCC) 

nbccoalition.org 

Based in North Adams, the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition is a grassroots organization that works across a spectrum of social issues. It convenes residents, local agencies, and stakeholders through forums, youth and family programs, health and wellness initiatives, substance use prevention, and neighborhood-building efforts. nbCC also operates a Family Resource Center offering free, no-insurance-needed services for families with children ages 0–18.

Pittsfield Community Food Pantry

pittsfieldfoodpantry.org

The largest food pantry distribution operation in Berkshire County, the Pittsfield Community Food Pantry serves over 1,550 households monthly. It distributes groceries and prepared meals through its Grab and Go program, and hosts visiting partner agencies, including WIC and health clinics, on site to offer additional support to clients.

Southern Berkshire Rural Health Network

sbruralhealth.org

The Rural Health Network in southern Berkshire County is a coalition of health and social service organizations that meet regularly to identify community health gaps and coordinate collaborative responses. Its mission is to leverage shared knowledge and resources so that care and wellness are strengthened across more rural towns.

Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires (ViM Berkshires)

vimberkshires.org

ViM Berkshires is a free health care center serving uninsured and underinsured adults. Primarily volunteer-staffed, about 170 clinical and nonclinical volunteers support core services including primary care, dentistry, women’s health, optometry, and behavioral health. ViM Berkshires also intentionally addresses social determinants of health—food security, housing, transportation—by collaborating with community partners.

For additional organizations, check out the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires Giving Back Guide, npcberkshires.org/giving-back-guide, which lists more than 1,000 Berkshire nonprofits by categories such as Arts & Culture, Housing, and Youth & Education. Designed to connect nonprofits to people who want to “give back” either as volunteers or donors, the Giving Back Guide is an indispensable resource. Another good resource to find out what organizations are reaching out for help is to go to Berkshire United Way’s “Give Back” page online, berkshireunitedway.org/give-back.

This holiday season, consider investing in organizations that make our community stronger, healthier, and more resilient. Whether you give your time, share your talents, or provide financial support, your participation matters. These organizations don’t require ideological alignment—just a commitment to the idea that everyone in our community deserves dignity, health, and fairness. That’s something worth giving back to.