This coalition of the willing is turning 20

"I remember all of us sitting at the American Legion, looking at each other and thinking, 'What are we going to do?' I was one of the original members, at the time I was running for office and was the executive director of the Community Development Corp.," Bosley, a North Adams Democrat, said. "I think the nice part about the Coalition is that it's non-threatening to other service groups. It doesn't infringe on their funding or purposes. It helps bring people together and has made a statement in the area, helping bring in more funding to help people at the individual level."

The coalition will celebrate its 20th anniversary during its annual meeting, Friday, June 9, at the Williams Inn, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The annual Northern Berkshire Heroes Award will be presented to Sue and Alex Daugherty during the buffet-style luncheon.

Executive Director Alan Bashevkin said it was around this time of year, 20 years ago that he met with Miles Whitney and several other local people about the creation of a health and human services coalition.

"I was very excited and took the job as director. North Adams is a very different place from when we began. When we started, we were primarily concerned with connecting people with services," he said. "A lot of people (who lost their jobs at Sprague Electric) were still looking for jobs and their benefits were running out."

He said the coalition focused on connecting people with health and human service agencies, creating guides and working within the service sector. "I still see that as our role, but our focus has broadened into that of a community coalition. We experienced the challenges of a mill town and now are experiencing the challenge of what a new creative economy means today," Bashevkin said.

"The coalition is a true reflection of what we've heard over the years. It's evolved because our needs have evolved," Bosley said.

Mayor John Barrett III joked that the coalition had been around "almost as long" as he has been in the corner office.

"What's made them survive is they've evolved into a different agency. North Adams is a far different city from 20 years ago and they've changed with the times and continue to play a pivotal role in the process," he said.

Barrett created the coalition with giving a voice to people "who need a voice, but rarely have one" on the local and state political levels.

"They are still working in the neighborhoods, which are the heartbeat of any city. They have certainly done a great deal for the less fortunate people in the communities," he said. "They have made sure the Berkshires remains compassionate and understanding to the needs of its residents. They fill that role very well."

City Councilor Marie T. Harpin, who has served as director of Northern Berkshire Community Action for the past 14 years, said she has always been impressed with the instrumental role the coalition has played in getting programs started in the area.

"They brought in Congressman John W. Olver to speak about the transportation needs of our area. From that meeting and several meetings after that, we have Transportation of Northern Berkshire ride program. They have certainly serviced a lot of people," she said.

Bashevkin said the coalition had heard about transportation issues since 1995 and in 1999 began working with Olver, the Berkshire Regional Transportation Association and Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

"We did a year long study of the regions transportation needs. John Olver had experience with transportation systems throughout the state and country, so he was able to connect us with the group we needed to talk with," he said. "This is one of those things that came out of our monthly meetings. TANB provides over 3,500 rides a month."

Bashevkin said the coalition was very involved during the 1980s with the formation of ECU Healthcare and worked closely with Bosley on the state's self-sufficiency standards.

Harpin also spoke highly of the work the coalition has done with teenagers over the years. "They've created places like The Groove and worked with pregnant and teen mothers. They've created neighborhood organizations and helped clean up neighborhoods and plant flowers. The list just goes on," she said. "I wish them good luck and hope they're around for another 20 years."

Around 1993, the coalition grew, with the beginnings of what would become Northern Berkshire Neighbors.

"We were working with the Community Development Corp. on the idea of renovating houses along Bracewell Avenue. We had this idea to talk to the residence and give them the power to decide what was going on in their neighborhoods. We became involved with Shirley Davis, Keith Bona and some others people who formed UNO," Bashevkin said.

It was then Natalie Cain joined the staff of the coalition. Kathy Keeser would join the staff of Northern Berkshire Neighbors in 1997.

In 1994, the Northern Berkshire Health and Human Services Coalition became the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition. It was around that time that a teen off-shoot, UNITY, was formed.

"It was another thing that came out of our monthly meetings. We had been hearing a lot about violence at the local schools from teens and it really moved us. From the discussion about a profound problem, came this wonderful parallel group," Bashevkin said.

Bosley said one of the groups key assets is Bashevkin, who has been the guiding force since its inception.

"Part of it is Al. He's a hometown guy who makes a difference on the grassroots level. We're lucky to have him this long. With his experience and what he does, he could be in a bigger city making more money, but he chooses to stay here and we love him for it," he said.

Looking ahead to the future, Bashevkin said he hopes the coalition will still be serving the community.

"I think we'll be a combination of supporting and empowering the local residents," he said. "The young people involved with UNITY are our next leaders and the community is going to benefit from what their doing."

The coalition serves the communities of North Adams, Williamstown, Adams, Cheshire, Savoy, Florida and Clarksburg. Tickets for the anniversary dinner are still available. For more information, call 663-7588.