Committed to Our Community – Jan 2025 Highlights
Happy New Day to You! In our new day, opportunities outshine barriers and all people feel a sense of community and belonging. January may bring cold and gray days to New England, but it also offers a chance to pause and reaffirm our commitment to building thriving communities across Western Massachusetts. We are steadfast in …
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December 2024 Highlights from 18 Degrees
18 Degrees Leadership: Stephanie Steed, President & CEO Gina Blake, LICSW, Senior Vice President Alison Mengel, LICSW, Vice President of Programs Bryan House, Vice President of Youth DevelopmentBen Wax, Vice President of Finance & Operations John Cadiz, SHRM-SCP, Senior Director of Human Resources Sarah Frederick, Vice President of Advancement Elise Weller, Senior Director of Early …
November 2024 Highlights from 18 Degrees
Thankful For You! At this time of year, we pause and give thanks. We count YOU among those we are grateful for – all of our donors and funders over the last fiscal year. Please take a look at our 2024 Impact Report for stories and details of our work. We …
2024 Annual Meeting & October Events!
Buy Tickets Join us in a celebration of our achievements, electing new board members, sharing personal stories of resiliency, and networking with others. Tickets are $45 and include a buffet lunch. RSVP by October 15th. Receive a copy of our 2024 Impact Report at the event and experience the impact of 18 Degrees. We hope …
September 2024 Highlights from 18 Degrees
Taking a Stand For Teachers and Our Children Danielle Butler, Assistant Director of Child Care Services on our Early Education & Care (EEC) team has been a dedicated advocate for teachers, affordable childcare, and investment in early education programs. In partnership with Berkshire United Way (BUW), Danielle has been participating in collaborative community …
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August 2024 Highlights from 18 Degrees
August 2024 Newsletter Creating a Brighter Day for Immigrant Families 18 Degrees Family Resource Center staff and volunteers who went above and beyond! When immigrants from Haiti arrived in Pittsfield last fall, 18 Degrees Family Resource Center staff and volunteers (including Alexia, Maria, Joachim, and Makhete) and other local service providers stepped in to help. …
July 2024 Highlights from 18 Degrees
Pride in Everything We Do During Pride Month in June and every day, 18 Degrees stands by the LGBTQIA+ community and allies. Our Family Resource Center provides essential education, advocacy, and safe spaces for individuals and the broader community. And, our programming fosters a sense of belonging, strengthens connections, enhances safety, and cultivates youth …
Kids 4 Harmony July News
2024 K4H Gala Recording Now Available! Maybe you missed it, or maybe you want to see it again! See below for details. Enjoy the recording of this year’s performance in Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, and other Kids 4 Harmony Gala-related videos, photos, and information on our event page! Thank you again to our generous …
Kids 4 Harmony to Receive $10,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
Pittsfield Casual Concert Tuesday, June 4th at 5:30 pm Zion Lutheran Church 74 First Street, Pittsfield Pittsfield, MA—Kids 4 Harmony, a program of 18 Degrees, is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Challenge America award of $10,000. This grant will support the program’s free …
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April 2024 Highlights from 18 Degrees
Are You Enjoying This Newsletter?Our monthly newsletter provides a closer look at the impact that you–our volunteers, supporters, and community members–have on bringing new beginnings to light. Please let us know how we are doing by taking the brief 5-question survey below. All responses are anonymous. Thank you! Take The Survey   April is National …
March 2024 Highlights from 18 Degrees
 A New Day for Families and Children Our Intersection with the MA Dept. of Children and Families 18 Degrees' Family Networks teams are housed in the offices of the MA Department of Children and Families (DCF). They provide an access-hub of services providing stabilization support and advocacy. The work and pace are demanding, yet …
Kids 4 Harmony Spring 2024 Concert Schedule
Upcoming Performances CIAO! with Kids 4 Harmony Monday, May 20 at 7:00 pm St. John's Episcopal Church 35 Park St, Williamstown Once again, our friends from CIAO! have invited Kids 4 Harmony to share the stage with them at this annual concert. K4H musicians include students from both Pittsfield and North Adams. Kids 4 Harmony …
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January 2024 Highlights from 18 Degrees
Happy New Year From 18 Degrees!  Anniversary Reflection from our President Thanks to my long history with 18 Degrees, I have a familiarity with the challenges our communities in Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley face, as well as their potential. During my first year as President & CEO, I’ve gained a new perspective highlighting …
December Highlights from 18 Degrees
Monthly News Highlights Introducing Our New Board Chair Sheila Heffernon's relationship with 18 Degrees began five years ago when she attended a Kids 4 Harmony Gala. It was clear to her that 18 Degrees is an agency that truly makes a difference in the lives of the people it serves. Shortly thereafter, Sheila joined the board …
18 Degrees Community Cookbook
Click below to view recipes submitted by 18 Degrees staff and families for our Community Cookbook.
November Highlights from 18 Degrees
Monthly News Highlights 18 Degrees Permanency Services Federal data documents roughly 400,000 children in foster care in the US and 113,000 waiting to be adopted. 18 Degrees is the only state-contracted adoption management service in Western MA guiding foster children and families toward permanent placement. In the last 6 months, we've helped facilitate 7 adoptions. Darien and …
October Highlights From 18 Degrees
Recognized for our ImpactExperts in our Field 18 Degrees was honored with a Peer Provider Award from the Provider's Council. President & CEO Stephanie Steed proudly accepted the award at the ceremony. Founded in 1975, the Providers’ Council is the largest human services trade association. The Peer Provider Award is presented by the Council to agencies …
September Highlights From 18 Degrees
Summer Wrap-Up & Back-to-SchoolHighlights of our Early Education and Care Programming Our early education staff and teachers are committed to providing a fun, creative, and nurturing atmosphere, helping young children grow and thrive. We offer two childcare locations in Pittsfield with a social-emotional learning curriculum from infancy until Kindergarten. Out-of-school care Kid's Clubs are …
A Reflection from a Healing Homes Teammate
My name is Kyle, and I’ve been working with 18 Degrees for just over nine years now in the Healing Homes Comprehensive Foster Care program. We started in Hadley and later made a smooth transition into West Springfield, closer to the families we work with. I came into this field hoping to be a voice …
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18 DEGREES RECEIVES GRANT FUNDING TO SUPPORT MENTORING PROGRAM
18 Degrees is pleased to have been awarded a second $20,000 grant from the Mass Mentoring Partnership to support youth in the Pittsfield Community Connection Program (PCC). This matching grant is further supported by generous grant funding we received in 2022 from Berkshire United Way. 18 Degrees is honored to partner with our local and state …
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18 DEGREES ANNOUNCES NEXT PRESIDENT AND CEO
The 18 Degrees Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Stephanie Steed, MEd, will assume the position of President and CEO on January 1, 2023. Steed, a longtime employee of the agency and current Vice President of Programs, assumes the position following the departure of Sarah Cook, who is leaving Western Massachusetts to spend …
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18 Degrees Launches Leadership Cohort
Submitted by Sarah Cook, President and CEO We strive to make 18 Degrees an organization where we regularly welcome fresh ideas and new perspectives, introduce new skills, and provide learning opportunities to expand our knowledge. In this vein, we are thrilled to launch our first agency-wide leadership cohort this fall for a rigorous nine-month exploration of …
Standout Summer for Kids 4 Harmony
Kids 4 Harmony is back in action for the school year. Earlier this month, Pittsfield’s Beginning Ensemble students got to choose their instruments at Morningside, while the Advanced String Ensemble and Elayne P. Bernstein Ensemble got back to work at Pittsfield High School. And new for K4H this year, we got a head start with …
YouthLaunch 3-year Impact Report
Download our 3-Year Program Report The YouthLaunch program was a three-year pilot that focused on early engagement for families with children zero to ten years old. Using a holistic approach with the EMPath Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) model, we further integrated a focus on parent and child interactions, as well as early and preliteracy skills …
Celebrating Pride Month
Submitted by Emma Lenski, M.S., LGBTQIA Services Coordinator Family Resource Center at 18 Degrees As Pride Month comes to a close, I wanted to make a statement about its ongoing significance. LGBTQ rights in this country have a long history, with the well-known Stonewall Riots being a catalyst for future change. Of course, we know …
What’s Happening at Kids 4 Harmony – March 2022
What's Happening at Kids 4 Harmony From special collaborations to where you can catch the next performance and everything in between, this issue is overflowing with all the exciting things happening at Kids 4 Harmony. Eleanor Rigby The Kids 4 Harmony string quartet and the vocal trio from Darrow demonstrated what …
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Celebrating Black History
By Sarah Cook, President and CEO At 18 Degrees, we celebrate Black History Month by acknowledging that Black history is American history, and its celebration cannot, and should not, be confined to just one month. We hope that the wealth of information and activities available throughout the month sparks conversations, enriches experiences, and ignites a curiosity …
Winter 2022 Newsletter
A Message from our President and CEO At 18 Degrees, we are motivated by the belief that even when things seem dark, there is a new beginning over the horizon. Our goals are to provide services and supports that transform the lives of children, families, and communities by creating opportunities that inspire hope, promote possibilities, …
Celebrating Mentoring Month at 18 Degrees
By Sarah Cook, President, and CEO of 18 Degrees We’re reaching the end of the twentieth National Mentor Month, launched in 2002 to “recruit new mentors, advance the mentoring field’s legislative priorities, and drive meaningful change for young people.” We are proud of our mentoring program here at 18 Degrees, through which we currently serve …
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Mentoring Creates Meaningful Connections
In honor of National Mentoring Month, we celebrate the countless contributions and lifelong positive impact our mentors have on area youth. These powerful relationships have the ability to improve academic, social, and economic prospects and make youth more likely to have safer, healthier, and more prosperous lives. Mentor Reflections Seeing Life Through Fresh Eyes My own children are adults now. …
18 Degrees Expands Youth Programming
18 Degrees, Family Services for Western MA, is offering additional programs for young people in the Berkshires. These programs are designed to guide young people to the resources, skills, and support to help them reach their goals. All of our youth programs aim to ignite young people’s creativity, support their ambitions, discover opportunities, and break …
18 Degrees to Participate in Early Childhood Support Pilot Program
18 Degrees has been selected to participate in the Department of Early Education and Care’s (DEEC) pilot program, Early Childhood Support Organization Initiative. The goal of the pilot is to develop strategies that accelerate continuous improvement in teaching, curriculum, and leadership skills to assure children are receiving the highest levels of quality early education. The …
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The Kids Are Not Alright
Want to join the conversation?Be part of our coming together for our young people.Email info@18degreesma.org or call 413-448-8281 ext. 236 By: Erin Sullivan, Vice President of Community and Donor Relations As an adult, it is hard to go a day without talking or thinking about COVID-19. It has consumed our lives, changed our routines, and created …
2021-2022 Young Women’s Advisory Council Applications Available
Calling young women, ages 16-24 from Springfield, MA, interested in strategizing efforts to encourage a safe, healthy, and economically prosperous community with gender and racial equity. Join us for the 2021-2022 Young Women’s Advisory Council (YWAC), where you will investigate barriers, explore solutions, and make recommendations for change in your community. Throughout the year, you …
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Sarah Cook Named New President and CEO of 18 Degrees
Sarah E. Cook has been named the new President and CEO by the Board of Directors of 18 Degrees. Originally from Boston, Ms. Cook is a graduate of Princeton University and The London School of Economics. Her career has focused on providing opportunity to underserved populations in Boston and most recently in Austin, Texas, where her …
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Career Readiness Creates Access to the Job Market
By: Thom Fox, Business and Employment Director 18 Degrees’ new Business and Employment Unit of Pittsfield Community Connection has launched its first 16-week Career Readiness program, introducing young people to the world of work, money, and life, helping to build a positive experience for their future. The Business and Employment Unit was established in October …
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Coalition Address Youth Violence
By: Sharnice Jones, Coalition Director 18 Degrees is expanding our work with young people in Pittsfield Community Connection and West Main Connection programs. Coalition is a grant-funded gun violence prevention program awarded through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Coalition works directly with young people affected by gun violence by delivering evidence-based prevention, intervention, treatment, …
Spring Brings New Opportunities to Light
A Message from Interim Executive Director Stephanie Steed Each spring brings with it the promise of more light and warmer days. My optimism for healthy communities grows as businesses reopen and opportunities to visit with friends and family increase. While the cold winter days are often seen as a time of bundling up and slowing …
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