Family Services for Western Massachusetts
By: Ginger Cruz-Rosario, Team Lead for Pittsfield Community Connection Beth joined Pittsfield Community Connection (PCC) at the height of the pandemic. She did not let the challenges of social distancing stop her from engaging youth and working to provide the interpersonal connections they so desperately needed in this time of isolation. In the spring of …
Continue reading "Staff Spotlight, August 2022: Beth Gilbert"
By: Sean Elligers, Artistic Director If you’ve followed Kids 4 Harmony and seen or heard the many students’ achievements, you’ve likely seen or heard of Courtney Clark as well - once the program’s Lead Teaching Artist and eventually the Artistic Director. Since 2011, alongside Alicia Stevenson (the previous Artistic Director), Courtney has been the unstoppable …
Continue reading "Staff Spotlight, July 2022: Courtney Clark"
Emma Lenski, M.S., LGBTQIA+ Services Coordinator 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 …
By: Alison Mengel, Director of Permanency Healing Homes, 18 Degrees’ foster care program, provides children a welcoming home to heal in a culture of love, acceptance, and consistency. As a social worker for Healing Homes, Emily approaches each case by learning all she can to establish that vital relationship of trust with a child and …
By: Alison Mengel, Director of Permanency At a recent monthly Comprehensive Foster Care meeting, the DCF Regional Placement Coordinator began by asking the large group, “What is Andrea Bateman doing that has workers and kids asking for her BY NAME?” Andrea was equally surprised and amused by this story. However, this accolade came as no …
Continue reading "Staff Spotlight, May 2022: Andrea Bateman"
By: Sarah Kelley, Director of Community Support Programs Let’s hear it for Nancy! Nancy Gomez is an EMPath Peer Specialist, a position she’s held since 2019 – shortly after she completed the program. The Economic Mobility Pathways model (EMPath) is an evidence-based model to help coach families to move out of poverty and toward self-sufficiency. In her …
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 …
Continue reading "What’s Happening at Kids 4 Harmony – March 2022"
By: Danielle DeBerry, Program Director, Greenfield Family Networks Aaron Piziali is an Education Coordinator with Greenfield Family Networks. He returned to this position at 18 Degrees in 2017, and since that time, it is clear that Family Networks has been fortunate to have him back. His passion to serve the youth and families within the …
Continue reading "Staff Spotlight, February 2022: Aaron Piziali"
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 …
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, …
