Northern Berkshire MLK Jr. Day of Service

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Committee invites the public to the annual Northern Berkshire MLK Jr. Day of Service to celebrate the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with this annual day of volunteering. 

Gather Monday, Jan. 15, as the Northern Berkshire community celebrates the life, principles, and ideals of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by participating in a "Day of Service." A celebratory luncheon will follow.

The celebration begins at 8:30 a.m. at MCLA's Church Street Center with coffee and pastries. Volunteer site service will take place from approximately 9:30 a.m. to noon. 

This is a family-friendly event and there are projects appropriate for all ages and abilities. Participants will choose from numerous sites to provide service to the community, including: Louison House, Sweetwood, Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires, weatherization for homes, meal prep/delivery sites, ROOTs Teen Center, as well as projects onsite at the Church Street Center, like mitten, blanket and card making.

North Adams' Child Care of the Berkshires Gets New Boiler

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:36PM / Monday, January 27, 2025

State Rep. John Barrett III, Mayor Jennifer Macksey and child-care President Amy Hall pose with Mariyana Wiggins-Rigers and Meadow Gancarz, who are attending the preschool program.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Child Care of the Berkshires has been undergoing several initiatives to update its facility in the Sarah T. Haskins School.

 

The most recent project is the replacement of its boiler, which was made possible thanks to $50,000 of earmarked funds from the state budget that state Rep. John Barrett III secured. 

 

Barrett visited the child-care agency on Friday to see the dark cyan boiler, highlighting his contribution with a plaque saying, "Representative John Barrett Honorary Boiler — Keeping Kids Warm for Years to Come."

 

"We are really dedicated to giving children of all income levels a really high-quality experience, and a lot of that is space. It makes a difference. It truly does," said Amy Hall, Child Care of the Berkshires president and CEO. 

 

"If a classroom is warm, then kids are going to be comfortable, then they're going to be able to learn. So this boiler helped us keep things a lot better, like the heat is much more even in the building, so the kids are warm, and they can just play and learn and be kids."

 

Barrett has had a close connection to the building since early on in his political career, starting in 1984, when elected mayor of North Adams. 

 

When he first came into office, the building was not in very good shape, he said.