Berkshire Environmental Action Team Executive Director Jane Winn, left, was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her 22 years running BEAT.
Berkshire Immigrant Center Executive Director Melissa Canavan receives the Executive Leadership Award.
Berkshire County Historical Commission's Cynthia Farr Brown is presented the Board Leadership Award.
The Volunteer Award went to Pamela Conroy Breslin, a volunteer and board member of the Literacy Network.
Samya Rose Stumo Youth Leadership Award is presented to
Rachael Bentz of Arts in Recovery for Youth.
Lauren Smith, director of community relations and development at Fairview Hospital, receives the Rock Star Award.
Unsung Hero:
Chris Ciepiela of Berkshire Horseworks was this year's Unsung Hero.
The annual recognition event was held at the Country Club of Pittsfield.
Associate Director McCaela Donovan, left, and Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires founder Liana Toscanini open the award ceremony.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Seven nonprofit leaders, described as "the best of who we are," have been recognized for their drive to make the Berkshires a better place.
The Nonprofit Center of The Berkshires held its 8th annual award ceremony on Tuesday at the Country Club of Pittsfield.
"What I love about this room is that it's a lot of nonprofit people and a lot of people who support nonprofits," said Liana Toscanini, founder and executive director of the Berkshire NPC.
"And I think that's something that we try to do, is introduce people face to face. So, faces behind the checks that support your work, faces of the people who actually do the work."
Board Chair Emily Schiavoni said that in a time when headlines warn of federal funding cuts and uncertainty it is more important than ever that people come together.
"And here in Berkshire County, we do," she said.
"We lean on each other, we support each other, we carry forward the essential work of caring for our communities together. Today is a celebration of the nonprofits, the volunteers, and dedicated individuals who rise above the challenges to make a difference. Your work uplifts lives, strengthens our communities, and reflects the very best of who we are."
Honorees include Berkshire Immigrant Center Executive Director Melissa Canavan, former board president and vice president of the Berkshire County Historical Commission Cynthia Farr Brown, Literacy Network volunteer and board member Pamela Conroy Breslin, Arts in Recovery for Youth program manager Rachael Bentz, Fairview Hospital Director of Community Relations and Development Lauren Smith, youth and wellness guide at Berkshire HorseWorks Chris Ciepiela, and Berkshire Environmental Action Team Executive Director Jane Winn.
State Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Leigh Davis presented the award recipients with House citations, and a pre-recorded acceptance speech was played. At the beginning of the ceremony, attendees were treated to a performance from the Youth Alive dance troupe.
"It is so good to be in this room with so many friends and so many people doing the good work," Farley-Bouvier said. "The world that we live in today, this fills me up to be with all of you because this right here, this is what community looks like, right here in this room."
Winn, who was given the Lifetime Achievement Award, announced that she will be retiring in August after more than 22 years of running BEAT.
"I had always protecting the environment was really important. I grew up on the banks of the Housatonic River when it was really polluted. You held your breath going over river bridges because it smelled so bad, it caught on fire outside my house, and I could not understand why nobody did anything," she said.
"If I had known that you could have a career protecting the environment, this is what I would have done my entire life. This is what I was born to do."
She told the younger generation, "If you’re passionate about something, do it. Don't think you have to have a career separate from what you're passionate about." More importantly, Winn told fellow nonprofits that if you can pay people, it makes it a lot easier for the younger generation to participate and fosters diversity.
BEAT's Deputy Director Brittany Ebeling, said Winn has done this work "because she simply could not do otherwise."
"I think Jane has always understood that if we are going to stand a ghost of a chance in fighting for the Earth, we must begin by feeling tethered to some part of it, no matter how small and no matter how potentially on fire from time to time," Ebeling said.
Ebeling pointed out that, at a time when so many are feeling a sense of climate despair and paralysis, Winn somehow continues to protest, rally, write public comments, train others, and run campaigns.
Winn often says, "We all become environmental activists when the problem is in our own back yard," and Ebeling said for the past 22 years, Winn has been a steward of the collective back yard of Berkshire County.
"When we started, we were all volunteers, and I sort of was taking the lead, and I've been amazed and blessed to have the most wonderful staff throughout the years," Winn said.
"They do such hard work and make me look good, and being surrounded by people who care about the environment gives me a very distorted view of the world, which I really appreciate."
Bentz, who received the Samya Rose Stumo Youth Leadership Award, teaches skills and art projects and spoke candidly about how those skills can be applied to help participants get well from their own lived experiences. They have helped more than 100 families recover, and group members consistently report feeling safe and supported by them.
A participant in the suicide prevention art therapy program from the age of 14, Bentz became an employee about five years ago and a program manager last year.
"AIRY brought me back from my lowest point to a manageable place where I can now do things like this. This and talking to crowds is not something I could have ever done back then, and so I think that really inspired me to give back to the community, to AIRY," they said.
"I saw the work it did and I saw firsthand and experienced firsthand how helpful this program was and how it changed my life, and I wanted to be able to do that for others, especially for people who were trapped in a certain home life, or were at a bad school situation, or any number of things, trauma, anything. I wanted to be able to help them and to show them that there is hope."
Canavan, who received the Executive Leadership Award, explained that what makes an organization exciting and a place people want to show up to is the involved individuals who are all driven by different things that contribute to its mission.
"If I can do my part, whether that's helping write a grant with my development director, or if it's doing the kind of grunt work, if you will, and making sure our physical space is comfortable for everybody, then I know they're going to show up. I know that then, our clients are going to be well taken care of. They're going to be happy," she said.
"And it's the little thing that I feel like I can do to help them, that I just feel like can make a huge difference. It's almost like, because I'm choosing to pay attention to little things that I know everybody else hopefully is feeling equipped to do and complete their own personal missions."
When announcing Canavan's award, President and CEO of Greylock Federal Credit Union John Bissell said he is grateful for the nonprofits that work with Greylock teams to overcome barriers to access and help people navigate their lives more safely and more confidently.
"Including nearly all of you in this room. In countless ways, each of your agencies helps lift up this community and build toward a stronger, more inclusive, more supportive economy, no matter what," he said.
"In particular, our credit union is committed to opening the doors of financial access for new Americans as they work hard toward their dreams of financial stability, home ownership, and entrepreneurship. Without a doubt, Berkshire County is a richer, more vibrant place thanks to the enormous talents and contributions of immigrants in this community."
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