Northern Berkshire Community Coalition

The mission of the Coalition is to improve the quality of life for people in northern Berkshire by organizing, supporting, and empowering the community. The Coalition works to achieve its mission by:

PROVIDING A PUBLIC PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY
Monthly meetings averaging over sixty participants are held the second Friday of each month, from September through May, at the First Baptist Church of North Adams. These meetings are open to all. Each year of forums begins in September with a public hearing offering the community an opportunity to help set the Coalition’s year long agenda. The Coalition News, mailed and e-mailed to over a thousand local citizens and organizations every month, includes articles about regional issues written by community members and Coalition staff. The Coalition also produces a monthly TV show about topics that will be presented at the monthly forum.

COMMUNITIES MOBILIZING FOR CHANGE ON ALCOHOL (CMCA)

CMCA is a multi-year project to reduce underage drinking by reducing teenagers access to alcohol and by establishing strong community norms against underage drinking in North Berkshire County.

BUILDING STRONGER NEIGHBORHOODS
The Northern Berkshire Community Coalition provides support, technical assistance, and leadership development for area neighborhoods through Northern Berkshire Neighbors. Northern Berkshire Neighbors works to engage residents in recognizing and addressing neighborhood and community issues through a variety of programs including neighborhood meetings and community events.

PROMOTING POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
UNITY (United, Neighboring, Interdependent, Trusted Youth), the Coalition’s youth development program, has been offering innovative, youth-driven programs since 1994.  Two staff serve as adult advisors to a variety of programming that involves students ages 14-19 from all over the northern Berkshire area.  Current projects include the Grooove concert series, a Teen Writing Workshop, the Youth Leadership Program, and the “411 in the 413″ Youth Conference.

Anyone who works or lives in the Northern Berkshire area and is interested in the work of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition is considered an affiliate of the Coalition. Coalition affiliation has included people of the Northern Berkshire community representing human services, businesses, clergy, higher education, local schools, local and state government, and local citizens. Voluntary contributions to help defray expenses are requested, but they do not affect affiliation with the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition.