The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires founded the Berkshire Immigrant Center in 1997 to assist Berkshire County Immigrants waning to become American citizens. This program operates for Immigrants to the region, regardless of race or religious preference. Since 1997 the Center has evolved into an office of immigrant services to address the broader needs of the local immigrant and refugee population. The Berkshire Immigrant Center (BIC), currently run under the auspices of Berkshire Community Action Council, is the only program in Berkshire County which works exclusively to meet the challenges faced by our rapidly growing immigrant community. BIC offers the following services:

• Citizenship assistance including application support, disability and fee waivers, English as a Second Language/Civics classes, follow-up and advocacy with the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services
• Settlement Services: orientation, information, referrals and general counseling for recently arrived immigrants
• Advocacy and public education including consultation, group information sessions and workshops, and outreach to communities and other not-for-profit organizations
• Referrals to and enrollment in English classes or with private tutors
• Work with state and federal legislators in support of immigrants’ initiatives
• Monthly walk-in clinics for free consultations with an immigration attorney; referrals to immigration attorneys throughout the state
• Referrals to other community services to facilitate access of daycare, health care, continuing education, career counseling, housing, and other social service needs
• Voter education and promotion of civic participation
• Interpretation and translation services
• Information and distribution of forms for a variety of immigration issues including adjustment of status, green cards, visas, political asylum, work authorization and family sponsorship
• Distribution of Federal Emergency Food and Shelter funds and furniture and clothing donations

In addition to working to meet the individual needs of our clients, we also aim to address the problems confronted by the greater immigrant and refugee community by performing community outreach and offering educational seminars on such topics as immigrant workers’ rights, access to health care, and the basics of immigration and naturalization. We work closely with immigration attorneys, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), and with local and state legislators to advocate on behalf of our immigrant population.

The Berkshire Immigrant Center employs bilingual staff members (Spanish, Russian) who are culturally sensitive and thoroughly understand the needs and challenges faced by the immigrant and refugee community. The Program Director, Hilary Greene, holds a Bachelors degree in Soviet and Russian Studies and is a fluent Russian speaker. Hilary spent several years working in public relations in St. Petersburg, Russia and then worked as Program Manager of The National Young Composers Competition at Williams College prior to joining the staff of the Jewish Federation in 1999. Education Director, Lola Greene, holds a Masters Degree in Classics from Colombia University. She was a teacher of English and Latin for the New York City Public School system prior to moving to the Berkshires when she took a post as Latin teacher at Mt. Greylock Regional High School. Since retiring in 2001, Lola has continued to tutor students in English and Latin and has volunteered as an English as a Second Language tutor. The Outreach Coordinator, Brooke Mead, was formerly a high school Spanish teacher and is currently working on her Masters in Spanish through Middlebury College. She has lived in Venezuela and Mexico and, having been an immigrant herself, brings with her the cultural understanding and sensitivity necessary to work with the immigrant and refugee population. The Center also employs a volunteer student intern from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and a large number of volunteer translators and interpreters. Michele Sisselman, a licensed immigration attorney with over ten year’s experience, provides pro-bono consultations on behalf of the Center’s clients and staff. Michele represents clients before US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of State (DOS), Department of Labor (DOL) and other relevant agencies in all steps of processes necessary to obtain temporary or permanent immigration status in the United States.  Michele is an active member in the New England Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She is a frequent speaker and presenter on immigration issues.

Since its inception in 1997, the Berkshire Immigrant Center has served over 4,300 clients from 86 different countries – a sign that the Berkshires is becoming an increasingly diverse community with a vast need for services for the immigrant and refugee population. In 2006, we served a total of 969 unduplicated clients – a large increase from 612 in 2004 and 843 in 2005. The following list shows the numbers and countries of origin of our 2005 clients:

The Berkshire Immigrant Center is supported by numerous generous individuals and groups, including the following:

• Jewish Federation of the Berkshires
• First Baptist Church of Pittsfield
• Berkshire United Way
• Greylock Federal Credit Union
• City of Pittsfield
• Berkshire Bank Foundation
• Massachusetts Bar Foundation

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