Volunteers with Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity install siding at Prosperity Way during 'Carters' Day.'
Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity joined nearly 50 organizations across the state in projects honoring former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
About 50 volunteers pulled out their hammers to help construct the single-family homes in Housatonic.
President Carter and first lady Roslyn Carter were known for their work with Habitat.
Phase one of the affordable housing project in Housatonic broke ground this past summer and is expected to be completed in a few more months.
State Sen. Paul Mark and Central Berkshire Habitat CEO Carolyn Valli speak of the importance of the work of Habitat and the late Carters.
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — A common sentiment among public officials throughout the county recently is the uncertainty at the state level.
However, one thing remains clear — true change comes through a combination of dedicated individual efforts and strong community support.
This was exemplified last month during the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project's new rural rally across America.
Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity was part of the nearly 50 organizations across the state doing projects in rural areas in honor of 39th President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
The Carters were known for their humanitarian work, establishing the Carter Center to promote peace and human rights and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, leading its Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project for 30 years.
They worked alongside more than 108,100 volunteers who have built, renovated or repaired more than 4,447 homes in 14 countries, according to the Habitat for Humanity website.
"I was lucky enough to meet them several times, and they were just the most amazing crew and if Jimmy were here today, he would have said our break was a little too long, because you always had to pull him from whatever he was doing," Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity CEO Carolyn Valli said
"It would be like, 'OK, I can still drink my coffee and be hammering' and Roslyn was right with him every day doing it.
"He had an impact as a president, but I think he had a bigger impact on volunteerism in the whole world. They were a wonderful couple, and I would love to see more people emulate him."
As part of the rural rally, development continued on Great Barrington's new affordable housing community, Prosperity Way.
About 50 volunteers picked up their hammers on Oct. 31, including representatives from community organizations such as Greylock, Federal Credit Union, and Berkshire Money Management.
Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity is currently in phase one of transforming a 7.25-acre parcel at 385 North Plain Road in Housatonic into a vibrant, inclusive neighborhood, featuring 20 single-family homes, dubbed Prosperity Way.
Phase one includes the construction of six homes, which is expected to be completed within a couple of months.
Phase one, which includes the first six homes, is expected to be completed within a couple of months from the meeting date. Currently, they are working on five two-story modular homes and one ranch style home. Phase two will begin next year and phase three will follow the year after.
Great Barrington was given the land and did all the infrastructure work, including the road, water, sewer, and electric, O'Brien said.
Valli highlighted that what she loved about the Prosperity Way project is how it has been community informed from the very beginning.
When Great Barrington Land Trust started thinking about purchasing the land, Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity was able to bring neighbors, abutters, and business people together to determine what they wanted to see and what their dreams were for their community, she said.
"They were really clear as to what they wanted. They wanted single family homes. They wanted it where they would have first-floor bedrooms and baths so that they can age in place. They wanted to come in green so that their kids could all play together," Valli said.
"They designed this to be a community, and we were so happy that we put in the work and the effort to be able to make what their dreams were a reality."
The need for housing in the Berkshires and throughout the state is a critical need, state Sen. Paul Mark said.
"One of the functions of government is to try to give stability to a really uncertain world. And we're trying to be that stable government here in Massachusetts," Mark said.
This is especially true in rural areas like South County because they do not get as much attention despite having individuals that are the "fabric of the community," said Erin O'Brien, Central Berkshire Habitat's communications manager.
Last year as part of a housing bill, the state Senate was able to authorize money for Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, Mark said.
The hope is that the funds will, at some point, flow through and help the development of Prosperity Way.
"You're talking about the ability to own a home, the ability to gain equity and build wealth, and the ability to live here in our community and work here," he said.
"The access to housing is one of the biggest barriers we face to economic development. I'm really grateful that I was invited to come witness this special day and try to help them out a bit."
On the state level there have been cuts to grants and even rescission of funds that have already been contracted for, which is affecting everything happening at the state government level, Mark said. This year, the state budgeted $800 million that wasn't allocated just to be ready to try to respond to the impact of these unexpected cuts.
The biggest hit for Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity was last year when its federal AmeriCorps grant was pulled out from underneath them, Valli said.
This reduced the AmeriCorps members that served the community at "barely a living wage stipend"
"They had to all say they were not serving anymore because of the current administration. So, there was the pain of having to look in their faces and saying, the government let you down," she said.
However, Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity was lucky because it had donors who stepped up to help keep them paid while the issue was resolved.
"What I'm seeing as backlash this year is a lot of people don't want to sign up for AmeriCorps because they don't trust that whatever funding were promised will actually come through, and that makes it really challenging," Valli said.
"It's hard as a nonprofit to also be the human side of things, and when you're the one who has to sit across from their faces and see the disappointment and the sadness, it was a really big blow for our entire staff."
The state is working to fund programs that are being cut or, at the very least, to serve as a temporary bridge. On the local level, Mark noted that neighbors, communities, and organizations are coming together to do more with less and are possibly asking more from their donors.
"What I keep trying to tell people is — the bad news is, I think we're in this boat for at least four years, and we have to be prepared for that,"
"We have to think differently. We have to focus more locally. We have to be ready with redundancy, and we're not going to change who we are in Massachusetts just because the financial picture changed unexpectedly at the federal level."
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