Community Power in Berkshire County

Community Power in Berkshire County

By

Paul Deslauriers

The collective power that comes from grassroots organizing can raise a barn, find a missing child, respond to a natural disaster, or transform a nation.  Community can bring healing and upliftment, and is the most powerful expression of celebration and unity. Grassroots communities have historically been the primary mechanism for social change, human rights, environmental regulations, and improving working conditions.  Grassroots groups can be a way to rapidly create new systems that support community self-sufficiency and abundance.  The power of community has potential to bring enrichment on many levels including both personal and spiritual renewal.

This community power is being tapped in the Berkshires through a wide range of initiatives. The Berkshire Food Net is a unique collaborative effort dedicated to ending hunger, food scarcity and malnutrition throughout Central and Southern Berkshire County.  A 40 percent increase in food assistance participation over the past six months has resulted in some meal sites running out of food.  An assessment was conducted during January and February of 2009 that involved thirty two panties and meal sites and included ten important service providers and supporters.  This first time collaboration resulted in a strategy of twelve initiatives on how to revise the existing food network.  Several of the initiatives are underway, such as networking and supporting community gardens, and delivering the fresh produce to meal sites.  Another initiative seeks funding for reducing wastage by networking, soliciting and transporting donated food from grocery stores and restaurants.

Community action can tackle any issue.  One Berkshire group focuses on the woeful economic condition in our nation and studies Fractional Reserve Banking, derivatives and credit practices. They offer a twelve week course held in Great Barrington.  Presently, they are looking at expanding local currency using Berkshares, and are forming a Depositors’ Association. They are members of the Common Good Bank, where all bank profits benefit the community.  This group is now offering presentations and house parties, to teach a way out of the financial crisis through local currency use.

Citizens are addressing local green energy production by recapturing our region’s original hydroelectric power grid.  Their group’s vision is “zero net energy” meaning the energy used locally is equal to what is produced locally. In Central and Southern Berkshire County there are forty dams and conduit systems that have the necessary requirements for producing electricity but are not doing so. Citizens are organizing a study of the feasibility of restoring and tapping this energy source. They are sponsoring the first collaborative meeting with environmental, regulatory, engineering, state and funding organizations to utilize this existing resource to benefit our community.

Another committee of people has formed a timebank, which is similar to a barter system except that in a timebank you trade your time, “time dollars”, as a liquid currency. This is especially convenient because the person who provided a service for you can be reciprocated by anyone else in the organization when he spends the time dollars he earned from you. Each person’s hour is valued the same as any other person’s hour. The group has forty five active members offering more than one hundred different services, and asking nearly as many requests. The timebank is accessed through the internet, with members listing their personal profiles, offerings and requests. Timebanking is another workable form of currency.

To illustrate the power of grassroots community efforts, all these programs described originate from one group, Berkshire Co-Act (Community Organizing for Action).  If one group of volunteers can accomplish this much in one year, then you can begin to see the potential of other grassroots organizations in our region, such as BRIDGE, Railroad Street Youth Project, Project Sprout, Volunteers in Medicine, Orion Grassroots Network, and Volunteers for Change, just to name a few.

Regional grassroots groups that work collaboratively with other groups can tap even greater potential.  Often, organizations function in individual silos, never really accessing the possibilities that are achievable using a collaborative approach.  Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, in North Adams has been going strong for twenty five years.  Their community forum is a pool of resources and creativity to deal with community needs.  A similar collaborative is underway in Central and Southern Berkshire.

Become involved in grassroots community initiatives.  Participants often claim they receive much more than they give.  Attend meetings with other concerned citizens, volunteer at meals sites, and plug into something that is not focused on personal gain, but is about serving the community.  This involvement will nourish and feed your spirit.

The Author

Author Paul Deslauriers

Paul Deslauriers has over twenty-three years of experience as a community organizer, management coach, organizational development consultant, and workshop facilitator. He has worked with diverse groups such as the Alaskan Inuit, Icelandic, and Hawaiian communities. He was coordinator and coach for a group of two hundred and eighty-seven grassroots communities focused on activism in the United States and Europe. Presently, Paul is the Executive Director of Community Organizing for Action (Co-Act), which is involved with locally produced energy, ending hunger and malnutrition, public transportation, and local currency. Paul also gives workshops throughout the country involving grassroots community development and improving group performance.

Incorporating his wide experiences, his most recent book “The Grassroute Guide: a Roadmap to Community Empowerment”, lays out in a practical and applicable format, insightful principles of community organizing.

In his novel, “Bearer of Light: A Catalyst for Global Change”, Paul weaves six key characteristics of successful communities throughout the story, while providing hope and an uplifting approach to the challenges faced by our local communities and nation.

Employing innovative, new-paradigm concepts for “high energy group performance” he has served such clients as Hoechst, Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey Circus, IKEA, and over seventy TV broadcasting and advertising agencies, he has also authored “IN THE HIGH-ENERGY ZONE: The 6 Characteristics of Highly Effective Groups”.

Participate in Strengthening your Community

Contact: info@co-act.org, 413-232-7888

Food and Nutrition

Become involved with community gardens, meals sites and pantries, education, local organic food production, and farmer’s markets.

Alternative Energy

Support locally produced energy, Low impact hydroelectric, biofuels, and energy conservation

Local Currency

A local currency can revive our local economy, host house parties, become part of a depositors association, and Common Good Bank. Contact John, johngrootjr@gmail.com

Time Bank

Use “time dollars” to get things done, over 100 services available, no money needed, use the currency of your labor. Contact Michael, arepeee@yahoo.com

Co-Act Weekly Meeting

Every Tuesday meeting starts at 6:30 PM with a pot luck feast and meeting from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM on engaging topics. 52 Maple Hill Rd., West Stockbridge. Contact Paul, paulnrg@aol.com

berkshire green click on the link and go to page 45