Charity Center and Rabbi Jeff Goldwasser honored

Larry Clairmont of the Pope John Paul II Charity Center in Adams speaks after the group received the Northern Berkshire Hero Award.

Our friends and colleagues from the John Paul the Great Charity Center in Adams were honored at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition with the Northern Berkshire Hero Award on Tuesday, June 7, at the Williams Inn. Larry Clairmont and other volunteers at the Charity Center, which provides people in need food, clothing and other necessities, have been most supportive of the Friendship Center. In fact, we have patterened several of our procedures, such as membership cards, thank-you notes and certificates, "shopping lists" and more on their example. Most importantly, they have showed us by their example what is possible.

Another friend of the Interfaith Action Initiative and Friendship Center was honored at the meeting, Rabbi Jeff Goldwasser. He is finishing a two-year term as president of the Coalition board of directors and will be leaving North Adams this summer for a post in the state of Florida. As representative to the Interfaith Initiative from the local clergy council, he has been very supportive and insightful and attended many of our meetings. We will miss him, and I will miss him.

A lot more news will be forthcoming soon, including our first Initiative planning meeting, a major grant for equipment, cooperation with Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and incorporation of students into our food pantry, and our upcoming meeting on June 17.

God Bless,

Mark

Rabbi Jeff Goldwasser (left) receives thanks from Al Bashevkin of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition.