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Berkshire Immigrant Center

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You are here: Home / About BIC

About BIC

phiA Program of MIRA Coalition
(Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy)

67 East Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201

(For directions to the Center and parking information click here.)

Tel: (413) 445-4881

Fax: (413) 445-4802

info@berkshireic.com

Michelle Lopez, Executive Director (fluent in English and Spanish)

Lorena Dus, Senior Case Worker (fluent in English and Spanish)

Maureen Blennerhassett, Junior Case Worker (fluent in English and Spanish)

Ivan Victoriano, Intake Coordinator (fluent in English and Spanish)

Jennifer Smith, Education Director, 781-899-0535

Sheryl Lechner, Development Coordinator

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 9am- 3 pm, by appointment only

Wednesdays 1 pm- 6 pm, by appointment only

Walk-in Clinic: Wednesdays, 11 am- 1 pm

A $25 fee per half hour consultation is requested

Our two counselors each see 4 clients on Wednesdays at our Walk-in Clinic. No appointment necessary. They see clients on a first come first served basis.

Our Mission:

The mission of the Berkshire Immigrant Center is to assist individuals and families in making the economic, psychological and cultural adjustment to a new land, not only by meeting basic needs, but also by helping them to become active participants in our community. The Center also aims to build bridges of understanding and cooperation across cultures, to fight racism and discrimination in all forms, and to advocate for the rights of immigrants from all backgrounds.

The Center offers comprehensive services for individuals from more than 80 countries to promote civic engagement, facilitate cultural integration, and assist in navigating the complex U.S. immigration system.

Our 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
  • 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

Nuestro program puede proporcionarle los siguientes servicios:

  •  Orientación para los aplicantes de la ciudadanía incluyendo asistencia con la solicitud, y clases de inglés o de la cívica de los EEUU (historia y gobierno)
  • Información sobre inmigración y evaluación de casos
  • Referidos a clases de inglés o tutores privados
  • Referidos a abogados de inmigración y otras agencias de servicios sociales
  • Sesiones de información legal mensualmente, y talleres de inmigración cada tres meses

**Hay que sacar una cita para que te veamos en la oficina**

Por favor llama a 413-445-4881 extension 4 para hacer una cita

Horas de oficina: Lunes- Jueves 9-3

History:

The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires founded the Berkshire Immigrant Center (formerly known as the New American Citizenship Coalition) in 1997 to assist Berkshire County immigrants, regardless of race and religious affiliation, to become American citizens. Over the past thirteen years the Center has evolved into an office of immigrant services in order to address the wider needs of the local immigrant and refugee population.  In 2006, the Berkshire Immigrant Center (BIC) was moved under the auspices of Berkshire Community Action Council. In 2012, MIRA Coalition (Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy) became our fiscal sponsor. The Center remains the only program in Berkshire County which offers comprehensive services to meet the unique challenges faced by our rapidly growing immigrant community.

Community Outreach:

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.

 

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Important Links

  • American Immigration Lawyers Association
  • Immigration Law Help
  • Mass 211
  • Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
  • Massachusetts Justice Project
  • MERECEMOS IGUALDAD – POPULAR EDUCATION TOOLS ON DAPA, DACA & AMINISTRATIVE RELIEF
  • National Immigration Forum
  • National Immigration Law Center
  • U.S. Department of State
  • U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the World
  • United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
  • Welcoming Massachusetts

BIA Accredited

Since February 2014 the Berkshire Immigrant Center (BIC) has been accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). This designation enables BIC case workers to provide legal representation and make direct inquiries to USCIS on behalf of our clients. We are grateful to the following law firms for continuously supporting the Center as it implements BIA best practices to provide a high level of quality service and representation for our clients.

The Law Office of S. Michele Sisselman
Pittsfield & Chelsea MA
Tel. (617)-926-4898

Campoli & Monteleone

Best & Associates

Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP

Contact Us:

The Berkshire Immigrant Center
67 East Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Tel: (413) 445-4881
Fax: (413) 445-4802
info@berkshireic.com

Parking:
Free parking is available on non-metered streets surrounding downtown and in front of our office on Allen st. for 1 to 3 hours or more as indicated by street signs. The streets near the court house (on the opposite side of the traffic circle from our office) provide up to 3 hours of free parking.
Metered parking by the hour is available on downtown streets and in city parking lots - many of which are close to our office.

Where to find us:
We are located on the 2nd floor of St. Stephen's Church, easily identifiable as the big brown church by the traffic circle in downtown Pittsfield. The Church's address is 67 East st., but our entrance is on Allen st. through the big red doors.

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