Impact South County

09/18/2026

BEHIND THE SCENES: Once a month, our staff comes together for our "All Hands on Deck" meeting, where we share updates and set goals for the upcoming period. This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming our Board President, Erik Bruun, who brought his invaluable insights and expertise to the table to help us refine our vision and plan for the events we have lined up. With a busy fall season ahead of us, stay tuned for updates, sneak peeks, and behind-the-scenes insights into our work, and get ready to join us in making a difference!

09/16/2026

🗣📣 Calling all small and micro business owners in South Berkshire County!

We have big plans for this gorgeous room at the Thornewood, but we need your input! What does your business need to grow? What do you need as a business owner located in South Berkshire County? A space for meetings, a commercial kitchen for food prep, co-working desks, a small business hub? What else?

Drop your idea(s) in the comments below. ⬇

09/14/2026

"In the early 1990s, construction costs were about $60 per square foot. Today, a comparable house is between $600 and $800 per square foot." Why is housing so expensive to build, even when we need it most? Erik Bruun dives into the key factors driving up costs in Berkshire County for The Berkshire Edge.

Read the article here: https://theberkshireedge.com/building-community-why-is-housing-so-expensive-to-build/

09/11/2026

Have you met Ted? 😀

Meet Ted Okun, owner of Okun Services, a Great Barrington-based gutter and window cleaning business. Ted is one of our amazing SBTA alumni from last year's program. Whether it's clearing clogged downspouts or making windows shine with pure-water filtration tech, Ted and his team keep Berkshire County homes looking their best year-round.

We’re proud to support hardworking local small business owners like Ted who keep our community moving forward!

Drop a 👋 in the comments to say hi to Ted, or check out Okun Services for your next project.

09/09/2026

Local leadership in action! 👏

We love seeing participants from our SBTA program making a difference. Maria Murillo is putting her vision into practice right here in Great Barrington, building a sustainable h**pcrete accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to support her family and create eco-friendly housing.

Read The Berkshire Eagle's feature on Maria's project to see how local innovation and state financing programs are opening new doors for housing in the Berkshires.

Maria Murillo is building an accessory dwelling unit but putting her own twist on it: she is using h**pcrete — derived from industrial h**p — as her insulator.

09/09/2026

A stronger Berkshires doesn't start with a blueprint — it starts with listening to local voices.

In this video, Nico, one of our properties' residents, tells us how having affordable housing options allowed him to stay in the community that he appreciates and enjoys living in.

Listen to more voices from our community on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/Impact South County.

09/04/2026

Egremont Workforce Housing Update 🚜🚧🦺

Construction is progressing, and rough grading is now complete.

Hard to believe that in 2 months we will be finishing up!

09/02/2026

What a great way to end the Summer yesterday with our 2nd End of Summer Block Party in downtown Great Barrington!!! 😎

A HUGE THANK YOU to all the sponsors, SBTA clients/alumni, volunteers, musicians, and all of you who spent some time with us yesterday! This event would not have been possible without all of you. 🫶

In case you missed the fun, here are some photos. And here is an article in the Berkshire Edge: https://theberkshireedge.com/great-barrington-community-enjoys-impact-south-countys-block-party/. 😉

08/30/2026

Getting ready for the 2nd Annual Impact South County End of Summer Block Party. Our staff, board and volunteers are working hard to get set up for our 2:00 start. We have a dunk tank, bouncy house, safe archery and more. Come down to the The Triplex Cinema and enjoy music from food from Cafe Holli, Juju’s and much more.

08/28/2026

What does community development look like when you add it all up?

Across Massachusetts, Community Development Corporations are creating homes, strengthening small businesses, supporting families, and investing in communities.

In 2025, CDCs across the Commonwealth:

🏠 Created or preserved 1,361 homes
💼 Created or preserved 5,447 job opportunities
💡 Provided technical and financial assistance to 2,129 entrepreneurs
❤️ Assisted more than 81,000 families
💰 Generated $1.7 BILLION in local community investment

Impact South County is proud to be part of this statewide network, bringing that same community-driven approach home to Southern Berkshire County.

Here, that means creating housing opportunities, helping local entrepreneurs and small businesses thrive, and investing in projects that strengthen our communities for the long term.

Local work. Statewide impact. Stronger communities.

Explore the full 2025 GOALs report: https://macdcgoals.org/