Q-MoB Offers Briefings on Benefits for Rural Berkshire LGBTQ Community

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Q-MoB is sponsoring two informational briefings for the LGBTQ community regarding health insurance, Social Security, and food stamp benefits. 
 
The organization states the briefings are in response to potential impacts from executive orders and the new Congressional budget.
 
The briefings are being organized by Q-MoB's Ombudsman Advocacy Team, which is recruiting volunteers to assist rural LGBTQ individuals in understanding and potentially protecting or restoring federal benefits. Experts from Berkshire Health Systems Advocacy for Access Program, Elder Services of Berkshire County's SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Everyone) Program, and an Ecu-Health Care SHINE counselor will lead the sessions. Support for the briefings is provided in part by Berkshire United Way.
 
The briefings will take place at the Berkshire United Way conference room in Pittsfield:
  • April 15: LGBTQ Briefing: Protect Your Soc. Sec., Medicare, Affordable Care Health Insurance, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
  • April 29: LGBTQ Briefing: Medicaid/Affordable Care Act/SNAP 101, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Q-MoB's Executive Director, Bart Church, stated that rural LGBTQ individuals, particularly those over 60 and/or who are transgender or gender diverse, may be disproportionately affected by potential benefit changes due to factors such as isolation and historical economic disparities. The organization aims to educate the community to proactively protect their benefits.
 
Individuals interested in attending the free briefings can find registration links on the Q-MoB website. LGBTQ individuals interested in volunteering for Q-MoB's Ombudsman Advocacy Team can find more information online.
 
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Soccer Hall of Fame Adds Members, Awards Scholarships

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The 2026 CIAO Soccer Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place at Berkshire Hills Country Club on Thursday.
 
The Hall of Fame's mission is to preserve the sport's history in Berkshire County, to honor excellence within the game and to make a connection between the generations that bring communities together. With players who last played on a soccer field in Berkshire County in the 1960s to the scholarship winners at the banquet on May 14th who played their last high school game in the fall of last year, we are achieving our goal. 
 
It is worth noting that this class of inductees is stellar. We have four County MVP selections, 14 All-Berkshire selections, eight All-Western Mass selections and, and nine captain honors, five four-year varsity starters and one five-year varsity starter. 
 
The players were introduced by committee chairmen Al Belanger and Patrick West. The scholarship winners were introduced by Chris Dumas, a member of the CIAO Soccer Hall of Fame committee. The photographer for the evening was Ricco Fruscio. Over the past 21 years, the scholarships awarded to high school seniors in Berkshire County have topped $250,000.  
 
The 2026 Inductees:
Katie Dumas Sturm (Wahconah 2015) was a hard-nosed, and relentless four-year starter for Wahconah. She was a two-year captain in the middle of the field, scoring and assisting on clutch goals in big games. She was rewarded with being named All Berkshire, and All Western Mass in her senior year. She is married to Brent Sturm (who is also being inducted into the hall of fame this year) and has a son Banks and a 7-week-old Everett Michael. She works at General Dynamics. 
 
Brent Sturm (Wahconah 2009) was named to the All Berkshire Team in both his junior and senior years and won a Western Mass championship during his time at Wahconah. He also went on to have a stellar career at Wentworth Institute. He and his wife, Katie, are the first husband and wife inductees into the CIAO Soccer Hall of Fame in the same year.  After college, he helped coach the Wahconah Soccer and basketball teams. He works at General Dynamics.
   
Nicole Gamberoni (Lenox 2019) was an impact player on her team for five years while at Lenox making All-Berkshire teams four times. She was captain twice, finished with 107 points, and was the league MVP two times. She also went on to play soccer at AIC. She is working at Lenox High School while she is getting her master’s degree. 
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