Working, but Still Struggling: The Hidden Reality in the Berkshires
In Berkshire County, thousands of people go to work every day and still struggle to make ends meet. They care for our elderly, prepare our food, stock our shelves, and clean our schools. Their work is essential to our economy and community, but too often, their efforts are met not with stability, but with constant stress.
These are not people sitting idle. They are working, sometimes more than one job, and doing everything they can to provide for themselves and their families. And yet, even with a full-time paycheck, many still face impossible choices, between rent and groceries, between heating their homes and fixing a car, between working extra shifts and caring for their children.
It is easy to assume that a job is a guarantee of security, but in today's economy, that is no longer true. Especially here in the Berkshires, where service sector jobs dominate the local landscape, including hospitality, retail, food service, and home care. These positions are vital to our tourism-driven economy, but they often pay low wages, lack benefits, and offer irregular hours. That means even those who work full-time can fall short of meeting the basic cost of living.
Consider the math. A worker earning $18 an hour may bring home about $2,500 per month after taxes. Rent for a modest apartment is nearing $1,300. Factor in utilities, food, gas, and other necessities, and the margin disappears. Add child care or a medical bill, and the household is in crisis. The numbers do not lie, but they also do not tell the whole story.
Because behind those numbers are real people, hardworking, proud, and often exhausted. They are navigating a system that tells them to work harder but provides few ladders to climb. Many are one flat tire or unexpected illness away from falling behind. And what they face, above all, is a culture that too often equates financial hardship with personal failure.
That is where we must change the conversation. Struggling to stay afloat in this economy is not a moral failing. It is not the result of laziness or bad decisions. It is the predictable outcome of an economy that asks too much of its lowest-paid workers while offering too little in return. And it is compounded by the challenges of living in a rural area, where housing costs are high, public transportation is limited, and resources are often out of reach.
At BCAC, we meet people every day who are doing their best in very difficult circumstances. Some are balancing multiple jobs. Others are caring for children or elderly parents while trying to keep food on the table. Many never imagined they would need help and feel ashamed to ask for it. But needing support should never be a source of shame. It is a reflection of the realities people face, not their character.
We believe that every person deserves to be met with dignity, not judgment. That everyone should have a fair shot at building a life of stability and opportunity. And that helping someone through a hard time is not a handout, it is a gesture of community, of compassion, and of basic human decency.
There is no single solution to these challenges. But we can start by recognizing them. By listening to those who are struggling without assuming we understand. By remembering that financial insecurity is not just a statistic, it is our neighbors, coworkers, and friends. And by advocating for systems and policies that value the people who hold up our local economy.
We also need to invest in what makes work viable, including affordable childcare, access to transportation, training for better-paying jobs, and respectful, flexible support when life goes off course. No one should have to choose between survival and dignity.
Financial hardship in the Berkshires often hides in plain sight. It may not look like what we imagine. It looks like worn-out tires pushing through another snowy commute. Parents skipping dinner so there is enough for breakfast. And people smiling through the strain because they do not want to be a burden.
Thanks to free school meals, many children in our region are nourished during the day, but that does not erase the stress families feel when the refrigerator is empty at home. Hunger, like hardship, does not always wait until morning.
We can do better, for them and for all of us. Because when we center our policies and programs around respect, understanding, and compassion, we do not just lift individuals, we strengthen the entire community.
Everyone deserves the chance not just to survive, but to thrive. Let us make sure our community reflects that belief in everything we do.
Deborah Leonczyk is executive director Berkshire Community Action Council.
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