Every day I wake up I am thankful for the blessings I have been given. In my life I have had hard times, good times, successes, and failures. It took me a while to realize that in my journey through life those experiences have made me who I am today. As I have aged, I realize more and more that because of the many people who have helped me along the way it is now my responsibility to pay it forward. In my 29+ years as a nurse I have been given the opportunity to make a difference. In my role as the Diversity Officer for Berkshire Health I have been blessed with the chance to give back to a community that has done so much for me.
Even though I know how fortunate I have been I am saddened. It is not for the reason some of you me think. I am saddened by what I see and hear that is happening to people in this county as well as in the rural and urban areas across this country. I see the statistics but more than that I meet the people who are struggling every day to pay their rent and feed their family. People without a place to call home as they carry everything, they own across this county in hopes of finding a place to rest their heads. The continued substance epidemic that is stealing the lives of our young people. As a Black man I am alarmed by the fact that our life expectancy is almost 10 years shorter than the national average. These facts and these stories are enough to make you want to through your hand in the air and give up. I think about it sometimes. I worry about the world we are leaving for our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. What legacy are we creating for them?
One of the joys in my life is that I had an amazing mother who raised me and my two brothers alone. She did it during one of the toughest economic times in the mid-seventies. We had some tough times then. I often wonder to myself how she did it. My mother’s primary focus was her boys Charles, Kenneth, and Tracy. She was going to do what she had to make sure our needs were met and that we would have every opportunity to be successful. How blessed we were to have her. My mother was great at adapting to the changing times and at recognizing what she needed to do to ensure we had a path to success. I am forever grateful to her.
What I see in my mother I see in the amazing people in Berkshire County. We have people and organizations that work hard to give people hope. I get to be a part of that. It is heartbreaking to hear the stories of struggles and challenges people and families are facing today, but it is heartwarming to hear how the people and organizations are stepping up to change that narrative. I know we have a long way to go but like my mom Phyllis King did we keep moving forward. We have the people and the voices that can make a difference and speak for those who have lost their voices. It is who we are.
In these difficult times I will not lose hope. During the darkest times the Redd family faced I never saw my mother lose hope. I am sure she had times where she wondered how she was going to make it but for us she stayed strong. Today like many of us in Berkshire County I stay strong for those who need our help. I will continue to partner with the leaders and voices of this county to create a place where we create hope. We can be the beacon of light for those who live in the darkness. We can be the hand that uplifts them. It is what Phyllis would do so it is what I will do.
“If there is hope in the future there is power in the present.” Zig Ziglar
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
To our Veterans Thank you for your service and for defending our rights and freedoms
Dignity Freedom Fighter 