PITTSFIELD â Immigrants make up only 6 percent of Berkshire County s total population, but 35 percent of the roughly 8,000 who live here are not proficient in English, according to George Mason University s Institute for Immigration Research.
That percentage is lower than the state average of 43 percent, but it still is significant. To close that gap even more, organizations like the Literacy Network of South Berkshire in Lee are there to help.
Leigh Doherty became LitNet s new program director in September, and she brings over 20 years of educational experience to this almost-30-year-old organization that teaches its clients how to speak, read and write English through one-on-one tutoring.