Profiles

Amanda Root: Executive Director

Almost four years ago, in a flurry of activity and action, Amanda co-founded RSYP with other area youth concerned about a series of substance-abuse related deaths in their community. After a great start and a stunning amount of support, the organization grows to new heights every day under her direction. She has taken to the role of executive director with vigor and devotion. Today, along with her RSYP duties, Amanda is a student at Skidmore College UWW, a waitress at a local nightclub, an artist, and a feisty, fun-loving young woman. She loves to go fishing in the summer, hibernate in the winter, and go dancing all year long. In the future, she plans to attend art school, earn a law degree, and win the 2016 Presidential election. Wish her luck.

Shelley Brooks: SBYC Coordinator

Shelley first came to RSYP as part of the Your Portrait, My Portrait project last year. She was then asked to attend the coalition meetings as a parent. Four months later, in December of 2002, she was asked to become the coalition coordinator for the new South Berkshire Youth Coalition (SBYC). Shelley's got everything under control, she has made the coalition run smoothly, she makes her home life run smoothly and she keeps the rest of the staff in line (everyone even apologizes when they curse in front of her). Shelley loves working at RSYP. At first, she was unaccustomed to working in an organized mess but now it's beginning to grow on her (pun intended). She says working here keeps her young in spirit, and there is no back stabbing, just pure honesty (sometimes a little too much). Shelley plans to continue her work with the coalition, take care of her kids, and maybe get the staff to clean up once in a while. For more information about SBYC click here.

Raina Weber: Prject Native

Raina Weber is the Founder and Director of Project Native. When she was 4 years old, Raina started helping in her mother's garden. It was evident, even back then, that she had an eye and passion for native beauty. She began to rip up the "ugly" petunias and pansies, leaving the dandelions, violets and other native plants in place. Thus her career as a native-plant grower, lover, garden designer, and advocate began. Almost four years ago, she came to RSYP with her dream of running a native species greenhouse, and the rest has been a blur of planting, selling, teaching, and talking native plants. In the cold winter months, Raina tries to her hardest to escape to tropical climates. She's been to Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Spain, Hawaii and Chile. Raina's other passion is drumming. She plays with The Berkshire Bateria Escola de Samba, playing the music of Carnival in Brazil.

- - - RSYP Alumni - - -

Anna Phelan: Assistan Director

Anna first came to RSYP as an intern while earning her M.S. in Philanthropy & Media. She excelled in her position and quickly earned herself a nickname (Coolio Like Anna). After moving to Boston, she's back and in a new position. As the new Assistant Director, she has taken on a huge list of added responsibilities. If you have questions about youth programs, the summer schedule, office administration, or substance abuse outreach and education, she's the one to call. She can also show you a lot about wheat-free cooking and deciding major life decisions with pocket change. In the future, Anna plans to return to Jordan and Nepal, and spend time living in Turkestan. She is considering piercing her nose, going to law school, and learning to fly without mechanical assistance.

Nell McCabe: Communications Director

After spending some time in Boston studying religion, writing, history and politics, and some time spent pregnant in the Berkshires, Nell joined the Railroad Street Youth Project early last summer. Having woven her way through a long and varied school career, she has settled down to a unique balance of motherhood, political activism and web design. In the past few years Nell has done quite a few things, including stalking, writing a screenplay, having a baby, wearing a really ugly prom dress, and eating broccoli. Nell's responsibilities at RSYP include maintaining the web site, which she designed and created, talking to young people who drop by, organizing all advertising efforts, and doing anything that needs doing. She is excited about the following: Issue 2 of the RSYP Zine, going back to school someday, traveling, and watching her daughter grow up.

Claire Kavanah: Project Manager

Claire first graced the RSYP staff with her presence last year, just after her graduation from Monument Mountain Regional High School. Before joining the staff, she produced and starred in two RSYP stage productions ART at JWS Art Supply in Great Barrington, and King Lear at Shakespeare & Company's Founders Theater. Both shows were stunning successes and led her to pursue more activities with Railroad Street. Today, she divides her time between her job, her many volunteer projects, going to mass, and caring for homeless, abused puppies and kittens. Claire's future is sure to hold fame and fortune. She plans to attend school in Europe, embrace her Irish roots, become an actress, and save the whales.

Natalie Hill: (former) Intern

A recent high school graduate, Natalie plays lacrosse, sings in the shower, and teaches gymnastics to grade school kids. She first came to Railroad Street in 2002 while conducting a survey for a mapping of Berkshire County. She met Nell and Anna there. Later that year, she became an RSYP intern. Who is Natalie Hill? What are her hopes, her dreams, her deepest darkest secrets? We may never know. Just after giving this interview, Natalie left the country to travel to Chile on a Railroad Street sponsored adventure. Before she left we were able to ascertain the following facts: Natalie is 17, she likes strawberries, her favorite movie is Billy Madison, and she talks to herself all the time. She also talks to other drivers when she is driving (sometimes using strong language) and likes to go swimming.Natalie will be attending Elms College to study social work, and hopefully fulfill her lifelong desire to help people in need.

Matilda Root: Resident Baby

Matilda Emmanuel Root is 376 days old as of the writing of this biography. She is a very busy girl. Unfortunately we were unable to make an appointment to interview her before the printing of this profile. We will tell you what we know: she can bark like a dog, walk like a child, play the piano (not well) and push the buttons on the credit card machine at the supermarket. Her two favorite songs are Soul to Squeeze by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and War by Edwin Starr. She will eat anything, including blocks, ants, barrettes, and necklaces.