BCC Announces Workforce and Community Education Workshops

• Reiki for Healthcare, Level 1: Tuesdays, January 28 and February 4, 6:30-8:30 pm 
• Reiki for Healthcare, Level 2: Tuesdays, February 18 and 25, 6:30-8:30 pm 
• Body's Blueprint for Orthopedic Massage Techniques, Class 1: Unlocking Mobility for the Hip and Abdomen: Saturday, March 22, 9 am-3 pm 
• Body's Blueprint for Orthopedic Massage Techniques, Class 2: Lumbar Regions and Addressing Common Issues in the Leg, Knee, Ankle and Foot: Sunday, March 23, 9 am-3 pm 

• Developing Intuition: Tuesday, February 11, 6:30-8:30 pm 
• Exploring Tai Chi and Qigong: Weekly on Tuesdays, February 18 – March 25, 3:15-4:15 pm   
• Unpack Your Life: Mastering the Art of Decluttering: Saturdays, April 26 and May 10, 10-11 am 

• Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License (CSL) Training, Session 1: Weekly on Tuesdays, January 21 – March 4, 6-9:30 pm 
• Exploring the Entrepreneurial Journey:  How to Start and Run Your Own Business: Weekly on Tuesdays, February 4-25, 5:30-7 pm 
• Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License (CSL) Training, Session 2: Weekly on Tuesdays, April 1 – May 13, 6-9:30 pm 

• Create A Mosaic Garden Stepping Stone: Saturday, April 5, 10 am-1 pm  
• Tree Painting Class: Saturday, April 5, 12-3 pm 
• Create Your Own Mosaic Plant Stand: Wednesday, April 16, 5:30-8:30 pm 
• Learn to Draw: Weekly on Tuesdays, April 29 – May 20, 6-7:30 pm 

• BCC's After School Dungeons & Dragons Program: Weekly on Wednesdays, February 26 – April 30, 4-6 pm 
• Financial Fitness:  A Teen's Guide to Budgeting, Security, and Smart Money Habits: Weekly on Tuesdays, April 29 – May 13, 4-5:30 pm 

Pittsfield Takes 'Big Step' With Supportive Housing

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:49PM / Tuesday, December 03, 2024

Housing Secretary Ed Augustus says supportive services are critical to moving people into permanent housing. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Those experiencing homelessness often need more than four walls and a roof.  

On Tuesday, Hearthway Inc. hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for 37 new units of supportive housing, 28 on vacant land on West Housatonic Street and nine at Zion Lutheran Church on First Street.

"Today is a good day. It's a day we celebrate our community's commitment and responsibility to our neighbors, especially those who are unhoused, living in shelter, or outside," President and CEO Eileen Peltier said.

"Today, Pittsfield is taking a big step toward our responsibility to make our community stronger for all of us."

The approximately $16 million project offers tenants a variety of services from partner organizations such as The Brien Center and ServiceNet. It also includes a 6,500-square-foot housing resource center in the church's basement, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, with bathrooms, showers, laundry, offices for service providers to meet with clients, and more.

"We know that providing four walls and a roof is often not enough to ensure individuals are safely and continuously housed," Peltier said.

"Permanent supportive housing like these homes is the best way to ensure individuals thrive."

Hearthway, formerly Berkshire Housing Development Corp., is developing the units on donated land on West Housatonic and at Zion Lutheran Church through a lease agreement. The church will remain open during construction. 

The Rev. Joel Bergeland explained that the Zion community is bound by a commitment to treat each neighbor with reverence and see them as "gifts sent from God." While others may not share that faith, he pointed out that they are bound by a charge to seek the welfare of the community.