The new office is on the second floor at 106 Wendell Ave.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Michael King knows firsthand that it can get tricky navigating veterans benefits programs and he's ready to help out any veteran who needs it.
"Every issue, generally speaking, has a different process to follow," King said.
He's working with somebody who changed their name after separating from the military and now needs to update their DD-214 before they can start applying for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. He's reached out to colleges and universities to help veterans handle the GI Bill -- something he personally had trouble with at first -- and making sure veterans have all of their paperwork in order to receive everything they can.
And he's also willing to just sit and listen.
"It can be as simple as, I'm a veteran, I need somebody to talk to that speaks the language. Come on up, have a cup of coffee, and let's talk. All the way to I got a discharge and it was other than honorable and now I want to get that upgraded. I can help you do that. VA claims, the same thing, we are here to help in any way we can. We won't turn you away. We are going to help you out until we can't help you out anymore and if we can't, we will do everything we can to find the person that can help you," King said.
King is the case manager of the brand-new Pittsfield Veterans Outreach Center.
It opened on the second floor of 106 Wendell Ave. on Monday as a chapter of the non-profit Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts Inc. The organization has been in existence since 1987 with centers in Springfield and Boston. Eventually, it closed the Boston location and identified a need for additional services in Berkshire County.
"Berkshire County doesn't have a ton of resources," King said.
The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 until 4:30 and serves as a resource for pretty much anything a veteran would need and veterans are welcome from anywhere.
The center offers a lengthy list of ways to help and King highlighted a few of those. One of the items he's been interested in is helping veterans who were not honorably discharged upgrade that status.
"Get out your DD-214, dust it off, and if you have a discharge that is not honorable, come see me. Let's see if we can upgrade it. We've got a large population of aging veterans who are reaching the end of their lives. When you die, you can't do anything about that discharge. If you don't have an honorable, the stuff your family is going to want for you is very limited, whether it is a color guard or a memorial marker from the government or having funeral expenses paid for, that's going to be an issue," King said.
He said he's making sure veterans are accounted for regarding hazards they faced during their time. He said current veterans who served in certain areas should be on the open burn pit and airborne hazard registry now so they are accounted for in the future.
"It is important for anyone who was in those areas to get in the VA system, get on the registry, so 10, 20 years down the road when it becomes a health issue it has already been identified that you were in those areas," King said.
King served in the Army for 21 years as military police before retiring in 2015. He returned to the Berkshires and eventually went back to school, earning his master's in fine and visual arts last June. He was an interim director of safety and security at Berkshire Community College until the position was filled and found the opportunity to head the new outreach center and jumped on it.
"I do miss being able to coach and mentor soldiers, help them out, and this is just an opportunity to extend that. I'm necessarily smarter than anybody, I just happen to know these processes and if I can help you navigate them, then that feels good," King said.
He is now in the process of becoming a certified veterans service officer that will allow him to have much more access to the VA system and benefits. He said he'll have that certification within three months.
In the first week since opening the office, King's focus is to let as many people know about it as he can. He's reached out to colleges to speak with the student veterans groups, he's talking with other veterans groups and asking to speak to the posts, and he is even asking to give the Pittsfield City Council a presentation so those elected officials know he can help with their constituents.
"At this point, I am networking like mad," King said.
The office is staffed by only King and secretary Kimberly Peters but he hopes to see it expand in the future. But now, it's open and if a veteran can't make it there or has accessibility issues getting to the second floor, King will come to them.
"If somebody can't make it here, we'll find a way to make it work," King said.
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Pittsfield Sees 2nd Ashuwillticook Rail Trail Extension
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
Berkshire Bike Path Council President Marge Cohan recognizes Merle Ferber, in the white coat, for her work on the project.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail now extends a half-mile farther into Pittsfield, literally paving the way for infrastructure through the downtown and beyond.
Local and state officials beckoned the first wave of pedestrians on the new leg with a ribbon cutting Thursday morning. The trail currently is more than 14 miles long and connects Lime Street in Adams to Merrill Road.
"Outdoor recreation is a vital economy not only here in Pittsfield but in the Berkshires. Pittsfield is always looking for ways to provide more opportunities for both residents and visitors to enjoy the natural environment that we have in the Berkshires. I must say that I'm biased towards Pittsfield as we have the best of both worlds," Mayor Peter Marchetti said.
"We have an active community with a vibrant downtown within a few minutes of captivating natural landscapes. In addition to the rail trail, Pittsfield is fortunate to be home to two beautiful lakes, the state forest, 29 parks, and hundreds of acres of open space and conservation areas. These resources are significant assets that we must protect so we can continue to enjoy them in the years ahead."
Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath held up a copy of the city's Bike and Pedestrian Study done nearly 20 years ago. It articulated the construction of a rail trail to this point.
"As a planner, we all know that sometimes things take a long time to come to fruition but here we are today. We've realized this vision, and it is a result of a lot of hard work and advocacy from folks and a lot of the friendly faces that we see here in the audience today," he said.
"But you know, with each section that we construct, we're getting closer to realizing our vision for a true Berkshire bike path. One that connects Vermont with Connecticut and of course, having the section through Pittsfield is important in making that connection and realizing that connection."
The city's connection began in 2022 when a completed 1.5-mile section connected Crane Avenue to the Lanesborough town line. Construction on this latest leg began one year ago and includes a new 11-space parking lot accompanied by a pedestrian hybrid beacon signal at the entrance.
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