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Volunteers pack up care packages in Home Depot buckets at the Home Depot store in Pittsfield. The buckets will be distributed by the Christian Center.

Home Depot, Christian Center Distribute 300 Winter Care Packages

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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The donations from Home Depot and local retailers is worth about $12,000. Some 300 buckets were filled by around 40 volunteers.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The hallmark orange Home Depot buckets will take on a new meaning for those in need this holiday season.

The Christian Center and the Home Depot Foundation joined forces to donate more than 300 of the distinctive buckets containing winter clothing and personal hygiene items to local veterans and homeless individuals.

On Sunday, an assembly line of around 40 volunteers stocked the care packages at Pittsfield's Home Depot. They will stay within the county, which currently has about 1,000 people without shelter.

Supplies such as socks, hats, gloves, and coats are vital for the cold months. The items were donated by local retailers and will go to the Christian Center for distribution and are valued at about $12,000.

This project is part of the hardware retailer's Operation Surprise campaign focused on giving back.

"Our district, we like every store to try to get one project a quarter, right now we have going on what we call our Operation Surprise, so every year between Veterans Day and the end of the year, we have every store to either donate money or do a project for the community," Home Depot spokesman Andy Shaw said.



"Ideally it would be veterans or any community organization we partner with, so we'll do hundreds across the company this year, we actually donated recently $1,000 to Soldier On and this project is about $12,000."

Shaw added that the monetary donation is on top of the team who contributed a couple of hours to make it happen.

Home Depot employs more than 35,000 veterans and military spouses across the country. The Home Depot Foundation has contributed $400 million for veterans' causes since 2011 and renovated more than 50,000 veterans' homes and facilities.

The Christian Center has been one of the leading local organizations in addressing homelessness. In February, it debuted a warming shelter that offers housing-insecure folks a place to stay in the hours that ServiceNet's shelter at the former St. Joseph's High School is closed.


Tags: donations,   good news,   holiday story,   

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MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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