Camp Arrow Wood Summer Camp for Young People

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Camp Arrow Wood, a 130-acre newly-renovated camp located on Richmond Pond, is launching a sports-centric co-ed sleepaway camp for children in addition to lodging and event rentals on the property. 
 
Set on the 218-acre freshwater pond, Camp Arrow Wood will offer two and three week sessions this summer in addition to a leadership week for 16 – 18 year-olds and a one-week Arrow Wood Outdoor Adventure Camp. 
 
The site has operated as a camp for over 100 years, first in 1904 by the Boys Club of Pittsfield and next in 1933 by Camp Allegro, a Jewish summer camp for girls. For the last 40 years, Lakeside Christian Camp offered summer camps, family weekends and church retreats. In the same spirit, Camp Arrow Wood is opening as a summer camp and offering lodging and event rentals when the children's camp isn't in session. Located less than three hours from New York City, two and a half hours from Boston, and 90 minutes from Hartford, Conn. the camp is centrally located.
 
The summer 2022 camp experience will include two and three-week sessions full of playing sports, traditional camp activities like campfires, kayaking and hiking all while making new friends and discovering new passions. The daily schedule will offer a blend of intensive sports in the morning, sprinkled in with fun, discovery and competition throughout the day.
 
The sports curriculum includes specialized instruction for team sports like baseball, soccer, basketball, field hockey, volleyball, seven-a-side/flag football, and lacrosse, as well as individual sports including tennis and golf. The camp also offers comprehensive programs for learning that include sports photography and videography production, sports analytics, coach training, social media, writing articles and blogs, and producing new camp apparel. 
 
"We are giving summer camp back to the kids," said Camp Director Matthew Linick. "They won't just be playing sports. They will be spending time outdoors learning new skills and exploring areas of interest related to the world of sports. When boys and girls arrive, they can let go of their habits of home life and really immerse themselves in the spirit of this special place. Our guiding principle, "Motivate, don't mandate," allows campers to choose the sports and activities of most interest to them while also designing an intentional program that encourages them to discover something new."
 
As a sports-centric camp, there will be an emphasis on total health, focusing on mind, body, and spirit. There is so much more to sports than playing the game, and campers will have the opportunity to explore the entire picture from nutrition to mental health.
 
Starting in the spring and running through the fall, Arrow Wood will be available for community access to the property through a variety of public events and private rentals. 
 
Camp Arrow Wood was purchased in 2020 by Pittsfield-based community impact investment group, Mill Town. 
 
"We are honored to assume stewardship responsibility of this iconic Berkshires property," notes Carrie Holland, Managing Director at Mill Town. "The ability to bring an expansive waterfront feature, wooded trails, upgraded sports fields, overnight accommodations, and historic camping facilities to the Berkshires community has our team really excited. Camp Arrow Wood will serve as an excellent resource for us to propel our mission of expanding quality outdoor recreation opportunities for the Berkshires community – residents and visitors alike."
 
For additional details on camp and rental pricing, visit camparrowwood.com or email info@camparrowwood.com.

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Pittsfield Housing Project Adds 37 Supportive Units and Collective Hope

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A new chapter in local efforts to combat housing insecurity officially began as community leaders and residents gathered at The First on to celebrate a major expansion of supportive housing in the city.

The ribbon was cut on Thursday Dec. 19, on nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at The First, located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street.  The Housing Resource Center, funded by Pittsfield's American Rescue Plan Act dollars, hosted a celebration for a project that is named for its rarity: The First. 

"What got us here today is the power of community working in partnership and with a shared purpose," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said. 

In addition to the 28 studio units at 111 West Housatonic Street and nine units in the rear of the church building, the Housing Resource Center will be open seven days a week with two lounges, a classroom, a laundry room, a bathroom, and lockers. 

Erin Forbush, ServiceNet's director of shelter and housing, challenged attendees to transform the space in the basement of Zion Lutheran Church into a community center.  It is planned to operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. year-round.

"I get calls from folks that want to help out, and our shelters just aren't the right spaces to be able to do that. The First will be that space that we can all come together and work for the betterment of our community," Forbush said. 

"…I am a true believer that things evolve, and things here will evolve with the people that are utilizing it." 

Earlier that day, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus joined Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and her team in Housatonic to announce $33.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funding, $5.45 million to Berkshire County. 

He said it was ambitious to take on these two projects at once, but it will move the needle.  The EOHLC contributed more than $7.8 million in subsidies and $3.4 million in low-income housing tax credit equity for the West Housatonic Street build, and $1.6 million in ARPA funds for the First Street apartments.

"We're trying to get people out of shelter and off the streets, but we know there are a lot of people who are couch surfing, who are living in their cars, who are one paycheck away from being homeless themselves," Augustus said. 

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