RSVP of Berkshire County Appoints New Director

08:00AM / Sunday, March 13, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Berkshire County has announced the appointment of its new director, Lisa Torrey.

Most recently, Torrey served as the administrative assistant and investigator in the city's Office of Veterans Services. In that role, which she held for the last four years, Torrey assisted the director in all phases of the agency's operations and provided veterans services via determining eligibility for benefits, assisted with securing housing and employment, maintained records, and coordinated with other City Hall departments and community partners.

Torrey's professional experience also includes roles with Pittsfield Public Schools and KB Toys in their corporate headquarters. In 2019, she earned a bachelor's degree in human services at MCLA during her tenure in the Veterans Office. She also holds an associate degree in business from Bay Path University.

Torrey assumes the helm of RSVP as it marks over 50 years of service to the Berkshires. RSVP is presently composed of 246 senior volunteers, serving at over 50 non-profit organizations, including Berkshire Medical Center, Berkshire Athenaeum, Berkshire Museum, South Community Food Pantry, Barrington Stage Company, as well as City Hall. In 2019, the last full year of service before the pandemic, RSVP volunteers contributed over 33,000 volunteer hours to the community.

RSVP is a national organization funded in part by AmeriCorps Seniors. It is sponsored locally by the city of Pittsfield. RSVP provides recruitment, training, and placement of persons 55 years of age and older as volunteers.

There are currently 5,000 host agencies in 50 states, with more than 400,000 volunteers.

Individuals 55 and over and who live in Berkshire County are encouraged to learn more about RSVP volunteer opportunities. For more information about RSVP, call 413-499-9345.

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Pittsfield Housing Project Adds 37 Supportive Units and Collective Hope

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:01PM / Monday, December 29, 2025

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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