Pittsfield Dentist Named Among '10 Under Ten'

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dr. Neha Das, a pediatric dentist, practicing in Pittsfield, has been recognized by the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) as one of the  "10 Under Ten" for 2022. 
 
Established in 2005 by the MDS, the annual recognition highlights the diversity of new dentists in Massachusetts and their impact on the dental profession. 
 
To qualify, dentists must have graduated from dental school within the past ten years, be an MDS member, and made significant contributions to the profession, their community, and organized dentistry. 
 
"When I was a junior in college, I went back to my parents' hometown in India to do some volunteer work in a medical van; however, when I got there, I found out the physician I was supposed to be shadowing was out on maternity leave. They put me in a dental van instead, and I was fascinated. I loved the combination of science and art, and there was a true sense of grati­fication whenever we could help someone. When I got back home, I knew my plans had changed. I didn't want to be a physician anymore—I was going to become a dentist," Dr. Das said.
 
An At-Large Trustee with the MDS, Dr. Das is inspired by the work of the dentists active in the society and dedicated to the profession.
 
Currently, a resident of Lenox, Dr. Das earned her Doctor of Dental Science (DDS) and did her residency in pediatric dentistry at the University of California in San Francisco. She credits her husband and her colleague dental practice owner Dr. Lisa Gamache with helping her maintain a healthy work-life balance.
 
The dentists are featured in the Spring 2022 issue of the Journal of the Massachusetts Dental Society, and they were honored earlier this year at Yankee Dental Congress 2022. Yankee is New England's largest dental meeting and is presented by the MDS in cooperation with the dental societies of Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

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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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