EforAll Announces Prize Winners

12:04PM / Friday, June 24, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) Berkshire County awarded nearly $10,000 in prizes to the Spring 2022 Business Accelerator Cohort at an awards ceremony held on Zoom.

The awards were granted as follows:

Jenny Gitlitz (Dalton) of Berkshire Family Advocates received the Paula Buxbaum Award–established in honor of a member of the Fall 2021 cohort who died in a car crash in October 2021. This award in Paula's memory is granted to an individual making a career pivot and incorporating a social mission into their business.
$1,000 to Rachel Hailey (North Adams) for DEI Outdoors.
$2,300 to Deirdre Horan (Great Barrington) of Dri Ocean Products.
$2,500 to Jackye Stoddard (Hudson, NY) for Hierba Buena Foods.
$3,500 to Elizabeth Heller (Pittsfield) for The Kids Super Journal.

The celebration and gala began with remarks from Massachusetts State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier who spoke about the public-private partnership that supports EforAll's regional efforts and lauded the efforts of the 12 businesses that completed the program.

The Class Speaker, Rachel Hailey of DEI Outdoors was chosen by her colleagues and shared many of the lessons of the program for future EforAll participants.

The virtual event was also simulcast on Pittsfield Community Television. The recording is available to view here.

EforAll's next Accelerator class will begin in September 2022 and applications are due at www.eforall.org before August 25th.

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New Camp Is Safe Place for Children Suffering Loss to Addiction

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:26AM / Saturday, December 27, 2025

Last year's Happy Campers courtesy of Max Tabakin.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new camp is offering a safe place for children who have lost a parent or guardian to addiction.

Director Gayle Saks founded the nonprofit "Camp Happy Place" last year. The first camp was held in June with 14 children.

Saks is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who works at the Brien Center. One of her final projects when studying was how to involve youth, and a camp came to mind. Camp had been her "happy place" growing up, and it became her dream to open her own.

"I keep a bucket list in my wallet, and it's right on here on this list, and I cross off things that I've accomplished," she said. "But it is the one thing on here that I knew I had to do."

The overnight co-ed camp is held at a summer camp in Winsted, Conn., where Saks spent her summers as a child. It is four nights and five days and completely free. Transportation is included as are many of the items needed for camping. The camp takes up to 30 children.

"I really don't think there's any place that exists specifically for this population. I think it's important to know, we've said this, but that it is not a therapeutic camp," Saks said.

She said the focus is on fun for the children, though they are able to talk to any of the volunteer and trained staff. The staff all have experience in social work, addiction and counseling, and working with children.

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