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Christian Center Holds Community Day, Celebrates 130 Years

The Civitan Club has been providing picnic food for the event for a number of years.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A portion of Robbins Avenue was filled with a celebration on Saturday as the Christian Center held its annual Community Day and marked 130 years as an organization.

"To be honest, for the last 130 years, the Christian Center has done essentially the same thing," Executive Director  Betsy Sherman said, explaining that the center offers food, clothing, paths to jobs, and referrals to housing with the goal of helping people have a more secure life.

It was founded in 1892 as the Epworth Mission by the Methodist Church and has been at its current location since 1906. Sherman explained that in the late 1800s, many immigrants came to the West Side looking for a better life.

They were in need of basic necessities, which led to the first iteration of the Christian Center.

"All of these people needed housing, they needed food, they needed clothing, they needed a place to live," Sherman said. "And that's what we've been doing."

The free celebration included kids' games and prizes, arts and crafts, a bouncy house, and food provided by the Civitan Club of the Berkshires. Community agencies including Berkshire United Way were also present at the event to offer information about their services.

The Civitan Club is an all-volunteer, non-profit, service organization and has been providing food at the event for a number of years. The menu included hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, chips, and dessert all free of charge.

Dalton Youth Center Celebrates Refresh of Space

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:36PM / Sunday, September 06, 2026

Spectrum donated $5,000 to the the Youth Center.

DALTON, Mass. — The Dalton Youth Center celebrated its refreshed building to better serve youth from across the county.

 

On Wednesday, parents and children, public officials like state Rep. Leigh Davis, and more gathered at the center's building at 27 South Carson Ave. to view the new updates.

 

Executive Director Ariana Massery, who started her role in January, welcomed the public and thanked everyone for attending and those who helped bring the more than 100-year-old building to what it is today.

 

"This building and this organization has existed in many ways to serve youth since 1909, and we have recently, in the last six months, made an investment to bring things to life, both from a programmatic standpoint and from a facility standpoint," she said.

 

The center, part of the nonprofit Community Recreation Association, got new paint, an updated gaming room with new furniture, a new gym floor, a refreshed kitchen with new appliances, and Smartboards and other technology to support tutoring.

 

It also celebrated programming through new partnerships with Berkshire Music School, Berkshire Innovation Center, and the Becket Arts Center. Youth will be able to learn robotics, how to write music, and more.

 

The center also partners with Berkshire Bounty to provide healthier snacks.