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Elementary school pupil Mimi pulls the shed raffle winner at Northern Berkshire Habitat's Maple Street house project on Saturday. The winner lives in Hinsdale.

Northern Berkshire Habitat Shed Raffle Raises Thousands

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The shed was built by McCann students and painted and decorated by Habitat volunteers. 
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A shed raffle has raised thousands of dollars for Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity. 
 
Habitat construction volunteers took a break from their latest project on Maple Street on Saturday to draw the winning name in the shed raffle.  
 
After a drum roll performed with screwdrivers and paint-stirring sticks, neighbor and elementary school student Mimi pulled out ticket stub number 125, bought by a Hinsdale resident. Sheds-N-Stuff in Cheshire will transport the shed to the winner's home.
 
"What a fun, successful effort," said Keith Davis, board president.  
 
Close to two hundred people bought tickets, some purchasing a single chance and some 20, raising thousands of dollars for the local Habitat's mission to build safe, decent, and affordable housing for lower-income area residents. 
 
In addition to homebuilding, NBHfH's Brush With Kindness program provides critical external repairs or construction, such as an access ramp, that will enable someone to stay in their home. 
 
Shed materials were paid for by an anonymous donor, the structure was built by students in the McCann Technical School carpentry program, and it was painted and decorated by Habitat volunteers. 
 
All of the money raised stays with the nonprofit.  
 
"We bought the shed materials locally and local volunteers assembled them. A local person wins the shed, and the proceeds from the raffle will help build a house for a family in northern Berkshire County or fund a Brush With Kindness project," said volunteer Thomas Kirby, pausing in his efforts to remove a dent from a duct tube. "We are grateful for such generous community support." 
 
Local media outlets publicized the raffle for free.
 
Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity serves the towns of Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, North Adams, and Williamstown as well as Stamford, Vt. Learn more here.

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Williamstown Housing Trust Agrees to Continue Emergency Mortgage, Rental Programs

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The board of the town's Affordable Housing Trust at its December meeting voted to extend its mortgage and rental assistance programs and discussed bringing in some consultants early next year before embarking on any new programs.
 
Chair Daniel Gura informed the board that its agreements with Pittsfield's Hearthway Inc., to administer the Williamstown Emergency Rental Assistance Program and Williamstown Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program was expiring at the end of the year.
 
Gura sought and obtained a vote of the board to extend the programs, born during the COVID-19 pandemic, through the end of January 2026, at which time the board plans to sign a new long-term agreement.
 
"In 2024, we distributed $80,000," through the programs known as WERAP and WEMAP, Gura said. "This year, to date, we gave $16,000, and Ihere's $17,000 left. … It's a little interesting we saw a dropoff from 2024 to 2025, although I think there were obvious reasons for that in terms of where we are in the world."
 
Gura suggested that the board might want to increase the funding to the programs, which benefit income-qualified town residents.
 
"If you look at the broader economic picture in this country, there's a prospect of more people needing help, not fewer people," Thomas Sheldon said in agreeing with Gura. "I think the need will bump up again."
 
The board voted to add an additional $13,000 to the amount available to applicants screened by Hearthway with the possibility of raising that funding if a spike in demand is seen.
 
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